Turning Over Possession
Get ready to say goodbye! When it’s time to turn over your home to the new owners, here are the steps you should take before handing over your keys at the time of Possession.
The standard for the condition of a home when it’s turned over to the new buyer in the typical sales contract is “free of personal possessions, trash, and debris.” This means that all personal possessions should be removed unless you have previously agreed to leave them in the house. There shouldn’t be anything in any drawers or closets and you should try your best to get trash out in time for removal before the new owners arrive. The home should be swept clean and the fridge should be completely empty.
Please don’t leave any cleaners, garden supplies, paint, or house parts/supplies unless we’ve previously checked with the buyer to make sure that’s ok. They may want those items, but we should check with them first. It’s ok to leave your city-owned garbage cans and recycling bins.
Home Team Realty likes to go extra mile to make the home buying experience as easy as possible for everyone involved. We like take some of the stress out of your move and also present your house to the new owner a little better than just “free of trash”. As part of our 6% listing package, we include housecleaning, so we will get the house cleaned after you move out. You just need to move out and we will handle the rest. We will just need to work with your schedule in advance to have time to schedule our busy cleaners before possession, but after you’ve moved.
We handle giving the keys to the new buyer, so all you have to do is leave any keys you have in a kitchen drawer and lock the door behind you. You can leave the last key you use in the mailbox or under mat after locking up. Just let us know it’s there.
Finally, please leave any garage door openers, appliance manuals, and repair records that you have that a new owner might need for warranties or information in the future.