What Do You Have to Disclose When Selling a House in Washington?

Published on August 26th, 2022

You've decided to sell your house - congratulations! Once you select a real estate agent to work with, including selling a fire-damaged home in Washington, a slew of questions will start rolling in. When did you purchase your house? Are there any material defects? Is there more than one residential dwelling unit? Do you have your previous purchase and sale agreement? Have you made any improvements?

All these questions are more will be asked on the seller disclosure statement or seller disclosure form. What do you have to disclose on these statements during a real estate transaction in accordance with Washington law?

A Seller Disclosure Statement According to Washington Law

Filling out a disclosure form is an essential part of a real estate transaction as a seller of a residential property. These forms are filled out based on a seller's actual knowledge of the property.

In Washington state, the needed material defects or existing material facts that a seller will add to a disclosure statement include:



• The existence of chemical storage tanks on the property
• Any environmental concerns
• If the home is a manufactured or mobile home
• If the home belongs to a homeowners association
• The presence of lead based paint
• Any soil or groundwater contamination
• If the property is part of a life estate
• Joint maintenance agreements
• Boundary agreements
• The existence of an outdoor sprinkler system
• Is the property zoned for residential properties or commercial properties?
• If there is radon gas at the home
• Any drainage problems with the plumbing system
• Issues with the hot water tank
• If there is an onsite sewage disposal system or other on site sewage system

Residential Real Property Disclosures

These are just a few of the disclosure requirements that you, as a seller, will find on the required disclosure forms.

Be as honest as possible on your disclosure form because a buyer will most likely conduct a property inspection as allowed in many, if not all, real estate transactions according to Washington state law. Final inspections conducted on your home will reveal any material defects.

Some things you don't have to disclose:



• Nearby registered sex offenders
• If you own the property as domestic partners
• What is your preferred closing date 

If you are not selling a residential property, you still will have a disclosure statement. Commercial properties still require a disclosure statement unless the buyer agrees to waive receipt of the disclosure forms during your real estate transaction.

Specific residential condominiums also will have their own disclosure statement and seller disclosure requirements that you will need to fill out on the buyer's behalf.

Residential timeshares also fall into this category of needing additional disclosure statement forms.

If you have any questions about your real estate and what you should include on the disclosure form, ask! Your real estate agent will be happy to help.