Real Estate Round-Up: M is for moving day

Moving day actually begins well before the actual day the moving truck shows up. If you’re a seller, you’ve probably begun the activity of purging things the moment you started thinking about selling your home. If you didn’t, the process of packing up a home after living there for five years or more will be daunting.

We find that no matter how large a home is, people seem to find a way to fill up all the storage places within the home. This is evidenced by the many vehicles parked on driveways, on the street, or on secondary parking areas on larger parcels. Everyone has a lot of toys. So, get started.

Clean as you go. As you pack up your personal items, clean that cupboard or closet. Pack the items you want, donate other items, and dump the trash. Homes are supposed to be free of all personal possession and debris at the close of escrow. That includes everything that’s tucked away in the attic, in the garage, in the shed, and all out-buildings.

Don’t forget about the junk stashed behind the garage or on the lower corner of the parcel. It all must go unless the buyer and you have mutually agreed to leave some things behind.

As you’re packing, you might consider using a pod to put the boxes in. It may provide a better solution to moving the boxes into the garage and then to a pod or truck, which involves moving things twice. It’s been a while since I moved, but I found that I purged, then as I packed, I purged some more, and as I unpacked at my new home, I purged again. It’s funny how the process is very cathartic.

There are many other moving parts to get you to moving day. All repairs need to be completed at the home you’re selling or buying, five days prior to close of escrow. Save receipts so you can provide them to the new owner. Remember to continue to maintain the property in the same condition as when the offer was written.

Continue to water and maintain your landscaping, repair anything that breaks during the escrow period, keep brush away from the home, pretend that you still own it, because you do.

When buyers and sellers do their “final walkthrough,” it is a feeling of calm when you know you’ve completed the repairs and the property still looks good.

Utilities need to be transferred out or into your name. Contact the utility companies prior to the close of escrow date, to set up forwarding addresses if necessary. Make sure the water bill is paid in full. Read last week’s article about liens on outstanding water bills. If you have propane, get the tank ready, so the tank rental and remaining propane can be prorated between seller and buyer, at the close of escrow.

Don’t forget to forward your mail. So many times, we find ourselves sending packages of mail to clients who have moved out of the area. We don’t mind, but if something is time sensitive, those extra days might make a difference. When possible, contact your various creditors and provide them with your new address. That way you are doubling up on your effort to make sure you continue to get all your mail.

Purging, packing, completing repairs, continuing maintenance, changing over utilities, and forwarding mail are the key areas that will get you to a calm “Moving Day.” Here’s to keeping the stress out of what can be an emotional experience and creating a memory of one of the final chapters of your life, and moving forward to the next new chapter, feeling satisfied and excited about it.

Kim Murphy can be reached at [email protected] or 760-415-9292 or at 130 N Main Avenue, in Fallbrook. Her broker license is #01229921, and she is on the board of directors for the California Association of Realtors.