The house file you hand the next owner

This template puts the house's systems, appliances, improvements, finishes and service companies on a few pages you can leave for the next owner.

What's in it

• The house, with where the water, gas and electric shutoffs are and the furnace filter size.
• Systems, with the year each was installed, the brand and model, the last service, the warranty end date and the service company.
• Appliances, with the brand, model, install date and warranty end date.
• Improvements and permits, with the year, the permit number and the contractor.
• Finishes, the paint, tile and flooring, with the brand, color and where it came from.
• Utilities and service providers, the companies and how to reach them.
• Manuals and warranties left in the house, a list of what's in the drawer.
• A Before you send box with four checks before you hand it over.

How to fill it in

Fill it in before you list, while the receipts and manuals are still in the house. Start at the shutoffs. Walk the house and write down where the main water shutoff, the gas shutoff and the electric panel are, and the size of the furnace or air handler filter.

For each system and appliance, take the brand and model from its label, and the install year from a receipt or the label's date. Write the last service date and the company that did it.

Keep each warranty with its receipt, since the receipt proves the purchase date, and fill in each warranty's end date from that paperwork. Some warranties also require a registration card before service is covered. Whether a warranty moves to a new owner is in its own terms, so read each one and note it beside the item.

List each improvement with its year, its permit number if it had one, and the contractor. Write down the paint colors and the tile and flooring styles, so a touch-up matches.

For utilities and service providers, write the company for the electricity, gas, water, trash and internet, with a phone number or website. Leave out account numbers, passwords and anything personal. Keep a copy for your own records, and leave the original in the house with the manuals.

A house built before 1978

Lead-based paint was banned in homes in 1978. For most houses built before then, the seller gives the buyer the pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home before the contract is signed. The seller also discloses any known lead-based paint or lead hazards, and hands over any records or reports on them. The house file doesn't replace any of that.