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Closing · 5 steps · free · the same words a Keighbor seller reads
Why this page existsThis is the guide a Keighbor seller reads at the "Clear to close" milestone, published in full so you can read the whole job before anybody asks you to pay for help with it.
Key takeaways
The closing date and time are locked and you know what to bring.
You have a no-surprises plan for the next three to ten days.
Moving day and any post-closing occupancy are locked in writing.
The home is clean, repaired, and ready for the buyer's walkthrough.
Your proceeds delivery is set up and you have verified it by phone.
1
Confirm the closing date and time
You're done when: The closing date and time are locked and you know what to bring.
Clear to close is the lender's green light: final approval, and closing can be scheduled. Federal rules require the buyer to hold the final Closing Disclosure for at least three business days first, so the earliest possible closing is three business days from when they receive it.
How to do it
Confirm the date, time, and location with your closing agent or attorney.
Ask whether you have to attend in person or can sign remotely, by mail-away or Remote Online Notarization.
Verify what to bring: government photo ID, keys, remotes, payoff details, wire instructions.
Confirm how and when you will receive your proceeds - wire or check.
Put the date on your calendar with alerts.
Worth knowing
In attorney states the attorney conducts closing; in title and escrow states a title officer does.
Remote Online Notarization is available in many states and lets you sign from anywhere.
Everyone on title normally has to sign, with valid unexpired photo ID.
What it costs
Free
Where to check
Written confirmation from your closing agent
2
Keep the deal on track
You're done when: You have a no-surprises plan for the next three to ten days.
Between clear to close and closing day, keep required insurance and utilities active for the period your contract and closing team specify.
How to do it
Keep your homeowner's insurance active through closing day. Cancel it the day after, not before.
Keep the utilities on through closing. Transfer or cancel them for the day after.
Stay reachable by phone and email. Lenders run final checks and sometimes need something from you.
Respond fast to any last-minute document request from the closing team.
Get everything in writing.
Worth knowing
Do not remove anything on the conveys list, do not start new work on the home without checking, and do not accept new wiring instructions by email without a phone call.
Do not schedule your move so tightly that a one or two day slip creates chaos. About 13% of contracts had a delayed settlement in a recent NAR period.
Buyers can lose approval by taking on new debt or changing jobs before closing. If that happens on their side, the deal stalls through no fault of yours.
What it costs
Free
Where to check
Written confirmation of every change, from whoever made it
3
Line up your move
You're done when: Moving day and any post-closing occupancy are locked in writing.
You hand over the home at closing, or shortly after. Booking movers, storage, and your next place now is what prevents a chaotic last week.
How to do it
Book movers or a truck two to four weeks ahead if you can.
Line up temporary housing if there is a gap between this closing and your next home.
If you need to stay past closing, get the written rent-back agreement done now rather than the day before.
Order boxes and packing supplies early.
Start packing non-essentials as soon as clear-to-close comes through.
Worth knowing
Book movers for the day after closing. That gives you a buffer against a closing that runs late.
If your next home's closing depends on this one, keep both closing teams talking to each other.
A rent-back is a written document with a daily rate, a deposit, and a duration. Not a favor agreed on the phone.
What it costs
$1,000-5,000 for a local move, more for long distance
Where to check
Signed confirmations from your movers and any rent-back agreement
4
Prep the home for the walkthrough
You're done when: The home is clean, repaired, and ready for the buyer's walkthrough.
The buyer does a final walkthrough shortly before closing - typically 24 to 48 hours ahead, sometimes the morning of - to confirm the home is in the promised condition. Being ready is what stops a last-minute renegotiation.
How to do it
Confirm every agreed repair is complete, with receipts and photos to hand.
Assemble manuals, warranties, paint colors, and spare parts in a folder for the buyer.
Test that everything works: garage doors, HVAC, appliances, taps.
Do a final broom-clean. Some sellers book a professional clean after moving out.
Walk the home yourself first, looking for whatever the buyer might flag.
Worth knowing
Broom-clean is the minimum standard in most purchase agreements.
Paint cans, chemicals, and bulky junk left behind commonly prompt a removal request or a credit demand.
Double-check the conveys list before you remove anything. The washer you assumed was yours may not be.
What it costs
$150-400 for a professional post-move clean
Where to check
Your own walkthrough, done before theirs
5
Set up how you'll be paid
You're done when: Your proceeds delivery is set up and you have verified it by phone.
This is where the money you are about to receive gets protected. The FBI's IC3 reported $275 million in real estate wire fraud losses in 2025 across 12,368 victims. Setting up your proceeds carefully now, and verifying by phone on the day, is what keeps you out of that number.
How to do it
Decide how you want your proceeds: a wire transfer, which is fast and most common, or a check, which is slower.
If you are taking a wire, give your bank details to your title company or attorney in person or through a channel you have verified. Never in reply to an emailed request.
Confirm the closing team has your bank name, routing number, and account number before closing day.
Call your closing team on a number you looked up yourself, not one from an email, and confirm everything is set.
Never act on emailed updated instructions without a phone call to a number you already trust.
Worth knowing
Criminals monitor deal emails for weeks and time a fake "updated instructions" message perfectly. Any urgency or last-minute change is the red flag.
If money is misdirected, call your bank's wire department immediately and file at ic3.gov. The FBI's recovery team reports getting the money back in a little over half of the cases that reach it fast. Recovery is measured in hours.
Keighbor won't email you bank details or ask you to change wire instructions. Verify any request through a phone number you obtained independently.
What it costs
$15-35 for an outgoing wire, sometimes waived
Where to check
A phone call to your closing agent on a number you looked up independently
There are 17 more like this one
Every step of a home sale has a guide this long behind it. Your room opens them one at a time as you reach them, and whatever you work out gets saved into the step.
