Selling your home is an exciting and stressful time and there’s a lot you can do to reduce issues at closing and help the new owners of your home start things off on the right foot:
- Consider having the property professionally cleaned. While most Agreements of Purchase Sale only require that the property be left in a “broom-swept” condition, the new owners will be eternally grateful if they walk into a clean home. This is an exciting day in their lives – help make it special.
- Remove ALL of your belongings. You are legally required to be out of the property by 6 PM, though it’s a good idea to plan on being out by 2 pm to account for any last minute moving issues. Ideally, you’ve already taken possession of your new home and aren’t closing on your purchase and sale on the same day.
- The Agreement of Purchase and Sale you signed likely requires that appliances and chattels be in good working order on the day of the close. Make sure to check that the refrigerator, range, washer/dryer, dishwasher, furnace, air conditioning, etc. are in working condition the day before the close.
- The Buyer is entitled to take possession of the home in the same condition it was in when they made the offer. If the basement has sprung a leak or your dog chewed up some drywall and a door in between the time you accepted the offer and closing, it’s your responsibility to fix it before the closing.
- Clean up your dog’s poo in the backyard. As a fellow dog-owner I’d like to think this would be obvious, but alas, it does not appear to be.
- Throw out the garbage. It’s gross to leave your garbage behind and the new owners might not be accessing their new property right away. Throw it out!
- Leave ALL of the keys with your lawyer, including fobs for condo amenities, garage door openers, etc.
- Make sure you’ve disconnected utilities and cable (and don’t forget to return the cable box!)
- Don’t take the lightbulbs or toilet paper. Remember: karma.
- If your property was tenanted: make sure to visit it after the tenants have moved out and prior to closing to assess any damage and ensure that they’ve moved everything out.
