Tips For Writing A Contract To Sell A House
If you have decided to sell your home, you have two options. You could either write the contract yourself or you could hire a real estate lawyer to help you. Here are some tips if you choose to go the former route.
1. Include Everything That You've Promised to Leave in the House
Your first step is to make note of everything that you've planned to leave in the house. This is part of the purchasing agreement and is tremendously important in order to make sure that both you and the buyer are satisfied. Items that are commonly left are large appliances, drapes and other window coverings, and some general furniture. When the person that is looking to purchase your home viewed it for the last time, he or she would have seen those items and made note of them. In order to protect you and the buyer, you need to be sure that you do not remove or replace these items that are included on the contract. This will allow you to avoid giving up more than you have promised and allow the buyer to make sure that he or she gets exactly what he or she expects.
2. Finish Maintenance
If you have promised to repair anything before the buyer finalizes the agreement, be sure that you provide proof that you have with the contract before you send it to the buyer. This could be receipts from a professional repair company that states exactly what was repaired or photographs of anything that you repaired yourself that the buyer can view before finalizing the agreement. This provides the customer with proof that your end of the bargain is being held up, as well as protect you from any potential problems.
3. Prepare the Contract
Every province has its own contract that needs to be filled out by both the buyer and the seller. You will need to fill the form out first. Make sure that you fill in all of the required information, including mortgage and financing details. Then, send it over with the rest of your documents that have been discussed above. This will allow the buyer to review the contract and decide if he or she agrees with the terms. The buyer can make changes and send the contract back to you.
For more information, talk to a real estate lawyer (such as one from Lee Roche & Kerr Real Estate Law). He or she will be able to help make sure that you negotiate the best contract possible.