Clean Up Your Act!

I've had help from a realtor friend of mine, Steve Dalton on compiling a list of requirements in order to successfully close a new construction home.

Real Estate in Springfield Missouri is no different here than any other area and is not kind when we fail to record or provide certain information to the buyer. In order to avoid problems down the road, especially when the buyer decides to sell, take a little time out to :


1) Follow up with the title company to make sure all well agreements, well agreements and association articles were recorded and mailed to all parties.

2) Check with the new buyers to see if they received copies from the title company. Sometimes, the seller promises to record them himself, and never does.

3) Have a check list to follow to avoid a problem in the future.

4) Extra garage door openers and the codes so they can be reprogrammed.

5) Photos of the home while under construction.

6) Home Warranty Manual spelling out what things are covered for a year or two years, and what things should be considered maintenance. Wow can that be a big issue later on.

7) I like your idea of the list of trades that worked on the house. We also include an emergency list of trades and utilities and government agencies that they should call if something happens.

8) Changing utilities seems to be a particularly hard thing in the case of new construction. There's never been a phone line or a cable line to this house, it may not be a matter of a couple days.

9) And of course there's the dreaded walk through list. The customer needs to spend some time really going over their home with the new home builder. Really ask questions. The REALTOR could be of some help here, if they remember that their job is to help and not to pick on the house one day before closing.

10) I’m adding another: In the event the home has a brand new septic system, provide the buyers a copy of the permit and layout of the lateral lines. I’ve had buyers call back after moving in, complaining their septic had backed up. They had driven the moving van across the lines and crushed them.

If you have any other items to add, feel free to contribute.

I'm never to busy to accept your referrals: contact me at: kayvankampen.com