Moving Checklist

By Shayne Bowen

One of my long time clients suggested that I write a moving checklist, since there is so much to remember during the moving process.

This was a great idea, so I've written a checklist to help you through the various steps involved. These steps cover the moving process and the final stages of the escrow.

Here is the checklist:

• Make a contingency plan in case the escrow closes late.
  • Many escrows close late, due to lenders delaying the close. Several additional factors can cause an escrow to close late.
  • It's important to make a contingency plan in case an escrow closes late.
  • Movers should be alerted that the move date may be delayed a few days past the intended close.
• Hold a garage sale. Discard, donate, or sell any unneeded items.
• Send out change of address card to friends, relatives, and magazines. You may get these from the Post Office.
• Obtain moving boxes.
• Pack all items in moving boxes.
• Write a number on each moving box.
• Record contents of each box on a separate list, referencing the box number.
• Get references from friends or me for moving companies.
• Interview moving companies. Get written estimates!
  • Set things up with your mover in such a way that they know that the transaction may close 1 to 5 days late (sometimes even more!).
• Make sure that your items are properly valued for your household goods. Don't include sentimental items on the moving truck - they can't be replaced.
• Rent a moving truck if you are performing the move yourself.
• If you have any very high value items, obtain an appraisal and gather any relevant receipts prior to the move.
• If you own a pool table, and are using a moving company, you will likely need to disassemble and crate your pool table, or obtain a vendor who will do this for you.
• Disconnect cables and cords, and secure your stereo, TV, and PC equipment so that it won't be damaged during the move. If possible, place these sensitive items in their original boxes.
• PC: Back up the sensitive data from your PC before your move date. PC hard drives are notoriously sensitive to loss of data, caused by the bumps involved in moving.
• Obtain insurance in advance on your new home.
• Sellers Only: If you are leaving the area, ask me for a referral to a competent real estate broker in the area where you are going.
• Sellers Only: If you are currently living out of state, ask the title company for paperwork to apply for an exemption from California's 3.33% withholding.
  • If you are living out of state, California requires that title companies withhold 3.33% of a seller's total proceeds from the sale, and hold these funds until any taxes owed are paid.
  • There is a form that you can fill out to apply for an exemption. The state may or may not agree to this exemption.
  • Ask the title company for this form early, as it can often take the State several weeks to respond to your exemption request.
• Sellers Only: If you are doing a 1031 exchange, set up an intermediary (a facilitator).
  • Make sure that the title company knows that you are doing a 1031 exchange!
  • Arrange an exchange intermediary. Talk to me for a list of possible firms and attorneys.
• Change your address with the post office.
• Get final briefing from me for the last week escrow activities.
• Set aside at least 90 minutes in your calendar during the last week of the transaction for signing at the title company.
• Get escrow number and escrow phone numbers from me.
• Ask me for the address of the title company, and save this address for future reference.
• Call escrow company to make an appointment for final signing.
• If you are leaving the area (and driving there), get your car serviced.
• If you are leaving the area, make sure to drain gas and oil from power equipment, and to empty your gas grill.
• Remember to cancel deliveries for all kinds of personal services, including cancelling newspaper deliveries, trash collection, phone, cable TV, etc. If applicable, remember to give these vendors your forwarding address.
• Give me your new address, phone number, and e-mail address. There are often routine items of business that need to be mailed to your new address, even after the escrow closes.
• Get utilities set up at your new home. Do this in advance.
• Notify all of your credit card companies of your change of address.
• If you are leaving the area, transfer your bank accounts and your safe deposit box.
• Discard perishable foods, and defrost your freezer.
• Notify your stock broker, investment advisor, doctor, dentist, veterinary, etc., of your change of address. If you are leaving the area request that they forward relevant files and documents to your professionals in your new area.
• Buyers Only: Ask the escrow officer for the dollar amount of the cashier's check needed to finalize the escrow. Please complete this no later than three days before the scheduled close of the transaction.
• Buyers Only: Go to the bank and get cashier's check for closing.
  • Tell bank that the cashier's check must be drawn on a California bank. Be aware that your bank may draw their checks on a bank in Chicago or New York!
  • If this is done incorrectly the escrow will be held up, by law, 10 business days. This could imperil your interest rate or potentially your transaction.
• Sign papers at the title company.
  • Carefully review all escrow company papers.
• Review escrow papers at home after signing at title company.
  • Call me immediately if there are any issues or needed corrections in the final escrow papers.
• Sellers Only: Tell the escrow officer how you want to receive your final check.
  • You may receive your final check by:
    • Picking it up in person
    • Having it mailed to you
    • Having it wired to you (you'll need to bring your account & wiring information to the escrow company)
    • Having it direct deposited to you (you'll need to bring your account information to the title company)
• Be aware that it takes 2 business days after everyone signs escrow company papers to finalize (close) the escrow.
• If you are doing two transactions, repeat all escrow company steps above.
  • This would apply only if you are both selling your existing property and purchasing a new property.
• Confer with me as to our best estimate regarding the date of your move day. Reconfirm this move date with your movers.
• Call utilities to turn on or off the appropriate services.
  • Tell the utility companies that you want to transfer the utilities into your name. Try to avoid a shut off of utilities. Doing so will save you money.
  • Sellers Only: Tell the utility companies that you are moving from your current home, and that the utilities need to be put into the name of the new purchaser. Please tell them that the buyer will call to set up a new account. Try to avoid a shut off of utilities, if at all possible. Doing so will save the purchaser money.
• ISP: Call your ISP, DSL, or cable company (if you need this service).
  • Your DSL or cable service may or may not be available in your new area. You may be able to obtain DSL or cable coverage in your new neighborhood that was not available in your current location.
• If your ISP changes, notify your email correspondents that your email address has changed, and let them know your new email address. Several ISPs will do this for you when you open a new account from them, if you ask.
• Approve all papers that I or my escrow coordinator have sent you, and send them back to me as soon as possible!
  • Turnaround time for transaction papers needs to be especially rapid during the last week of the transaction.
• Sellers Only: Make sure that smoke detectors operate properly (please test them), and that the water heater is properly strapped.
  • State law requires that smoke detectors be provided in normal operating condition, and that water heater be double strapped properly. This is important.
• Sellers Only: Prepare your home for buyer's final walk through inspection.
  • Please insure that the home fully complies with all relevant clauses in the purchase agreement! The relevant clauses are those that cover property condition. These clauses are automatically part of the purchase agreement, unless the purchase agreement contains an as-is clause.
  • Any items in the home not in compliance with the terms in the purchase agreement need to be repaired by the seller prior to close of escrow.
• Buyers Only: Schedule final walk through inspection.
• Sellers Only: Remove all items of personal property and all debris, inside and outside, from the home and property.
  • It's important that all personal belongings need to be removed from the home, including paint cans, wood, items from attics, side yard, garages, front and back yards, etc.
• Sellers Only: If you are leaving the area, remember to prepare your plants. Get them ready for shipping, or make arrangements to leave them with a local friend or family member.
• Sellers Only: Please leave all keys (home, mail box, pool, etc.) on kitchen counters, in plain view.
  • Please leave all keys: garage door openers; front door; rear door; padlocks; storage; pool; mail; sliding glass doors; storage sheds, etc.
• Sellers Only: If possible, please leave brochures and operating manuals for appliances, systems, & sprinklers.
• Buyers Only: Obtain new home key. I will provide this for you at close of escrow.
• Sellers Only: Cancel insurance on the home being sold.
  • Please avoid cancelling the insurance until the property closes. Escrows do often close later than intended. It's important to keep your property insured until it closes!
• Sellers Only: If you are leaving the area, place charcoal or fresh ground coffee (placed in a stocking) in your refrigerator, to keep it fresh smelling during the move. Also, remove and pack glass shelves.
• Sellers Only: Drain the water supply faucets from your washer. Remove exhaust line from your dryer.
• Sellers Only: If you own a chandelier that is not remaining with your home, obtain specialized packing or crating. Before the moving day, contact a qualified electrician to remove this item.
• Sellers Only: If you own a grandfather clock, remove the weights and the pendulum.
• Sellers Only: Pack your personal luggage and miscellaneous must-have items so that they will not be included with your boxes on the moving truck.
• Sellers Only: Do your final move out, and deliver possession of the property to the buyer.
  • Double check that you haven't left anything. It's easy to miss things in cupboards, storage areas, the garage, and the attic. Double check these areas.
• Sellers Only: Pick up your check from the escrow company
  •  If you wish to pick up your check, call the escrow company to make sure that the check is ready and has been put in will-call for you.
• Sellers Only: If you are moving out of the area, on the day of your move, consider staying the night in a local hotel, or with local friends or family. This will allow you to leave the next day and set out fresh for your new home.