A Uniondale Home Seller’s Guide
Organize your records, preparation, finances and next move—before deciding to list. Verify the jurisdiction and requirements for your own property with the appropriate office and professionals.
Start with the property record
Gather the address, owner names, deed, section / block / lot (SBL), survey and title materials, assessment information and recent tax bills. Compare the records with what you know; discrepancies and missing documents are questions to resolve with your attorney, title professional or municipal office, not assumptions to carry into a sale.
Confirm the property identifier and decision-makers with your attorney.
Note where each record came from and its date; keep originals secure.
Use public records as research tools and independently verify important details.
Review permits, certificates and improvements early
Inventory improvements and any available permits, certificates of occupancy (COs), plans, contracts and inspection records. Requirements depend on the work and jurisdiction; this list does not mean any item definitely requires a permit. For properties within its jurisdiction, consult the Town of Hempstead Online Permit Center. First confirm the correct municipal office for your address.
Extensions
Finished basements
Garage conversions
Decks
Pools
Sheds
Solar
Plumbing / electrical work
Changes of use
Understand taxes, assessment and exemptions
Assessment information and a tax bill are different records; do not treat an assessed figure as the amount you owe or a sale-price estimate. Review Nassau County assessment and land records alongside the relevant tax bills. Exemptions, amounts and treatment can change with ownership or circumstances. Confirm current details and any transfer-related questions with the relevant agencies and your attorney or tax adviser.
Gather recent bills, assessment records and exemption notices.
Ask which agencies handle your property and which periods the bills cover.
Identify exemption and ownership-change questions before estimating ongoing costs.
Prepare condition and disclosure questions
New York’s Property Condition Disclosure Statement applies to covered residential property; ask your seller’s attorney whether and how it applies to your transaction. Do not assume every property is covered. Prepare factual answers based on your actual knowledge, and bring uncertainty to your attorney. Independent inspections and records can help clarify condition; they are not a substitute for legal advice.
List known leaks, moisture, system issues and prior repairs without guessing.
Gather available repair, inspection and improvement records.
Use the official NY DOS statement with your attorney; discuss unknown answers and coverage.
Build property-specific pricing evidence
Review relevant closed sales and current competition, accounting for location, property type, size, condition, improvements, timing and concessions when known. Explain differences and unknowns rather than simply averaging prices. An asking price is not a completed sale, and no automated figure promises what your property will sell for.
Request the reasoning behind each comparison and range.
Verify recorded size, finished space and improvement details.
Revisit the evidence as property information or competing choices change.
Choose preparation by likely benefit, cost and time
Begin with known safety and maintenance questions, cleaning, decluttering and minor repairs. Consider the approach to the home, photographs and practical showing arrangements. Obtain property-specific quotes and weigh benefit, cost and time before larger projects; avoid over-improving without analysis. Spending does not guarantee a return.
Use qualified professionals for safety, structural and system concerns.
Separate essential maintenance from optional presentation work.
Plan privacy, secure documents and valuables, pets and showing access.
Estimate the financial picture
Gather dated mortgage, HELOC and other lien payoffs and transaction-specific selling-cost estimates. Compare estimated net proceeds with next housing, moving and a time / cash buffer. Unknown costs are questions, not zero expenses. Review legal and tax matters with qualified professionals before making commitments.
Record the date and assumptions behind each estimate.
Compare next-housing options and obtain moving or storage quotes.
Identify flexible dates and what you would resolve if you wait.
Ownership / decision-makers
Are the owners and people with authority to decide identified?
Deed / SBL / survey
Have you gathered and checked available property identifiers and records?
Permit / CO questions
Have you identified improvement records and the correct municipal office?
Condition / disclosure
Have you organized known condition facts and disclosure questions for your attorney?
Price / net estimates
Have you reviewed property-specific comparisons, dated payoffs and cost assumptions?
Preparation / showing plan
Have you considered preparation scope, quotes, privacy and showing logistics?
Next move / timeline
Have you explored next housing, moving arrangements and timing flexibility?
Adaptable six-week preparation example, not a promise
Week 1: Records / strategy. Gather records, identify decision-makers and clarify questions and goals.
Week 2: Inspection / quotes. Arrange appropriate professional reviews and obtain preparation quotes.
Week 3: Repairs / decluttering. Work through an agreed scope, keeping documentation and allowing for unknowns.
Week 4: Presentation / logistics. Review cleaning, curb presentation, storage, privacy and showing arrangements.
Week 5: Launch preparation. If you choose to proceed, review photography, pricing evidence and the proposed listing plan.
Week 6: Reassess. Review unresolved questions and decide whether to proceed, adapt the plan or gather more information.
Property address, owner names, deed and section / block / lot
Available survey, title materials, assessment records and tax bills
Exemption notices and property-specific tax questions
Improvement inventory, dates and available permits / COs / contracts
Known condition facts, inspection records and repair questions
Dated payoff and selling-cost estimates, without account numbers
Preparation quotes, showing needs, next-housing options and preferred timeline
Decision-maker, attorney, municipal and tax-adviser questions; keep sensitive documents off the web form
Should I check permits and certificates of occupancy before listing? Review available records early and confirm the correct municipal office. Requirements depend on the work and jurisdiction. Your attorney and municipal professionals can help resolve missing records or questions; this guide cannot confirm compliance.
How should I approach a finished basement? Gather plans, permits, certificates and improvement records you have. Ask the correct municipal office and your attorney about approved use and any unresolved questions. Do not assume finished space is recognized living area or that identical rules apply to every property.
Will property taxes and exemptions stay the same after a sale? Do not assume they will. Assessment and the tax bill are different records, and exemption eligibility, amounts or treatment can change with ownership or circumstances. Confirm the property-specific position with the relevant agencies and attorney or tax adviser.
Should I renovate before selling? Not automatically. Weigh known safety and maintenance needs, likely benefit, written quotes and available time before committing to larger work. Review a property-specific preparation plan; costs do not guarantee a return.
What pricing evidence should I review? Review relevant closed sales and current competing properties, with differences in location, type, size, condition, improvements, timing and known concessions explained. Verify property details and discuss a range and its assumptions rather than relying on one automated estimate.
Can I explore selling without committing? Yes. Read the guide, use the private preparation check or request the printable guide without an obligation to list or sell. Marketing consent is separate and optional. A conversation can help identify questions; it does not guarantee a sale price or outcome.
This guide is educational, not legal, tax, title, building or financial advice. Public records are research tools, not confirmation of approval, accuracy or compliance. Verify property-specific jurisdiction, records and requirements with municipal, attorney, title and tax professionals. There is no obligation to list or sell and no guaranteed outcome. Do not send sensitive documents or financial account numbers through a web form.
Reviewed November 2026
Town of Hempstead — Online Permit Center: https://hempsteadny.gov/622/Online-Permit-Center
Town of Hempstead — Tax Information: https://hempsteadny.gov/428/Tax-Information
Town of Hempstead — View / Pay Tax Bills: https://hempsteadny.gov/435/View-Pay-Tax-Bills-Online
Nassau County — Real Estate Records: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/727/Real-Estate-Records
Nassau County — Land Records Viewer: https://lrv.nassaucountyny.gov/
Nassau County — Property Assessment: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/3752/Property-Assessment
NY Department of State — Property Condition Disclosure Statement: https://dos.ny.gov/property-condition-disclosure-statement