How to Prepare Your Home to Sell in Stuart, FL: A Treasure Coast Seller’s Checklist

White front porch and entry door of a Florida home framed by palm trees

The short answer: Start six to eight weeks before you list. Pull your permit history, order a 4-point and wind mitigation inspection if the house is older, and find your roof records. Fill out Florida’s flood disclosure honestly, fix what insurers flag, then declutter, clean and photograph. Price it from recent nearby closed sales.

By Jeremy Beckham, REALTOR®, SFR | Last updated: November 10, 2026

My office is on South Colorado Avenue in downtown Stuart, and after 17 years of selling homes here, I can tell you the prep that matters most in Florida isn’t the throw pillows. It’s the paperwork a buyer’s insurance company asks for in the first week of the contract. When the roof age, wind mitigation report and permit history are ready before the sign goes up, the deal has a much easier path to closing.

This is the plan I use with sellers in Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Sewall’s Point, Port Salerno and Hobe Sound. Every rule and form below comes from a state, county, city or insurer source listed at the bottom.

Key takeaways

  • A buyer can’t close with a mortgage without homeowners insurance, so roof age, the four major systems and wind protection drive your prep.
  • Citizens requires a 4-point inspection, dated within 12 months, for new policies on homes more than 20 years old.
  • A wind mitigation report is valid for up to five years if the structure hasn’t changed. Inspections since April 1, 2026 use the new OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) form.
  • Florida law requires a written flood disclosure at or before contract signing, and an “as is” sale doesn’t erase your duty to disclose known defects.
  • Search for open or expired permits now. Martin County, Stuart and Port St. Lucie all have online lookups.

Seller prep checklist at a glance

When Task Why it matters here
8 weeks out Search open and expired permits (roof, water heater, A/C, windows, shutters, additions) Unclosed permits surface in the buyer’s due diligence and take time to close out
8 weeks out Find your roof permit and the date of the last full replacement Insurers and Florida law measure roof age from the last 100% replacement
6 to 8 weeks out Order a 4-point (homes over 20 years old) and a wind mitigation inspection The buyer’s insurer quotes from these two reports
6 weeks out Pull your elevation certificate and flood history You need them for the state flood disclosure
6 weeks out Service the A/C and pool equipment, check the water heater age These are the first things inspectors look at
4 weeks out Find termite treatment records or a transferable bond The buyer’s WDO report will note past treatment
3 to 4 weeks out Fix active leaks, torn screens, stuck shutters and anything a report flagged Active leaks can make a home ineligible for a new Citizens policy
2 weeks out Declutter, pressure wash, trim landscaping, touch up paint Salt air and summer rain leave mildew that shows in photos
1 week out Deep clean, then professional photos Photos are the first showing
Listing day Put reports, permits, receipts, survey and HOA contacts in one folder Buyers can get insurance quotes on day one

When should you start preparing your home to sell in Stuart?

Give yourself six to eight weeks. Most of that time goes to scheduling inspectors, closing out a permit or getting a roofer out. Cleaning and staging are the fast part.

The calendar matters too. Many of my winter buyers are seasonal residents who come down after the holidays, so a house that’s photo-ready by January is in front of them. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center. If you list in those months, get photos done early and keep your shutters and storm plan ready.

What do Florida insurers check before a buyer can close?

The buyer’s insurance quote can make or break a Florida contract, so know what the insurer will ask before the buyer’s agent does.

How old is your roof, and does it matter?

It matters a lot. Under section 627.7011, Florida Statutes, an insurer can’t refuse to write or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof at least 15 years old, the insurer must allow a roof inspection by an authorized inspector before requiring replacement. If that inspection shows five or more years of useful life left, the insurer can’t refuse the policy based on roof age alone.

The statute counts roof age from the last date 100% of the roof was built or replaced, so a patch job doesn’t reset the clock. That’s why I ask every seller for the roof permit and its final inspection date.

Citizens Property Insurance, the state-created insurer, sets its own line. Shingle roofs older than 25 years, and tile, metal, slate, clay or concrete roofs older than 50 years, need documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life. If you’re near those numbers, get a roof inspection before you list.

Do you need a 4-point inspection to sell your house?

Not to sell, but the buyer will likely need one to insure it. Citizens requires a four-point inspection, completed within the last year by a Florida-licensed inspector, on new applications for homes more than 20 years old. It covers the age, type and condition of the roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and air conditioning. Citizens says the four-point requirement doesn’t apply to condominium policies.

Citizens also says homes with active leaks, unrepaired water damage or polybutylene plumbing aren’t eligible. Ordering your own 4-point first lets you fix, quote or price for an old panel or water heater on your schedule, not during the buyer’s inspection period.

What is a wind mitigation report, and is yours still good?

It documents the features that help a house resist hurricane wind: the building code it was permitted under, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, secondary water resistance, and opening protection like impact windows and shutters. Section 627.0629, Florida Statutes, is the basis for the insurance discounts these features earn.

As of April 1, 2026, inspectors must use the revised OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) form, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services. Older reports on the 2012 form still count inside their window. Either way, a completed form is valid for up to five years as long as the structure hasn’t materially changed and nothing on it is inaccurate. A new roof or new windows can mean a new report.

Find the paperwork for your impact windows and shutters, because the form asks for proof of each feature. One local note from years of walk-throughs on Sewall’s Point and Hutchinson Island: salt air is hard on shutter tracks, hardware and A/C condenser coils. Make sure every shutter operates, and have your A/C tech check the outdoor unit.

How do you check for open or expired permits?

Search before you list. An open permit was issued but never got a final inspection, like a water heater swap from years ago or a re-roof where nobody called in the final. Closing one out can mean re-inspections or a new permit, and that takes time.

Where you search depends on who issued the permit. A Stuart mailing address doesn’t prove a home is inside city limits; my Palm City vs. Stuart comparison explains how to tell.

  • Unincorporated Martin County (Palm City, Jensen Beach, Port Salerno, Hobe Sound and others): the county’s Building Permit Status page needs no login. Search by record number, address or contractor.
  • City of Stuart: the city’s OpenGov permit search. Per the city’s Online Permit Applications page, owners can email open permit numbers to have them linked to an account in the new portal.
  • City of Port St. Lucie: “Search Permits on a Property” on the city’s Building Online Services page.

If your home is in another town, such as Sewall’s Point, call that town’s building department.

Martin County’s flood protection page states that any new structure or improvement, including a re-roof, needs a building permit before construction starts. If work was done without one, talk to me and the building department before listing.

What does a Florida seller have to disclose?

The general duty to disclose

Since the Florida Supreme Court’s 1985 decision in Johnson v. Davis, a home seller who knows of facts materially affecting the property’s value that aren’t readily observable and aren’t known to the buyer must disclose them. The Florida Bar Journal’s September/October 2026 issue also notes that courts have held an “as is” clause only means the seller won’t make repairs. It isn’t permission to stay quiet about known defects.

If you had a roof leak, plumbing leak, insurance claim, termite treatment or unpermitted work, write it down and attach the repair invoices. A documented, fixed problem rarely scares a buyer. A surprise does. For legal questions, talk to a Florida real estate attorney.

Florida’s flood disclosure

Section 689.302, Florida Statutes, requires a seller of residential property to give the buyer a flood disclosure at or before the time the contract is signed. It asks whether you know of flooding that damaged the property while you owned it, whether you filed a flood claim with any insurer, including the National Flood Insurance Program, and whether you received flood assistance, including from FEMA. The statute defines flooding broadly. It includes overflow of inland or tidal waters, rapid runoff from a river, stream or drainage ditch, and sustained standing water from rainfall.

Martin County says it has elevation certificates on file for most homes built after 1991 in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Look up your parcel on the county’s flood zone map, and if a yellow dot appears, it links to your certificate. On the St. Lucie County side, my Port St. Lucie flood zone checklist covers the same ground.

Should you get a termite (WDO) inspection before listing?

Usually not. Most buyers order a wood-destroying organism inspection during their inspection period. Under section 482.226, Florida Statutes, that report goes on a state-prescribed form and notes inaccessible areas, visible evidence of previous treatment or infestation, and any damage. It isn’t a guarantee unless it says so.

Your job now is to gather history. Find the receipt if the house was tented or treated, and if you have a termite bond, ask the company whether it transfers to a buyer.

Which repairs are worth it before you list?

Fix what an inspector or insurer will flag, and skip the big remodel. In my experience, a new kitchen rarely pays for itself before a sale, while a repaired leak and a serviced A/C keep contracts together.

  1. Active leaks. Fix the source, then the stain. Keep the invoice for your disclosure.
  2. A/C. Service it, change the filter and clear the condensate line.
  3. Water heater. Know its age. The 4-point will note it.
  4. Electrical. Replace dead bulbs and missing cover plates. A dead light gets written up the same as a wiring problem.
  5. Pool. Service the pump and filter and keep the records.
  6. Screens, sliders and shutters. Repair torn lanai screens and sticky tracks.
  7. Paint. Touch up scuffs and repaint bold rooms in a neutral color.

How do you get the house ready for photos and showings?

Schedule photos after repairs and cleaning are done.

Outside. Pressure wash the driveway, walks and pool deck. Trim shrubs back from the house, roof and A/C unit, add mulch, and run every irrigation zone. Clean the front door and put out a new mat.

Inside. Clear counters, thin out closets and pack personal photos. Open the blinds, turn on every light and wash the windows.

Lanai and pool. Clean the screens and furniture, set out simple seating, and skim the pool the morning of photos and showings.

How should you prepare to price your home?

Price comes from recent closed sales of similar homes nearby, adjusted for condition, roof age, flood zone, pool and updates. An online estimate doesn’t know your roof is two years old. I pull the closed sales myself and show you the comps; here’s how I source my numbers.

It also helps to know your net. Read what sellers pay at closing in Florida, and if you have a homestead exemption, whether you’ll lose your Save Our Homes benefit when you sell in Martin County. Once you accept an offer, here’s what happens next. My sellers page covers how I market homes.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a 4-point inspection to sell my house in Florida?

Florida law doesn’t require one to sell. If the home is more than 20 years old, though, the buyer will likely need one for insurance, because Citizens requires a four-point inspection dated within the last 12 months on those homes. Getting your own first lets you fix or price for problems early.

How long is a wind mitigation report good for in Florida?

Up to five years, as long as the structure hasn’t materially changed and nothing on the form is inaccurate. Inspections on or after April 1, 2026 must use the revised OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) form. A new roof or new windows usually means a new report.

Do I have to disclose flooding when I sell my house in Florida?

Yes. Section 689.302, Florida Statutes, requires a written flood disclosure at or before contract signing. It asks about flood damage during your ownership, flood insurance claims, and flood assistance such as FEMA aid.

If I sell my house “as is,” do I still have to disclose problems?

Yes. Under Johnson v. Davis and later cases, “as is” means you aren’t promising repairs. It doesn’t remove your duty to disclose known defects that materially affect value and aren’t readily observable.

How do I find open permits on my house in Stuart?

Inside Stuart city limits, search the City of Stuart’s OpenGov permit portal. In unincorporated Martin County, including Palm City and Jensen Beach, use the county’s online permit system, which needs no login. Port St. Lucie homes are searchable on the city’s Building Online Services page.

Will an old roof keep my house from selling?

It won’t stop a sale, but it can narrow your buyer pool and affect price. Insurers can’t refuse a policy solely because a roof is under 15 years old, and older roofs can still qualify if an authorized inspector finds at least five years of useful life left. A roof inspection before listing is worth it.

Ready to sell?

If you’re thinking about selling in Stuart, Palm City or anywhere on the Treasure Coast, call or text me at 772.475.5371. I’ll walk the house with you, tell you what’s worth fixing and what isn’t, and help you build your seller folder before we list.

Browsing homes in Stuart? See my Stuart homes for sale page.

About the author

Jeremy Beckham, REALTOR®/SFR with NextHome Treasure Coast, 17 years helping buyers and sellers from Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie south through Martin County and the Palm Beaches. His office is at 414 S Colorado Ave in downtown Stuart.

This post is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Underwriting rules and forms change, so confirm details with your insurance agent, and talk to a Florida real estate attorney about disclosure questions.

Sources