Research / Field guide
What records should you keep for your home?
Keep records that explain what the home has, what happened, who did it, what evidence remains, and what should happen next. Tie each file to a system, project, date, and source; separate personal financial and account data.
A durable home-record set
Identity
Address, closing records, surveys, plans, and property identifiers.
Systems
Make, model, serial number, installation date, manuals, service needs, and warranty.
Service
Date, symptom, diagnosis, scope, provider, invoice, result, and next action.
Projects
Contracts, permits, plans, selections, change orders, photos, invoices, inspections, and closeout documents.
Decisions
Why a choice was made, alternatives considered, unresolved questions, owner, and review date.
Keep evidence, not just files
A receipt becomes more useful when it names the property, system, work, date, provider, and warranty. A photo becomes more useful when it is dated and attached to a project. When reconstructing history, label facts confirmed, probable, or unverified.
IRS guidance gives a specific financial reason to preserve purchase, settlement, improvement, and other basis records. Retention needs vary by document, tax facts, warranty, insurer, and jurisdiction; this guide is organizational rather than legal or tax advice.
Privacy before transfer
Keep property facts distinct from passwords, access codes, payment credentials, account numbers, personal correspondence, and identity documents. Share property records only when permitted and redact personal information.
The continuity test
Could another responsible person identify the system, understand the last intervention, find the evidence, and know the next appropriate action? If not, the record exists but continuity is incomplete.
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