What are the things to do when you sell your house? There are several steps you should take once you sell your house, which includes: clean, do a final walk-through, shut everything off, gather all the proper paperwork, hand over the keys and other necessities, don't leave anything behind, close insurance policies, and lock up on your way out. This article will break down each one of those steps for you, so that you don't forget anything as you're buying your house. It doesn't have to be as scary or stressful as it seems.
Things to do When You Sell Your House - Key Elements of Selling a Home
1) Clean
This once is a bit obvious but no one wants to buy a house that's filthy, even if the buyer is looking for a fixer upper. Make sure that you clean everything from the bathrooms to the cabinets in the kitchen. Ensure that there are no pests and that the windows and the outside of the house look as nicely as possible. Clean the bedrooms and make sure nothing of yours has been left behind that hasn't been intentional. Imagine you were buying a house. What would you want the house to look and appear like? Then clean with that thought in mind, to leave the best impression you can with your buyers.
2) Do A Final Walk-Through
Once you have your house clean, you want to walk through your entire house one more time. This is not only for emotional reasons for nostalgic purposes, but to make sure everything is spotless and that you haven't left anything behind. As you're walking through, take pictures if you want to remember what it looked like (though I would suggest doing this with your stuff still inside, for memory-sake) and take note of everything you see. This is your last chance to make sure your house is in order before it sells, so be thorough and don't miss a thing.
3) Shut Everything Off
As you're walking through your house, shut everything off. Make sure the electricity is off, the air conditioner and heater. Make sure the breakers are off if that's needed. Ensure the water as been shut off and of course, make sure each and every light is off. Double check everything just to be sure and don't forget to check the refrigerator and the oven and stove. You want to leave everything off for your buyers and don't worry; when they buy, it's their responsibility to turn everything back on.
4) Gather All The Proper Paperwork
Selling your house has tons of paperwork to keep track of which include: closing statements, documentation of the sale (this will be for your taxes and income) and proof of improvements you made to the house, Keep all of these papers in an important place where you won't misplace them and someplace where you have quick and easy access to them.
5) Hand Over The Keys and Other Necessities
This is another one of those that goes without saying but you'll have to hand over the house keys and anything else that the buyers will need. Make sure you give them the keys or they can't get in and try to also keep in mind anything they request or ask for and anything that might be helpful to them. It's up to you when this happens but generally, people hand over the keys after the house has been bought and the paperwork is finalized (though there have been cases where the buyers have been allowed to move in early). Make the choice that is best for you and that makes you the most comfortable.
6) Close Insurance Policies
The buyers will find their own insurance for the house after the final paperwork is complete, so sometime before that you need to make sure that your house insurance is shut off. You don't need it anymore and you don't want to be paying for something you're not using.
7) Lock Up On Your Way Out
Finally, lock up on your way out. This means literally, as you leave your house for the final time (remember, the buyers will have the keys) and figuratively. You need to prepare yourself ahead of time for the house you want to buy and where your finances are at now and how much you can afford. It would also be a good idea to make sure you have another house in place to buy or somewhere to go when you sell your house.
Selling your house can be daunting but it doesn't have to be confusing. If you're lost on what to do when you sell your house, just review and follow these things to do when you sell your house steps to make sure everything with your house is in order.
