One of the most common questions we get from Arizona home sellers is: “Do I really need to disclose that? We already fixed it.” In most cases, the answer is yes . A repair doesn't erase the history of what happened. Maybe the roof leaked five years ago and was repaired. Maybe there was a plumbing leak behind a wall. Perhaps termites were treated years ago, an electrical issue was corrected, or an air conditioner needed a major repair. Sellers sometimes think that because the problem has been fixed, there is nothing left to disclose. That's not a safe assumption. “When in Doubt – Disclose!” The Arizona REALTORS® Seller's Property Disclosure Statement, commonly called the SPDS, begins with a Residential Seller Disclosure Advisory that prominently tells sellers: WHEN IN DOUBT – DISCLOSE! There's a reason that warning gets so much attention. The SPDS is designed to help Arizona sellers provide information about the property and its history. Arizona sellers also have disclosure obligations that go beyond simply telling a buyer what is broken today. A previous problem can still be important information even when the repair was successful. A Repaired Roof Leak Is Still Part of the Home's History Let's say your roof leaked four years ago during a monsoon. You hired a roofer, the problem was repaired, and you haven't experienced another leak since. That's great. But the fact that the repair was successful doesn't mean the previous leak should simply disappear from the property's history. As a real estate broker, I'm not supposed to tell a seller what to write on their disclosure statement. These are the seller's disclosures , not mine. What I can do is ask questions. If a seller checks a box indicating a past roof problem, for example, I may ask them to expand on their answer. What happened? When did it happen? Was it repaired? Do you have an invoice or warranty? The seller can then decide how to accurately explain what they know. That additional context can be extremely helpful to a buyer. There's a big difference between an inspector finding unexplained evidence of a previous roof leak and a buyer already knowing that something occurred, that the seller addressed it, and that additional information or documentation is available. Disclosure doesn't automatically make a house look bad. Good disclosure can answer questions before the buyer even has to ask them. I Encourage Sellers to Include Repairs and Improvements Too My advice to Rover Realty sellers generally goes beyond only thinking about past problems. I encourage sellers to think about repairs, replacements and improvements they have made to the home as they're completing their disclosures. The SPDS includes categories covering things like roofing, electrical systems, plumbing, heating and cooling, pools and other components. But not everything fits perfectly into a particular category. Maybe you replaced flooring. Maybe you remodeled the kitchen, replaced windows, added insulation, updated irrigation, replaced pool equipment or remodeled a bathroom. There is an additional-information area on the SPDS where sellers can provide further explanation. If a seller has more information than will comfortably fit, additional information can also be attached as appropriate. Again, I'm not filling out the disclosure for the seller or telling them what words to use. My role is to encourage sellers to slow down, think through the property's history and provide complete answers based on what they actually know. Disclosure Isn't Limited to Things You Can Touch This is another area sellers sometimes miss. Property concerns aren't always a broken pipe, roof leak or electrical problem. Think about things you've experienced while living at the property. Noise can matter. Odors can matter. Pests can matter. And yes, in Arizona, that includes scorpions . The Arizona SPDS specifically asks sellers whether they are aware of or have observed certain pests, including scorpions. This is where sellers can get themselves into trouble by deciding that something doesn't matter simply because they don't personally consider it a big deal. The “Scorpion House” Problem Imagine a seller has regularly dealt with scorpions but decides not to mention them. The buyer closes. They're unloading the moving truck on day one when the neighbor walks over and says: “Oh good! Someone finally bought the scorpion house!” We've got a problem. Now the buyer may start asking questions. Did the seller know about them? Was the house being treated? Is there a pest-control company with service records? Did neighbors know? Were there conversations about it in the neighborhood Facebook group? Information isn't particularly difficult to uncover anymore. Something that could have been openly discussed before closing can become a much bigger issue afterward if a buyer believes the seller intentionally withheld information. More Information Can Actually Make a Disclosure Less Scary I had a seller once who checked the box indicating that he had seen a scorpion at the property. When I reviewed the disclosure, I simply asked him to tell me more. His answer completely changed the context. He had purchased the house about 16 years earlier and, shortly after buying it, had seen one scorpion on the back wall of the yard. That's a very different situation from a buyer seeing a checked scorpion box with no explanation and imagining they're about to purchase the East Valley headquarters for the Scorpion Appreciation Society. This is exactly why I ask sellers to expand on certain answers. I'm not telling them what to write. I'm asking them to tell the buyer the story only they know. A checked box may leave a buyer with ten questions. A seller's own explanation may answer nine of them. Don't Guess and Don't Exaggerate Disclosure works both ways. Being transparent doesn't mean speculating. If you don't know something, don't turn a guess into a fact. Maybe you purchased the house five years ago and were told that the previous owner replaced the roof before you bought it. That's different from personally knowing who replaced it, exactly when the work occurred or precisely what was done. The same principle applies throughout the disclosure process. If you have invoices, warranties, receipts or other records, those may help provide additional information. Stick with what you actually know. Facts are your friend. What If I Don't Remember Every Repair? Nobody expects most homeowners to remember every toilet flapper, sprinkler head or light switch they've replaced over 20 years of homeownership. The goal is to complete the disclosure truthfully and thoroughly based on the seller's actual knowledge. That's one reason I like sellers to start working on their disclosures early. Don't rush through the SPDS five minutes before dinner. Take some time. Think about the history of the home. Look through your records. Check old invoices and warranties. Think about insurance claims, service calls, repairs and major improvements. You may remember quite a bit once you start looking. What If the Problem Was Completely Fixed? That's useful information too. The fact that something happened and the fact that it was repaired aren't competing pieces of information. They're both part of the property's history. If I see that a seller has disclosed a previous problem without much additional information, I may ask them questions about it. Was it repaired? Approximately when? Who performed the work, if they know? Is there paperwork? Have there been any additional issues? The answers belong to the seller. My job is to help make sure they understand that a simple checked box may not tell the complete story. Transparency Can Protect the Seller Sellers sometimes worry that disclosing too much will scare buyers away. I'm usually much more concerned about the opposite scenario. I'd rather have a buyer understand something before closing than discover it afterward and believe information was intentionally withheld. That's especially true when the information could easily surface later through an inspection, contractor, service company, neighbor or even an old neighborhood social-media post. That's why the phrase at the top of the Arizona disclosure paperwork is so important: When in Doubt, Disclose. Don't assume a previous problem disappeared simply because it was repaired. Don't decide for the buyer that something isn't important. And don't assume that checking a box is always enough to help someone understand what actually happened. Tell your own story. Provide context when appropriate. Include documentation when you have it. A well-informed buyer is far better than a surprised buyer after closing. Frequently Asked Questions Do I have to disclose an old problem if it was completely repaired? In most cases, sellers should not assume that a successful repair means the previous condition no longer needs to be disclosed. Arizona sellers have disclosure obligations concerning known material facts, and the SPDS asks numerous questions about both present and past conditions. When in doubt about a specific situation, sellers should seek appropriate real estate or legal guidance. Should I disclose an old roof leak if it hasn't leaked since? Don't assume that the previous leak is irrelevant simply because it was repaired. A seller should answer the applicable SPDS questions truthfully based on their knowledge. As a real estate broker, I may ask a seller to expand on an answer, but I don't tell the seller what to write. Do I have to disclose scorpions in Arizona? The Arizona REALTORS® SPDS specifically asks whether the seller is aware of or has observed listed pests, including scorpions. Providing additional context can help a buyer understand what a checked box actually represents. Should I disclose improvements that weren't repairs? I encourage sellers to think about significant improvements and updates while completing their disclosures. Information about flooring, windows, remodeling, pool equipment and other improvements can give buyers a better understanding of the property's history. What if there isn't a specific SPDS category for an improvement or repair? The SPDS includes space for additional information, and additional information or documentation can be attached when appropriate. Sellers should complete their own disclosures based on their knowledge and seek guidance if they're unsure how a particular issue should be handled. What if I don't know exactly when something happened? Don't guess. Sellers should answer based on what they actually know. If you have supporting invoices, warranties or other records, those can sometimes provide helpful additional information. What if something happens after I've already completed my SPDS? Tell your REALTOR® promptly. New information or a change in the property during the transaction may create additional disclosure obligations. Can I sell my Arizona home “as is” and avoid disclosures? Selling a home “as is” does not automatically eliminate a seller's disclosure obligations. The condition in which a buyer agrees to purchase a property and a seller's obligation to disclose known material information are separate issues. Selling a Home in Mesa or the East Valley? Preparing a home for the market isn't only about staging, professional photos, video and pricing. It's also about helping sellers get through the transaction with fewer surprises. At Rover Realty, we review the disclosure process with our sellers and ask questions when an answer may need additional context. But the information comes from the seller. It's their property history. It's their disclosure. And it's their story to tell. Sometimes one checked box looks scary. A little more context can tell a completely different story. Important: This article provides general real estate information and is not legal advice. Disclosure obligations depend on the specific facts and circumstances. Contract terms can also vary or be negotiated. Sellers should rely on their signed agreements and consult their REALTOR® and a qualified Arizona real estate attorney when they have questions about their specific disclosure obligations.

One of the questions we’ve been getting a lot lately from sellers is: Should we empty the entire house before we list it, or should we leave some furniture behind? The answer is: it depends on the house. Some homes photograph beautifully empty. Others really need furniture to help buyers understand the size or layout of a room. And sometimes the best answer is somewhere in between—emptying most of the home while strategically leaving a few important pieces. That’s one reason we like to walk through a home well before the seller is ready to list. We aren’t just looking at what needs to be cleaned, repaired or packed. We’re thinking about how buyers are going to experience the home, starting with what they see online. Is It Okay to Sell a Completely Empty House? Absolutely. If you need or want to move completely out before your home goes on the market, we can market a vacant home. Furniture is also usually less important in secondary bedrooms and other spaces where the size and purpose of the room are easy to understand. Buyers generally don't need to see a bed in every bedroom to know what the room is used for. Technology has also given buyers new ways to visualize vacant spaces. As Zillow Pro agents, we have access to enhanced Zillow marketing features that allow online buyers to digitally explore different furniture styles in certain listing photos. When buyers interact with a listing, it can also help fuel Zillow's retargeting efforts and keep the property in front of interested shoppers. But just because we can market a completely empty house doesn't mean we always should. Sometimes real furniture does a much better job. When We Strongly Recommend Leaving Furniture Furniture becomes more important when a room is difficult to understand without it. We've probably all walked into an empty bedroom and thought: There is no way a king-size bed fits in here. Then you see the same room furnished and realize not only does the king-size bed fit, but there's also room for a dresser, chair or even more furniture. Empty rooms can be surprisingly difficult to judge for scale. The same thing can happen with a large great room, an unusual dining area, an awkward corner or a floor plan where buyers may not immediately understand how furniture should be arranged. In those situations, leaving the right pieces behind can answer an important question without saying a word. It shows buyers how the space actually works. Remember: Your First Showing Is Probably Online  Years ago, sellers primarily worried about how their home looked when a buyer walked through the front door. Today, we have to think about what happens long before that. Your first showing may happen while a buyer is sitting on their couch scrolling through homes on a phone or laptop. They are looking at photos, studying the floor plan, watching video and deciding whether your house deserves an in-person visit. If a room looks confusing or smaller than it really is, some buyers may never make it to the showing. That's why our staging decisions aren't simply about decorating a house. We're thinking about how the home will translate through a screen.