MyHomeSale

The Closing-Day Checklist

What to do before closing day, what to bring, and how to make the final steps of your sale go smoothly.

4 min read · Updated June 2026

Closing day is the finish line: documents get signed, money changes hands, and ownership transfers to the buyer. Most closings are uneventful precisely because everything was confirmed in advance. This checklist covers the days before, the day itself, and the loose ends afterward.

The week before closing

  • Confirm the closing date, time, and location (or the mobile-notary/remote signing arrangement) with the title or escrow company.
  • Review your settlement statement (often a form called the ALTA statement or closing disclosure) line by line as soon as you receive it — check the payoff amount, commission, prorated taxes, and credits against what you expected.
  • Ask questions about anything you don’t recognize; small errors are much easier to fix before closing day than after.
  • Verify your mortgage payoff quote is current and covers interest through the closing date.
  • Complete any repairs you agreed to in negotiations, and keep receipts and invoices to share with the buyer.
  • Schedule utilities to transfer or stop the day after closing — not before, since the buyer’s final walk-through needs power and water on.
  • Cancel or redirect services tied to the address: lawn care, pest control, deliveries, and eventually your homeowners insurance (after ownership transfers, not before).
  • File a mail-forwarding order with the postal service.
  • Finish moving out, unless your contract includes a rent-back or a different possession date.
  • Do a final clean — leaving the home “broom clean” is the common expectation, and a genuinely clean house starts the handoff on the right foot.

What to bring

  • Government-issued photo ID for every person on title (names should match the deed).
  • Verified wire instructions or a voided check for receiving your proceeds — confirm details by phone directly with the title company, never rely on emailed instructions alone.
  • Your checkbook, in the rare case a small shortfall needs covering.
  • All house keys, mailbox keys, garage door remotes, gate and alarm codes, and smart-home credentials (or a plan to hand them over at possession).
  • Any documents the title company requested: power of attorney, trust paperwork, or receipts for negotiated repairs.
  • Your forwarding address for the final statement and tax documents.

The buyer’s final walk-through

  • Expect the buyer to walk through the property shortly before closing — usually within 24 hours.
  • Make sure the home is in the condition the contract promises: agreed repairs done, included items (appliances, fixtures, window treatments) still in place, and your belongings gone.
  • Leave repair receipts, manuals, and warranties on the kitchen counter where they’re easy to find.
  • Don’t remove anything the contract includes — swapping out a light fixture or appliance at the last minute is a classic way to derail a closing.

At the closing table

  • Bring patience: the buyer signs a large loan package, while sellers typically sign a shorter stack — the deed, the settlement statement, and a handful of affidavits.
  • Read what you sign, and ask the closing agent to explain anything unclear. That’s part of their job.
  • Confirm the numbers on the final settlement statement match the version you reviewed.
  • Confirm exactly when the buyer takes possession — commonly at recording or funding, but your contract controls.
  • Hand over keys and codes per the agreed plan (often the agent or title company holds them until funding is confirmed).

After closing

  • Expect your proceeds by wire, typically the same day or the next business day after the deed records and funds disburse — timing varies by state and by whether it’s a “wet” or “dry” closing state.
  • Confirm your mortgage was paid off; the lender should send a release or satisfaction, and it should eventually appear in county records.
  • Cancel your homeowners insurance effective the closing date and ask about a refund of unused premium.
  • Keep your full closing packet — settlement statement, deed, and receipts — with your tax records. You’ll want it at tax time, especially for the capital gains primary-residence exclusion.
  • Watch for a refund of any escrow balance from your old lender, which often arrives by check a few weeks later.
  • Update your address everywhere that matters: bank, employer, DMV, insurers, and subscriptions.

Once the wire lands and the keys are handed over, you’re done. Congratulations — the sale is complete.