What to do Before Closing Day
By Robin Dasilva
The documents have been signed, the deposit received, and you have bought or sold a home. What now? Well, there is quite a long list of things to do between now and closing. The first thing you will want to do is get organized. I always recommend that my clients start a Moving Planning book; this will help them keep everything to ensure a smooth process. Now, what exactly is it that you need to do?
Contact your Home Insurance Provider – You will need to give them the date to cancel the old policy and set up a policy for the new home.
Contact the City – You must ensure any property tax arrears are paid and advise them of the closing date.
Contact a Moving Company – You must hire a company (if you use one) in advance.
Start Collecting Boxes and other Moving Supplies – Ask family and friends, collect your amazon boxes, and post on local Facebook groups.
Label your Boxes – Whether you are using a moving company or not, labelling the boxes with the room name and the box’s contents will help keep the chaos to a minimum on moving day.
Contact a Cleaning Company – Many people will hire a cleaning company to do a final cleaning before the new owners take possession. If you plan to do it yourself, ensure you have enough time.
Contact the Utility Companies – Make a list of all your utility and rental companies for the property. You will need to cancel utilities/rental payments on the closing date. At the same time, you can set up new accounts for your new home.
Forward your Mail – Once you know where and when you are moving, contact Canada Post to set up mail forwarding after your closing date. This is optional; however, I highly suggest it to ensure you do not miss any important mail.
Register for School – If you have children, you will want to contact the school in your new neighbourhood and have them registered.
Contact your Lawyer – 1-2 weeks before closing, schedule an appointment with your Lawyer to discuss the statement of adjustments and ask any closing questions.
Arrange for Child and Pet care – You will be busy on moving day. Arranging care for your children and pets will make things much easier and less stressful.
Changing your Address – There will be a long list of places where you will need to change your address. The most important is your driver’s license and healthcare, but other areas to consider include your employer, the family doctor, and personal memberships and subscriptions.
Keys – Arrange with your realtor to leave the lockbox at the property for closing day. Collect all the property keys, and once the closing is official, you can leave the key in the lockbox. Your Lawyer will provide the code to the buyers on closing.
Start Preparing an Essentials Bag – There are items that you will need immediately, like medications, your toiletries, and a few outfits. You will want to ensure all of these items are in one bag on closing day and stay with you, not in the moving truck.
That’s it; once you have checked off your to-do list, focus on packing up and getting ready for the BIG DAY! Keeping yourself organized during this busy time is key to a less stressful experience.
If you have questions about your next move, I’d be happy to have a free and friendly discussion about your plans and how we can help, so give me a call!
