Items to include in a Homeowner’s Binder
1. Paper Documents Pertaining to Your Home Purchase
Any paper documentation from your housing transaction, such as purchase agreement, loans, insurance, inspection and appraisal, HOA documents, deeds, and blueprints, should be included to ensure that when you go to sell your home in the future, everything is easy to find. It also ensures that if an issue arises with your home purchase transaction, the documents will be ready for you in the binder.
2. Contractor and Service Provider Contact Information
Another section that could be useful to include for easy access in your homeowner’s binder are business cards, contact information, previous transactions, etc., for any contractors or services you may use. These may include roofers, utility providers, electricians, painters, cleaners, plumbers, etc. Including contacts for contractors that you’ve considered using but haven’t may be worth it incase you decide to change contractors in the future.
3. Maintenance Expenses
Keeping tract of maintenance expenses for your home is annoying, but if the records are kept in a safe location, it makes knowing when you’re due for updates and how much they cost so much easier. Replacing a roof, gutter cleaning, chimney sweep, fencing, etc. are all examples that fit into the maintenance category.
4. Documentation of Renovations or Additions
If any renovations or additions are made on the home, including before/after photos, invoices, loans, plans, permits, appraisals, etc., will help show the history of the home down the road when you look to sell later.
5. User Manuals/Warranties
One thing that always seems to get lost in a move are any user manuals or warranties for major appliances. When your washer/dryer, lighting fixtures, dishwasher, vacuum, etc. has an issue, the manuals will be in a singular location that makes finding the solution to its problem much easier.
6. Paint Swatches
One useful tip of an item to include in a homeowner’s binder is any paint colors you may have used on your home. This includes interior and exterior paint colors. It is better to know what exact color was used and where versus guessing and choosing the wrong shade if you need to buy any touch up paint.
Bonus: Take-Out Menus!
Optional: If you are someone that still likes to use paper take-out menus, then including a section for those is never a bad idea. Your favorite foods to order will be available at your fingertips!
