Pre-Move: Documentation You’ll Need for the New Owners

Survey

Dig up that property survey so the new owners know the exact property lines and dimensions of the house. This is essential, as it legally confirms the boundaries of your property, which is important for everything from calculating the price per square meter to knowing where that new pool can be constructed. If it’s been ages since you saw this and you simply can’t find it anywhere, don’t create a hand-drawn plat. These need to be official to protect both you and the new home owner in the event a dispute about property lines arises in the future.

Title/Deed

This might be an obvious one, but it’s so important we’re going to say it anyway. Make sure you hand over the title to the house to the new home owners. This will affect everything from your credit to your insurance, and it will need to be filed with the government. This usually gets taken care of as a very central part of closing and if you are using a solicitor, they will most likely take care of it. However, it’s always worth double checking. You certainly don’t want to be legally responsible for a home you are no longer living in.

Final Bills

To avoid any potential disagreements with the new home owners, always leave behind copies of your final utility bills for water, electric and the like. You want to ensure that from the moment you hand over the keys, you are no longer financially responsible for the upkeep of the home. Leaving behind proof you’ve paid for the utility use up to the day you moved can prevent a major headache down the road.

Unnecessary, But Nice to Hand Over

It’s fine to just leave behind the documentation that’s legally critical, but think about handing over a bit more paperwork to help the new owners settle in, such as manuals on how to program the garage door or work the central cooling system. If you still have them, then leave the manuals for all of the major appliances in the house, too. Put them neatly into a labelled folder. If you’ve renovated and you’re feeling especially generous, then leave information on the colours, materials and contractors you used.

Of course, you’ll file a change of address with the post, but you might want to think about writing it down and giving it the new owners, too. In the event that important letters turn up in your old mailbox, it would be nice if the new owners could send them along to you.

Now that you have handed over all this documentation, you are ready to pack up your belongings with our interstate removalists. One more caution about paperwork, since we’re on the topic… make sure to insure your things before moving house to protect yourself in case any accidents occur during the removal.

Now all that’s left to do is call Two Men and a Truck, the best Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, Gold Coast and New Castle removalists!