Home Closing Day

ContextThe final walkthrough is your contractual right and should never be waived. Bring a phone charger to test every electrical outlet, a flashlight for dark corners, and this checklist. Systematic test sequence: run every faucet at both cold and hot and observe pressure and drainage; flush every toilet and watch the tank refill fully; run all included appliances through a full cycle or full function (range burners and oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer, garbage disposal, refrigerator ice maker if applicable); set the HVAC to both heat and cool and wait for conditioned air to confirm each mode works; test every light switch. Run water under every sink and check for drips or evidence of prior leaks. If a negotiated repair is incomplete or new damage has appeared since inspection, contact your agent immediately — options include a closing credit deposited in escrow, a price reduction, or delayed closing until the issue is resolved.

ContextElectric, gas, and water should transfer to your name on the closing date — do not assume the title company or your agent arranged this. Call each provider directly to confirm. Internet service requires a separate installation appointment and almost never happens on closing day; schedule it at least 5 to 7 business days in advance. If the home has a propane tank, confirm the current fill level with the seller and arrange your own account with the supplier before taking ownership. A missed utility transfer means either going without service your first night or receiving a bill in the previous owner's name that creates account complications.

ContextPersonal checks are not accepted at closing. If wiring funds, initiate the transfer at least 24 hours before your appointment — banks may hold large outgoing wires for same-day verification, and a wire that hasn't arrived at the title company will delay or cancel the closing. After sending the wire, call the title company to confirm receipt before you arrive. If using a cashier's check, confirm the exact payee name from the title company (spelling matters) and bring it along with the receipt as documentation to present at the table.

ContextEvery borrower on the loan must present a valid government-issued photo ID — driver's license, state ID, or passport. The name must match the loan documents exactly. If your name changed due to marriage or divorce after the loan was originated, bring the supporting legal document (marriage certificate or divorce decree). A name mismatch discovered at the table without supporting documentation can delay or cancel the closing.

ContextEven after reviewing the Closing Disclosure at home, having the original Loan Estimate physically present allows you to point to specific line items and ask for immediate explanations. If a fee increased and you want to question it, having the Loan Estimate in hand makes the comparison concrete and difficult to dismiss. This is especially useful for lender origination charges, which are zero-tolerance under TRID and should match exactly.

ContextEven though you confirmed the binder was received by your lender in advance, bring a printed or digital copy of the declarations page. If the lender's system shows it missing, you can hand it to the closing agent on the spot rather than rescheduling. The page should clearly show the property address, your name as the insured, a coverage start date on or before today, and your lender listed as the mortgagee.

ContextThe closing package typically runs 100 or more pages, but three documents require your full attention. The Promissory Note is your legally binding promise to repay the exact loan amount at the exact interest rate — verify every number against what you agreed to. The Deed of Trust or Mortgage gives the lender a security interest in the property — verify the property address and legal description are accurate. The final Closing Disclosure is the complete cost summary — compare it to your at-home review to confirm nothing changed. The closing agent facilitates the transaction but is not your legal advisor. If anything on these three documents differs from what you agreed to, stop signing and ask for an explanation. Postponing a closing is inconvenient but not catastrophic — signing an incorrect document is binding for the life of your loan.

ContextHow title is vested — the legal form of ownership recorded on the deed — affects estate planning, divorce proceedings, and what happens to the property if an owner dies. Common forms: Sole Ownership (one person), Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship (two or more equal owners; at death, the share transfers automatically to the survivor without probate), Tenancy in Common (each owner holds a specified percentage that passes through their estate and does not avoid probate), and Community Property (available in nine states and affects how property is divided in divorce). Confirm your intended vesting form with a real estate attorney before closing and verify the deed reflects it before you sign — changing it after recording requires additional legal filings.

ContextBefore leaving, confirm you have: all physical keys to every exterior door and any detached structures (garage, workshop, shed), garage door openers and the code to any exterior keypads, alarm system codes for all zones, mailbox keys, gate access codes or FOBs for gated communities, and any HOA access cards or transponders. If the seller is not present, have your agent contact them that day to arrange delivery of any missing items. Also ask specifically whether any appliance manuals or warranties were left in the home — these are frequently in a kitchen drawer and valuable for future repairs and warranty claims.

ContextYou have no way of knowing how many keys exist for the property — previous owners, their family members, contractors, housekeepers, neighbors who held spare keys during vacations. Rekeying reconfigures existing lock cylinders to work with a new key; a locksmith can typically rekey a whole house in 1 to 2 hours for $100 to $200. Full lock replacement costs $50 to $200 per lock for hardware plus labor. Smart locks ($100 to $300 per lock) eliminate physical key management entirely. Any of these approaches, done before you move items in, is adequate. Deferring this step creates an unknowable security gap.

ContextIf the home has an existing security system, the previous owner's code remains active until you change it. Contact the alarm monitoring company — find the name on the panel, on stickers in the home, or in the seller's disclosure — and transfer the account to your name and billing information. Change the master code and all secondary codes immediately. If you are unsure whether the system is currently active and monitored, call the number on the panel; they will confirm. Failing to transfer the account leaves the previous owner as the registered emergency contact for any triggered alarms and potentially gives them account-level access.

ContextYour ability to respond to a plumbing or electrical emergency depends on knowing these locations before the emergency. Electrical panel: open every door and label each breaker if not already labeled — bring a partner, a lamp, and 30 minutes; one person flips breakers while the other confirms which circuit went dead. Main water shut-off: typically in the basement, utility room, crawl space, or at the street meter. Individual fixture shut-offs: under every sink, behind every toilet — turn each one to confirm it moves and stops water. Gas shut-off: at the meter, requires a wrench; perpendicular to the pipe means off. Add all locations to a note in your phone.

ContextPress the test button on every unit. If any fail to sound, replace the battery first, then check the manufacture date printed on the back. Smoke detectors should be replaced after 10 years; carbon monoxide detectors after 5 to 7 years. Verify that detectors are present in the required locations: inside or immediately outside every sleeping room, on every floor including the basement, and outside each separate sleeping area. This is a legal requirement in most states and a basic life-safety step that must happen before your first night.

ContextWith the home empty and the transaction complete, do a slow pass through every room, closet, attic access point, crawl space entry, and the full exterior perimeter. Look for: water intrusion signs (ceiling stains, musty odors, white efflorescence on basement walls), damaged windows or locks not noticed during the walkthrough, any items the seller left that were not part of the sale, and exterior conditions — gutters, downspout discharge, grading that slopes toward the foundation, and visible foundation cracks. Photograph everything with time-stamped images. This baseline documentation protects you in any future insurance claim, warranty dispute, or neighbor dispute about pre-existing conditions.