Drawing up a property deed is necessary to assign ownership of real estate. In order to sell your home or piece of land to a buyer you must draw up the deed and then record it with the appropriate authorities before you can consider the transaction completed. All deeds contain a minimum amount of information to ensure that there is no confusion as to which property you’re transferring and for whom the transfer is intended. While the language used in the deed can vary, as long as you include this minimum amount of information and follow the correct recording procedure, the deed should prove valid in any court of law.
Write a granting clause in the beginning of the deed to let the reader know the contract consists of a transfer of property ownership from one party to another party. The grant clause can consist of simple language to describe the transfer but must use the word “grant.”
Include a description of the property to be transferred. Make the description as exact as possible. Use the address or a parcel number from a land survey in the description for the best results.
Identify both the present owner of the property and the future owner. Use the term “grantor” to define the person who owns the property to be transferred, and “grantee” to define the individual taking possession of the property after the transfer of ownership. Use full legal names as identifiers.
Place the date of official transfer of the property on the deed.
Instruct the grantor to sign the deed and include the date of the signature.
Pay the fee for a notary public to witness the deed in case of later challenge to its authenticity. Notaries can be found at most banks or law offices.
Record the signed and witnessed deed at the county recorder’s office in the same county as the property. Pay the recording fee.
Things You Will Need
- Land survey
- You can download deed forms from county records offices online.