In Pennsylvania there is a Seller Disclosure law that requires sellers to provide prospective buyers with fairly extensive information about the home they are selling.  Among the types of information required:

How long you have owned the properrty

Whether you live in the property

Whether pets have lived in the property

Condition of the roof, whether there has been any leaking, repairs or replacement, and if you have documentation of such repairs or replacement

Condition of the heating, plumbing and electrical systems

Whether there has been any water, mold or mildew in the basement

If there are underground tanks, settling or fill in the yard

Any zoning violations, or notices of public assessments or real estate tax increase notices

Whether there are any liens or legal problems that would prevent you from conveying clear title.

Many sellers have asked me over the years if one particular minor problem or another is worth the trouble of reporting on the disclosure.  My answer?  DISCLOSE EVERYTHING! 

This is the right answer on several levels.  First, it's the honest thing to do.

Second, it's the law.  Proper reporting of problems protects you from later liability for non-disclosure.

Third, from a totally pragmatic point of view, if buyers see that you've disclosed everything that they can observe for themselves, and that you've also disclosed a few things that they can't see for themselves, they're going to feel a lot more comfortable about your credibility.

Of course, buyers also have the right to require an independent home inspection as part of their purchase offer. If the inspection turns up things that you have already disclosed, you have a much better chance of the transaction going to settlement without further disputes.

Good disclosure helps everyone.  It gives buyers useful information, protects sellers from non-disclosure issues, and helps agents do their jobs with fewer distractions.

If you would like more information about Seller Disclosures, please feel free to call Brian Schulman at (717) 951-5552, or email brian@findlancasterhomes.com .

©BrianSchulman2008