What Are You Required to Disclose When You Sell Your Home?

When you set out to sell a house, most states require you to make certain disclosures. Disclosures refer to any material defects in the home, and in many states, you will be held liable if you don’t tell the buyer about them upfront. To avoid getting into legal trouble, it’s imperative that you know what you should and need not disclose when you fill out your disclosure statement. We’ve done all of the legwork for you and pulled sample disclosure docs for every single state. In this article, you’ll be able to read up on the disclosures in your state and take a look at a sample disclosure form to prepare yourself before filling out the real one. What is a seller’s disclosure statement or seller’s disclosure form? In a nutshell, the basis of most state disclosure documents is the same. You’ll be asked a series of questions about the condition of your property and whether anything is broken, damaged, or does not work. This includes things like the foundation of the house, skylights, plumbing, pool, HVAC, etc. Some states require you to disclose problems with the land; others just with the structure of the home itself. Select states have additional disclosures that you need to note. Fo...