Keep closing documents and receipts for improvements for as long as you own the home and then until the tax limitations period ends for the year you sell, because improvements add to your home’s tax basis. Keep permits, warranties, manuals, inspection reports and a dated maintenance log for insurance, warranty and resale questions.
For taxes: improvements and basis
Improvements that add value, prolong the home’s life or adapt it to new uses add to your basis; IRS Publication 523 lists examples including additions, a new roof, siding, storm windows, insulation, heating and central air systems, wiring, plumbing, a septic system and a water heater [1]. Repairs that only maintain the home generally don’t count unless done as part of a larger improvement project [1].
The IRS says generally to keep records relating to property until the period of limitations expires for the year in which you dispose of the property, because you need them to figure gain or loss [2].
For insurance and warranties
- Roof: permit record, installer invoice, any inspection reports. Insurers ask for roof age; see the roof-age guide.
- System ages: invoices or serial-plate photos for the water heater, HVAC and panel.
- Warranties: registration confirmations and the terms.
- Inspections: purchase, 4-point and wind-mitigation reports.
- A home inventory: video, list and receipts, stored off-site [3].
For everything else: a dated log
A log of what was done, when and by whom, with photos or invoices, answers “was this maintained?” for warranty claims, insurers and buyers. Keep it with the documents it refers to.
| Record | Keep |
|---|---|
| Closing documents | As long as you own the home, then until the limitations period ends for the year of sale [2] |
| Improvement receipts | Same as closing documents [1][2] |
| Permits and final inspections | As long as you own the home; pass to the buyer |
| Warranties and manuals | For the life of the item; pass to the buyer |
| Maintenance log | As long as you own the home; pass to the buyer |
| Insurance policies and claim files | At least until any claim is fully settled; ask your insurer about longer needs |
Systems, documents, a dated log and an export (PDF, CSV, JSON) any time. Free; deleting your account removes everything.
Start your home recordSources
- IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
- IRS, “How long should I keep records?”. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
- Texas Department of Insurance, “Home insurance guide”. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
Information, not legal, insurance or engineering advice. Spot something wrong? Send a correction; accepted corrections are logged publicly with a date.