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What the cost-basis spreadsheet looks like

This is an example, not a real property. Every address, date and figure is invented. It is here so you can see what the record looks like before deciding whether it is worth paying for.

This is the file you hand your tax professional when you sell. It is the record, not a calculation: what you paid, what you have put in since, and which of it generally counts toward basis — so the close calls are theirs to make with the evidence in front of them.

219 Bellweather Road, Springfield

Purchased 2014-06-19· Primary residence

Purchase price$412,000.00
Improvements logged$113,670.00
Adjusted cost basis$525,670.00

By category, with basis eligibility

The totals include everything you log, so the file doubles as a spending record. Whether a given cost adds to basis varies — repairs especially — which is why the breakdown says so on every line rather than quietly deciding for you.

Renovation — adds to basis$41,200.00
Addition — adds to basis$58,900.00
System upgrade — adds to basis$9,750.00
Repair — may not add to basis$640.00
Closing costs — may vary$3,180.00
Total improvements$113,670.00

Every entry

2014-06-19 Title insurance and recording fees (Closing costs)$3,180.00
2016-04-02 Kitchen renovation (Renovation)$26,400.00
2018-09-14 Furnace and air-conditioning replaced (System upgrade)$9,750.00
2019-05-30 Gutter repair after storm (Repair)$640.00
2021-03-08 Rear extension — two rooms (Addition)$58,900.00
2023-11-21 Roof replacement (Renovation)$14,800.00

HomeBasisLedger keeps records; it is not tax advice. What qualifies as an improvement, how your basis is calculated, and what you may owe are questions for you and your tax professional.

The real file is a spreadsheet, built from whatever you have recorded, with the receipts kept alongside it. Logging improvements is free on every account; the export and the receipts are Pro, Pro from $1.95/month.

See the plans → · Renting it out? See the tax-year file →