Selling a house comes with a surprising amount of paperwork. Whether it’s your first sale or your third, it helps to know what you’ll need and when, so a missing document doesn’t hold up your closing. Here’s a simple checklist for selling a home in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene or the Tri-Cities, broken into stages.
Not every item applies to every sale, and your title company or attorney may ask for others. Use this as a starting point.
Before you list: gather what you have
Start a folder, paper or digital, and collect these early:
- Your deed, or at least the legal description and how the title is held
- Mortgage statements for every loan on the property, including any home equity line, so the title company can request payoffs
- Your original purchase paperwork: closing statement, purchase contract and appraisal from when you bought
- Property tax statements for the current year
- A property survey or plat map, if you have one
- HOA documents, including the rules, dues, contact information and any pending assessments
- Permits and plans for additions, remodels, decks, electrical or other work
- Receipts and warranties for the roof, furnace, water heater, appliances and other improvements
- Utility information, including average bills and providers, and for rural homes, well and septic records
- Leases and deposit records, if the home is rented
Listing the house
- Listing agreement, if you use an agent. Read it carefully, including the end date, commission and any cancellation terms.
- Comparative market analysis or appraisal to support your price
- Easement or right-of-way agreements, if any affect the property
Seller disclosures
Disclosures are one of the most important documents in the sale. In most residential sales:
- Washington sellers complete a seller disclosure statement, commonly called Form 17. It asks about the title, water, sewer or septic, structure, systems, environmental issues and known defects.
- Idaho sellers complete a property condition disclosure form, which also asks about known problems with the home.
- Homes built before 1978 also need the federal lead-based paint disclosure.
Answer every question honestly based on what you know. If you’re unsure how a question applies, or whether your sale is one of the exceptions, ask your agent, title company or a real estate attorney.
Accepting an offer
- The purchase offer from the buyer, along with their pre-approval letter or proof of funds
- Counteroffers and addenda, such as inspection response forms and repair agreements
- The final purchase and sale agreement, signed by everyone
- Earnest money receipt from the title company or brokerage
Getting to closing
Once you’re under contract, the title or escrow company does much of the work. Expect:
- A preliminary title report, showing who owns the property and any liens, judgments or easements
- Payoff statements from your lender or lenders
- An estimated settlement statement showing the sale price, payoffs, costs and what you’ll receive
- The deed transferring the property to the buyer, along with the other recording and closing documents the state and county require
- Proof of identity for everyone signing
- Power of attorney, trust or estate documents, if someone is signing for an owner, a trust or an estate
At and after closing
- Final settlement statement. Keep it for your taxes.
- Proof of mortgage payoff and lien release, which usually arrives after closing
- Title insurance policy, issued to the buyer
- A bill of sale, if any personal property such as appliances or furniture is included
- Keys, garage openers, codes and warranty paperwork to hand over to the buyer
Also remember to cancel or transfer utilities and homeowners insurance after closing, not before.
Special situations
- Inherited house: the death certificate and court documents appointing the personal representative. See our inherited house guide.
- Divorce: your decree or settlement terms for the house. See selling during a divorce.
- Rental: leases, rent records and deposit information. See selling with tenants.
- Selling yourself: see our FSBO guide.
Tips for staying organized
- Scan everything into one folder you can share with your agent, title company or attorney.
- Request lender payoff statements and HOA documents early. They can take time.
- If any owner lives out of town, ask the title company now how they can sign.
- Make copies of anything you sign, and keep the final settlement statement for your taxes.
What a cash buyer handles for you
When you sell to Backyard Home Buyers, much of this list gets shorter. There’s no listing agreement, no marketing materials, no showings to schedule and no buyer’s loan paperwork to wait on. We work with a local title company that prepares the closing documents, orders the title report and handles your payoff. Your part is mostly signing and handing over the keys.
- You’ll usually have a fair cash offer within 24 hours.
- We buy as-is: no repairs or cleaning.
- No fees or commissions, and we pay the closing costs.
- Close in as little as 7 days, or on the date you choose.
We’re a local, family-owned company. Both owners were born and raised in the Inland Northwest, and we’ve done over 500 deals since 2018 in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and the Tri-Cities. See how it works, or call (509) 461-9079.