Florida seller checklist
What Florida requires you to disclose, what buyers in Sarasota and Manatee will ask for, and the closing costs set by law. Each item links the official source.
1What Florida requires you to disclose
Known defects that affect the home's value
Florida's Supreme Court held in Johnson v. Davis that a home seller who knows of facts that materially affect value, aren't readily observable and aren't known to the buyer must disclose them. A written seller's disclosure is the usual way to do it; when in doubt, disclose.
The flood disclosure
At or before signing the contract, you must tell the buyer whether you know of flood damage while you owned the home, and whether you filed a flood insurance claim (including with the National Flood Insurance Program) or received federal flood assistance such as FEMA aid.
The radon notice
Florida requires a radon gas notice at or before the contract for the sale of any building. Standard Florida contract forms include it; make sure yours does.
CDD assessments
If your home is in a community development district (common in Lakewood Ranch and Parrish), the contract must disclose the CDD in bold. Have your latest tax bill showing the assessment ready for buyers.
2Gather before you list
Insurance answers: roof age, wind mitigation, flood policy
Buyers' insurers ask for the roof's age and can require an inspection on roofs 15 years or older. A current wind mitigation report can lower their premium, and your flood policy can transfer to the buyer with its discount. Having these ready makes your home easier to insure, and easier to buy.
Fla. Stat. 627.7011 · Florida Office of Insurance Regulation · FEMA flood insurance guide
Condo: milestone inspection and reserves
Condo buildings 3 stories or taller need a structural milestone inspection at 30 years. Buyers and their lenders will ask for the report and the reserve funding, and about any special assessments. Request them from the association early.
Permits for past work
Buyers in flood zones will ask about past storm damage and repairs, because work above half the building's value triggers current flood code. Pull permit records for roofs, additions and storm repairs before a buyer's inspector does.
3Know your closing costs
Doc stamps on the deed
Florida charges 70 cents per $100 of the sale price in documentary stamp tax on the deed, customarily paid by the seller. On a $450,000 sale that's $3,150.
Owner's title policy: who pays depends on the county
The premium is set by the state. In Manatee County the seller usually pays it and picks the title company; in Sarasota County the buyer usually does. It's custom, not law, and is set in your contract.
Fla. Admin. Code 69O-186.003 · Fla. Dept. of Financial Services
Property taxes are prorated
Florida property taxes for the year are billed in November, so at closing you credit the buyer for the days you owned the home from January 1. Have last year's bill handy to estimate it.
Sarasota County Property Appraiser · Manatee County Property Appraiser
Checked against the linked sources on October 31, 2026. General information, not legal advice; ask a Florida real estate attorney about your contract.