It is one of the last places that you think to check when you are moving out. You go through the rooms and look in the closets, you look under the sink in the kitchen, you open the linen closet and make sure you didn't forget anything. You might even open the mailbox on your way out, just to make sure nothing is in there before you drive away. But what about the dishwasher?
Depending on how you live and do the dishes, there may be dirty or clean dishes in there. In our house, if there are dishes in the sink, they are mine and I am washing them by hand. If they are in the dishwasher, they could be dirty and waiting for a full load to run it or they could be clean and just not put away. It is a delicate balance. So it comes as no surprise to me when I open the dishwasher at the final inspection and see that there are a few dishes or an entire load of dishes in there.
This week, it was a single cheese knife. It blended in and I could understand how it was missed. Imagine the surprise of the listing agent when I brought it to the closing along with the lockbox! This same house also had a children's book in the mailbox for the kids that used to live there as well....one more place to send a change of address! I am sure that the sellers appreciated getting their things back.
Another place that people forget is the warming drawer or storage drawer below the oven. Isn't that where you store the baking racks and pizza stone?
And yet another....if you have storage pedestals for the washer and dryer and you are leaving them for the new buyer, you forget what you may have stashed there. When we moved last time, I didn't look in those drawers because I had never personally put anything in there....and he forgot all about it. The new buyers called their agent after they moved in and we did the walk of shame to collect our extra dryer sheets, detergent and spray starch. So, it happens to the best of us.
On my closing week checklist, one of my suggestions is to have someone that doesn't live there take a thorough look at all the nooks and crannies of your home before you shut the door for the last time. If you would like my moving checklist, send me an email at karenfeltman@kw.com and put Moving Checklist in the subject line. I will be happy to send it to you!
Keep smiling!
Karen
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