Closing Day Checklist for Buyers

48 hours before

• Review your final closing figures and compare them to earlier estimates.
• Ask about anything that changed, before the day itself.
• Confirm wire instructions by phone, using a number you already had — never one from an email.
• Confirm what identification and documents to bring.
• Confirm the time, location and who will attend.
• Confirm utilities are set to transfer on the right date.
• Confirm insurance is in place effective at closing.

The final walkthrough

This is the last time you can raise something while you still have leverage. Do not do it in five minutes.

• Property is in the agreed condition, with agreed items remaining.
• Agreed repairs completed, with receipts or evidence provided.
• Every appliance that conveys is present and operates.
• Run faucets, flush toilets, check for new leaks under sinks.
• Test heating and cooling.
• Check outlets and lights in each room.
• Open and close windows and exterior doors.
• No new damage from the move-out.
• Seller's belongings and debris removed, including garage and yard.
• You have accounted for all keys, remotes, codes and openers.

At the table

• Read the settlement statement line by line and ask about anything unclear.
• Confirm loan terms match what you agreed with your lender.
• Confirm names, property description and dates are correct.
• Ask what each document is before signing it — you are allowed to slow down.
• Confirm the possession date and time in writing.

Money safety

Real estate transactions attract fraud precisely because of the amounts and the deadlines involved.

• Never accept wire instructions or changes by email without a phone verification.
• Call a number you obtained independently, not one contained in the message.
• Be suspicious of any last-minute change to payment details or urgency.
• Confirm receipt of funds by phone after sending.

What to leave with

• Copies of everything you signed.
• The settlement statement.
• All keys, garage remotes, gate fobs and access codes.
• Any warranties, manuals and service records for the home.
• Contact details for the closing agent or attorney.
• Confirmation of who to contact for your first mortgage payment.

The first hours as owner

• Change or rekey the locks and reset any access codes.
• Locate the main water shutoff and the electrical panel.
• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries.
• Note the HVAC filter size and change it.
• Photograph the home's condition on day one.
• Store all closing documents somewhere you will find them next year.

Common mistakes

• Doing the walkthrough in a hurry, or skipping it.
• Seeing the closing figures for the first time at the table.
• Wiring funds on emailed instructions without calling to verify.
• Signing without reading because everyone is waiting.
• Leaving without every key, code and remote.
• Not confirming that agreed repairs were actually completed.