Closing Day is Coming - Prepare Your Home For Pay Day

So you have sold your home!  Congratulations!  Closing day is coming.  Prepare your home for pay day. 

When your house sells it usually results in you feeling pretty great, at least for a little while.  Yet not long after, the pressures of preparing the home for closing day begin to mount.  You wanted this day to come but now that it is really happening you have some ambivalence.  Preparing the house for closing becomes top of mind. 

So what things should you do to prepare for closing day?

Here are seven recommendations to help with the mental task of preparing your home for closing.  That is the day when the buyers walk through, inspect "your" work, confirm that everything is as they expect it to be, and proceed to the lawyers office with the cheque.

1. Find yourself some boxes.  If you are doing your own packing, and many people do, gathering lots of wrapping tissue or news paper and boxes will be just the thing.  Pick up 50 or more depending on how much stuff you plan to take to your new destination.  When you have them, start packing all the things you plan to take but can do without until you are relocated.  It is more than you think.

2. Identify the give aways and make a list of people you know will take them off your hands.  We all have a few items that we would prefer to give away.  Avoid carrying these into your "next life" by passing them down to a loved one or friend.  It often feels liberating to pass along something you are no longer using or that you just want someone else to have.

3.  Identify the garage/yard sale items and plan your weekend sale now.  This will involve putting the announcement notice in the paper and online.  Get it organized and planned for the earliest date.  This will help you to make sure the weekend does not creep up on you unaware.  Deadlines for advertising in the paper are some of those things that do creep up.

4.  Throw away anything else left over.  If you can't sell it or give it away and you are not going to keep it, then send it to the landfill.  Yes, I know that is not environmentally friendly but unless you can make an old broken chair into next weeks dinner, you have to throw some things out.  This is one of those times.

5.  Clean up all rooms in the house that you can before moving day gets here.  Leave only the vacuuming for the very last day.  Ask a couple of cleaners to go through the home and do the heavy work for you.  Hire them if you need to.  Cleaning the ceilings and walls, lights, shelving, cupboards, windows, and storage areas are things the hired help can do.  This is not the time to be Superwoman....or even the time to be married to her.  Tip for the guys.  Insist on this one.  It will save you a tonne of guilt. :-)

6.  Book the movers.  I know, I have it numbered as 6 but really you should make this number 1.  The earlier you do this, the better.  Often the movers are really busy at peak moving days so get on this and reserve them now.  It will take a lot off your mind.

7.  When closing day comes, you will have everything out of the house, and the house thoroughly cleaned.  Why not leave a little gift on the counter and a hand written note expressing your personal enjoyment of the home, along with well wishes for the new owners in the years ahead?  It is amazing how that little gesture will help smooth over any small wrinkle that might arise.  At this point, you have prepared the house as best as you can.  The final piece is all about people management.

Closing day will come and your efforts will all be rewarded.  With careful attention to details the sale will close smoothly and the payment for the home will be in your account, if only for a moment in time.  At this point, you need to take yourself out for dinner.  After all, you deserve a reward too.  You have done a great job!

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About the Author: R. Greg Osmond is a Platinum Award winning Realtor dedicated to serving the people of St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Kilbride, Goulds, Conception Bay South (CBS), Portugal Cove - St. Philips, Torbay – Flatrock – Pouch Cove, and Logy Bay - Middle Cove - Outer Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador.  For over 21 years Greg has been practicing in Real Estate. He can be reached at 709-895-2500.

Want to get in touch? Email rgosmond1@gmail.com. For more information, please visit http://www.rgregosmond.com.  Thinking of selling your home?  I have a passion for helping my clients with buying and selling real estate!  If there is any way I can be of service to you today, please feel free to contact me!