Most of these exist somewhere: an email, a contractor's truck, the county's website, a box in the closet. The work is getting them into one folder once. After that, it's a sheet of paper a year.
| Number | Document | Why, and where to find it if you don't have it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homeowner's insurance policy — the declarations page | The one page that shows coverage, deductibles (including the wind/hail percentage), and the agent's number. Your agent can email it today. | |
| 2 | The survey and plat | Where the property lines and easements are. Needed for any fence, deck, or dispute with a neighbor. From your closing documents, or the county. | |
| 3 | Deed and closing statement | Proof of ownership, and the purchase price for the day the house is sold. Your closing attorney has a copy if you don't. | |
| 4 | Permits and final inspections | For any addition, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roof, or deck work ever done. Unpermitted work surfaces at sale. Fulton, Cobb, and the cities all have online permit lookups by address. | |
| 5 | Warranties — roof, HVAC, water heater, windows, appliances | With the installer's name and date. Many warranties require proof of annual service, which is what the service log is for. | |
| 6 | Contracts and receipts for every major job | Roof, HVAC, deck, paint, anything over a thousand dollars. The contract is the warranty's fine print; the receipt is proof for insurance and taxes. | |
| 7 | Certificates of insurance from contractors | From any job in the last few years. If someone was hurt on your property, this is the document that matters. | |
| 8 | Owner's manuals | Furnace, AC, water heater, appliances, thermostat, garage opener, irrigation controller. Model and serial numbers on the first page; most are online by model number. | |
| 9 | The termite bond | The contract, what it covers (retreatment only, or repair?), and the renewal date. Let it lapse and the new inspection starts from zero. | |
| 10 | Property tax and homestead exemption | The most recent bill and the exemption confirmation. Over 65, there are additional exemptions in Fulton and Cobb that many people never file for — ask the county tax assessor. | |
| 11 | Utility accounts | Account numbers for power, gas, water, trash, and internet, and who's listed as an authorized contact on each — so someone else can call for you. | |
| 12 | "Your house, on one page" and the service log | The two sheets that tie the rest together: where things are, and what's been done. |
Keeping it
- Paper in one folder, and a photo or scan of each page in one shared album or folder on your phone — the paper is for the house, the copies are for whoever helps you from a distance.
- Tell one person where the folder is. The file is only useful to someone who can find it.
- Once a year, in December with the calendar: add the year’s receipts, replace the declarations page, update the one-page sheet.
For members, this file is what we build at the getting-started visit and keep current afterward.
Next guideWhat your house will need in the next ten years