Things to Do After Selling But Before Closing. If you don't have time to personally clean the home before leaving it, hire a professional cleaning service to do so. It is especially important to lock up if the home is going to be vacant for a while. It doesn't hurt to make your last impression on the buyer a good one with little touches like polishing sink fixtures. Leave all house keys, remotes, gate keys, pool keys, and mailbox keys for the new owner. There are a number of details that must be addressed between the signing of the final contract and the closing date. Massachusetts Real Estate exposure is a marketing site designed to give Massachusetts home seller’s a dominant online presence. Make a list of phone numbers for each of your utility and entertainment companies in advance. How Long Can The Seller Stay in The House After Escrow Closes? Close All Valves, and Turn Off All Switches Turn off shut-off valves to sinks, toilets, dishwashers, the water heater, refrigerator and washing machine. Any final utility bills to be paid or collected on. Bill Gasset | Return to Top ↑. This might be overdoing it, but it keeps them from paying for any electricity until the account is switched. Add some potted plants or flowers to the exterior and interior of your property. There are many quirks about a home that only the previous property owner would know. For a small investment, you can rid your home of distracting features that may be turning buyers away. All it takes is having a set procedure for kids to complete when they get home. "How to Deal With Homeowners Insurance When You Sell Your House: Avoid Gaps in Coverage!" Accessed July 22, 2020. Home Seller Checklist: Once You Accept an Offer. First Name. Know your closing responsibilities when selling a home! Pre-Closing and Closing Checklist for Sellers. Your closing checklist is a guide for your actions after all your personal belongings and furniture have been removed from your home. Keep in mind that not every utility is always paid monthly. 6. Submit a change-of-address form to the post office, but remember that not all mail can be forwarded. You have made the big decision to sell your home which can be both exciting and stressful. You should receive a refund of any prepaid premiums for your homeowner's insurance.. The likelihood of closing is much greater once the Due Diligence period is over … Here are some tips from Tyson and Brown that can help guide you after you sell your house: 1. Your after school routine can be so much easier! It will state what is included in the sale, from window blinds to appliances. Get Your Home Ready for the Sale. Remove any sign of pets living in your home. Is It OK for Sellers to Stay in the House When Showing a Home? "How Long Can The Seller Stay in The House After Escrow Closes?" Whether you are a new real estate agent or you’ve been in the business for 20 years, it is always good to have a system in place to make sure that you don’t miss a beat when listing and marketing a property. It can be hard to keep a home sparkly clean and tidy while you’re living in it, especially if you have children and pets. Buying a house takes time, energy, and focus. Your key to the home to give to the closing attorney or your real estate agent to hold until the home is on record. You'd be amazed at how many people forget to close up the house. Have a new listing? The following are the major house inspection items that are normally found in the home inspection checklist. Moving Checklist. You might have to reach out directly to some entities to give them your new address. Collect all the manuals, warranties and receipts for appliances. You received an acceptable offer and your real estate attorney prepared the Contract of Sale. Accessed July 23, 2020. In 2018 he was ranked as the #3 RE/MAX Real Estate agent in New England. Make Home Buyers Fall in Love With Your Kitchen, Follow These Great Marketing Techniques to Help You Sell Your House. You need to examine if the roof is straight and leveled. Before listing your house, take some time to spruce up the place to maximize the value and timing of your home sale. It's not always necessary to shampoo the carpets, but it's a nice touch. TOTAL HOME INSPECTION INSPECTION CHECKLIST v.1.0 CALL US AT: 203-966-8801 1 Total Home Inspection Checklist Use a checklist like this to make sure that you are looking at all parts of the house. You might have come across manuals for the HVAC, security system, sprinkler system, or appliances as you were packing. This will give you an idea if there are any areas you want the inspector to pay special attention to. Appliances: They’ll check to make sure any appliance that’s staying with the home is in good working order—like your stove, oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer, garage door, and water heater. You should start preparing for a professional inspection when you initially tour the home, before making an offer. You’re competing with other short sales and want your home to stand out. Roof. Inspect your home with a buyer’s eyes, and correct the flaws that are most egregious (if affordable) or can be relatively easily fixed—from repairing cracks in the walkways to repainting dingy walls or oiling creaky hinges. Prepare Your Home for Sale Checklist (PDF) Free Diligence Lesson. Consider leaving an inexpensive lamp behind on a timer. Preparing Your Home For Sale Checklist. Systems: Expect a home inspector to check your home’s big-ticket systems, including electrical, gas, and heating and cooling. If you have oil heating, it’s customary to provide a final oil reading. There are certain things that every responsible seller should do, and you can make sure you accomplish them all if you make a home-selling checklist. Retain all seller disclosures as well as the purchase contract and the closing statement. Home After Home 5800 One Perkins Place Building 5, Suite C Baton Rouge, LA 70808 Phone: (225) 603-9040 Email Us Some homes may need updates such as new carpet, countertops, light fixtures, wall paper removal, fresh paint, etc. Contact your Hot Water Tank and/or Security company to update their records. The seller should already be moved out before you come over with your final walk through checklist so you can make sure everything you expect to be there when you move in is indeed there. Cancel the utilities and stop the newspaper. Do your best to keep them in one location, as you might need them again in case something happens. Be ready to make very good first impressions. You would hate to find out the home appraised significantly below sale price after your due diligence period is over. 5. Put all the keys, remotes, etc., in one place. Clean your home one final time, taking special care to check drawers and closets for items left behind. 5 Tests to Determine What a Fixture Is and Is Not in Real Estate, A List of Homebuyer Turnoffs That You Should Avoid, The 7 Best Home Warranty Companies of 2020, How to Negotiate as a Buyer in a Sellers Market. From making the decision to sell to actually listing that property for sale can take weeks, months or even years, and then there’s the sales process itself to get through before you’ll see that SOLD sticker across the sales board. Home / Buyers and Sellers / Selling a Home. Leave your home the way you would like to find it if you were the buyer. One of the key factors that determine value in an appraisal is the condition of your home. Checklist Make small fixes. The condition is something that every appraiser looks for on every home appraisal inspection.What this means is that your home should look like you take care of it.Although you may not have the newest and greatest finishes, the condition of your house can go a long way.I have seen homes with dated finishes sell for similar prices as updated home… Moving supplies stocked. 7.) Westcoe Realtors. Items Covered Under the Home Inspection Checklist. Check cabinets, drawers, and storage areas for any forgotten items. Take a look at the comprehensive list of items that you will want to finalize in the helpful reference above. Seller Checklist Pricing. New Listing Checklists for Real Estate Agents. Setting the right price is the most important step a prospective home seller makes. While the closing checklist for your home sale is done, you are not totally out of the woods yet. 10 Things To Do After Your Offer is Accepted - Checklist for Home Buyers Posted by Andrew Fortune Mon, Jun 29th, 2020 10:12am 258,213 Views. Turn off all switches for lights and fans. Clean the cabinets, refrigerators, and other appliances inside and out. 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How to Deal With Homeowners Insurance When You Sell Your House: Avoid Gaps in Coverage. The following list … Ideally, your escrow officer or closing agent will hand you a complete package containing all these things at closing. You can pass on these tips to the buyer or agent during the final walkthrough—things like which switch operates the lights, whether a door sticks or how to change the swimming pool filter. There are things to do after selling your house that should be tackled immediately. The summary of the home inspector's findings will point out which items are in good condition and which are in need of repair or replacement. For example, if you have public water you’re going to need to provide a final paid receipt. Choosing a conveyancer or solicitor The first most important item is the roof. To help you make smart decisions, it’s … Any unanswered questions regarding the HUD settlement statement. 9. We are talking about needed repairs, cleaning up, perhaps painting a room, landscaping the yard, etc. Short list: Boxes; Packing tape; Packing paper; Bubble wrap; Box cutters; Markers; Trash bags; Colored labels (Post-its or sticky dots) Moving date set based on contract with the buyers of your home. Leave all “extra” keys and garage door openers on your kitchen counter or out in the open where your new buyers can find them. This is where the purchase agreement you entered after making your offer comes into play. What's needed to get your home ready: If you are using a real estate agent, your responsibilities will be dramatically reduced during this process. Declutter, paint the walls a neutral color, clean the carpets, touch up the exterior paint and give your home curb appeal. Make your home seem as ‘neutral’ as possible. Lenders do this to help prevent. Turn off shut-off valves that could flood and damage your home. Massachusetts Real Estate Exposure is owned and operated by RE/MAX Realtor Bill Gassett, who covers the Metrowest Massachusetts area and beyond including Ashland, Bellingham, Blackstone, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Worcester, Upton and Uxbridge MA. After accepting the offer, you’ve taken care of all requested repairs on the purchase contract, and are ready to continue the process. Turn off shut-off valves to sinks, toilets, dishwashers, the water heater, refrigerator and washing machine. Run one more check even if your spouse or friend says they've gone through every room with a fine-tooth comb, searching for anything you might have overlooked. It can be a negotiating tool during the sale, and it can later provide a checklist of necessary repairs. Home interior: final walk-through checklist Make sure the water, electricity, and gas are all on. A good inspector will address these issues in the report you pay for. While you may already be moved out, you are not always required by law to empty the property immediately upon closing.. When you finalize with a buyer on your home or vacate it to move, you'll need to ensure you have completed everything you are supposed to—from negotiated terms to good seller etiquette. Personally look over everything one more time. Sometimes these documents get scattered. HomeLight. Leave your home the way you would like to find it if you were the buyer. Set too high and the home can languish on the market, undergoing multiple price drops until it sells for below market value. The price of movers can vary dramatically as can what is offered and the services provided. Assuming that the HVAC systems check out after an inspection, there are still a couple tasks that buyers should complete after closing on a new home. Close All Valves, and Turn Off All Switches. Elizabeth Weintraub is a former homebuying writer for The Balance with more than 40 years of experience in real estate, including experience in title and escrow. Put them in a kitchen drawer or other location that is easily found. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a … Bill Gassett has been one of the top RE/MAX Real Estate agents in New England over the last decade plus. It is highly recommended that like interviewing a real estate agent, you take the time and find a great mover to work with. What makes a house clean enough is often a matter of opinion and personal preference. Don't forget to let everyone know where you've gone. Leave a note for the buyers so they won't call a plumber. Preparing to sell your home is a stressful and complicated process. Bake a cake a few hours before your viewings. This article will help you Sell your home faster and increase the sale price at the same time. Assemble a packet of appliance manuals, receipts, and any warranties as well. An after-school checklist helps with that. Run major appliances like the washing machine, clothes dryer, dishwasher, stovetop, and oven – and check to be sure the refrigerator and freezer are running. Email Address. Once the due diligence period is over-earnest money goes hard. Subscribe and receive my free diligence lesson plan with printable wall pages by email. The deed to your home if you own it (no mortgage). Copy of your Agreement of Purchase and Sale - usually a copy is faxed to our office by your Real Estate Agent; Confirmation that you have contacted the to arrange the final reading of your meter. Leave a note for the buyers so they won't call a plumber. Check off those items that are in good condition and make notes about those that are not. Whether you’re moving to accommodate your growing family or looking for a smaller space to be your empty nest, selling your home is a big decision. Sellers’ Checklist. Congrats! To get your home ready for sale these tips will help smooth the way and take some of the stress out of the process. One of the most important reasons to have an inspection when buying a home is so that the HVAC systems can be looked at. If the ceiling is solid, you will be protected from heavy storms and hurricanes. Home inspection checklist. If you have receipts from contractors, warranties, and termite inspections put them into an envelope and leave them in a drawer as well, along with the manuals and the code for the security alarm. It should include photos. Close the blinds, and lock the windows and doors. We use this field to detect spam bots. Buying and Selling Property Checklists - This site has free checklists to help you carry out property projects successfully, avoiding mistakes, cowboy builders, dodgy landlords and letting agents and rogue tradesmen. The buyers will probably change the locks, but this won't happen the instant they move in. You might have a refund coming, have to pay a balance, or be able to transfer the balance to your next home. Check The HVAC Systems. Moving company selected based on 3 estimates. Start the cleaning process. Attend the final walkthrough. Bought to you by Kate Faulkner. You will get reimbursed by the buyer for the oil left in the tank. Set too low and you can miss out on some big money. Research and contact a mover. Some sellers flip all of the circuit breakers to off. 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