Steps to Closing on a Home

Checklist of things to do

Before the Offer
It is ideal to actually begin preparing for your closing before your offer has been accepted. A few things recommended to do while looking for a home include find a lawyer that you want to work with, get a pre-approval for a mortgage, and view the neighborhoods at a variety of times to make sure you like where the property is located.

Before the Closing
Once your offer is accepted there are a bunch of steps to closing on a home; here we have outlined them for your quick reference.

  1. Offer is Accepted
  2. Set the Closing Date
  3. Send Contract & Additional Documents to Lawyer for Attorney Review
  4. Find and Schedule a Home Inspection & Survey (When Applicable)
  5. Secure a Mortgage Loan Rate With Preferred Lender
  6. Lender Should Perform a Title Search on the Property
  7. Purchase Title Insurance
  8. Purchase Home Owner's Insurance & Any Additional Insurance Necessary
  9. Decide if You'd Like a Home Warranty
  10. Determine Final Closing Costs (Lender is Required to Tell You)
  11. Pack Your Things/Get Movers/Trailer
  12. Set Up New Utilities/Cancel Old Utilities
  13. Change Mailing Address/Forward Mail
  14. Get a Certified Check in the Amount of the Final Closing Costs
  15. Final Walk Thru
  16. Attend the Closing

* Closing is also know as "settlement" or "escrow,"

For more information on closing on a house contact your local Realtor; they will be able to provide professional assistance and localized answers to your questions.

steps to close a house