Diary of a Manhattan Apartment

Diary of a Manhattan Apartment

When purchasing an apartment in Manhattan, I encourage my clients who look for real estate for sale in Manhattan to track their apartment’s history once they close on it.  In this diary, you will want to include the history that you know from the former owner.

Entries are not for “Dear Diary, today was a milestone for my dog that now knows never to use my floor as the largest bathroom in the world, because I was just about ready to kill him.”  What you want is a historical log of changes, repairs, upgrades, etc. done to the unit and the building.

A frequent struggle for homeowners when we meet to be their Manhattan listing agents, is defining WHEN and WHAT work was actually done.  “Jane, did we put in that new floor in 2005 or 2006?”.  Now some homeowners are very much on the ball. They’ll have EVERY record of EVERY thing that was ever done to the home in a file folder.  Include the contractor, invoices, date, how much the repairs cost, how old the appliance is and its corresponding manuals. 

In most cases, it is a struggle to search and rattle that gray matter of one’s memory banks and its not uncommon since our memory suffers from a certain level of inaccuracy.   In reality, as time goes on we lose track of just how long ago something happened.  A dishwasher that we think is 3 years old is really pushing 10 yrs old.  And that “brand new” kitchen, hmmm?

Here are some suggestions to help keep all this important information handy as part of your exit strategy.

• Have a file folder or box with pertinent documents.  The invoices, manuals, warranties, etc., all in one easy to retrieve spot. Include your offering plan, amendments and contact information for your building management company.
• Get a physical notebook.  Jot entries as significant events occur.  Not everything is done by contractors, so you can track some of the items you perform.  Changed that light fixture, put in a window type air conditioner, caulked the bathtub, etc.  All in a place that is easily scannable to find out WHEN and WHAT you did to your home.
• Put a file on your computer in a form of a Word document, Excel, whatever suits you.  Record and track any pertinent activities. Last time pointing was done on the building, any past assessments on the building while you occupied the unit?  Re-glazed the bathtub?  Installed new windows? Changed any bathroom or kitchen fixtures?    Adding digital pictures with date stamps is the bomb!