The time frame to close on a home can sneak up quickly, so it’s essential to be prepared. Once your home has gone under contract, you’ll want to start preparing for the closing.
Here’s a checklist to help you remember everything you need to do before your closing.
1 – Gather your closing documents
Make sure to have the following with you at your closing:
- Your driver’s license
- The deed to your home (if you own it with no mortgage)
- Any unanswered questions regarding the HUD settlement statement
- Your key to the home to give to the attorney or agent until the home is on record
- Any final bills to be paid or collected on
2- Notify everyone of your move
There are countless businesses you should notify of your impending move, because you want all of your important bills & documents to get to your new address. Setting up mail forwarding should be the first box on your notification list.
3- Cancel your insurance
Wait until the title has been transferred or the deed has been recorded, and then cancel your insurance policy on the home. If you prepaid your premium, you can expect a refund for the unused portion.
4- Cancel utilities
Unless you let the utility companies know that you have moved out, they will keep charging you even after the buyer moves in. The easiest way to take care of all of your house-specific bills is to make a list of all of the phone numbers or websites and go through them one-by-one to cancel them.
Some utility companies may let you cancel online now, so you may want to check online before making phone calls (unless you prefer to call).
5- Clean
Once all of your stuff is out of the home, give it a good cleaning. Or, hire a cleaning service to deep clean the home if you don’t have time to. The buyer will greatly appreciate being able to move in without having to clean first themselves.
6- Put all keys & remotes in one place
The buyer will probably change the locks on the home, but they are going to need the keys until then. They will also need any remotes – like ceiling fan remotes and garage door openers. You can leave them on the counter or in a drawer where the buyer will find them.
7 – Gather manuals, warranties, and receipts
Most of the time, buyers will purchase your appliances with the home. Gather any manuals, warranties, and receipts for those appliances in one location so that the buyer can easily access them.
8 – Look over everything one more time
You don’t want to leave anything behind, so look over everything one more time to be sure. Be sure to check drawers, cabinets, closets, and anywhere that things could be hiding.
9 – Seek the Advice of an Agent
The process of closing on a house can be stressful. Talk to your agent about the best ways to ease the process.
Team Melton has over 50 combined years of real estate experience to assist you through every step of the process. Contact us today to get started on selling your home!