Once you have accepted an offer, the rush to move out of the home begins.
This process can be made easier if you plan ahead. The more decluttering and home repairs done at the beginning of the home-selling process, the easier it will be to move out.
There are also other steps you should consider before you consider offers.
Where are you moving?
You'll need a plan for making the transition to your next home, and this move is often a part of the offer process.
Moving to another home: If you are selling your house and planning to buy another one at the same time, it can be complicated to line up the move-out and move-in process.
If you are able to close on the next house before you sell, having some overlap might make moving easier. Lining up the buying and selling process within a few days or weeks is best.
“Best case, go under contract on the sale, secure the purchase within about seven to 10 days, then give yourself 30 to 45 days to close both,” said Daniel Ickowicz, director of sales at Elite International Realty in Miami, Florida. “If funds from the sale are needed to buy, I prefer to close the sale first, then have a short rent-back or temp housing rather than two tight closings on the same day.”
Rent-back: If you need to sell before you can close on the next house or you still need some time to figure things out, you can ask the buyer for a rent-back agreement. This allows sellers to rent the house from the buyers after closing. The buyer temporarily becomes the sellers' landlord.
“Treat it as a mini-lease in writing: exact dates, daily rate or monthly amount, who pays utilities and a deposit/holdback. It protects both sides and removes emotion,” Ickowicz said.
Temporary housing: If you have not found a home to buy or have not started the process, you likely will need to rent a home or apartment and storage unit. You already may have organized your living situation if this was your plan. But this could be overwhelming if it was unexpected. Look for apartments that lease month to month or offer leases for three to six months. On Apartments.com, you can filter rentals by short-term leases.
Common mistake: The downside of moving to a temporary home is you will have to move and rent moving trucks twice. If you know you will need to put things in storage, start slowly moving things to avoid needing to rent a larger truck. This option may cost more money than moving from one house to another. But if you are still looking for the right home to buy, it could give you breathing room while selling your current property.
Negotiate upfront
Once you settle on a option, be sure to negotiate what you need with buyers while you are considering offers. If a buyer's timeline does not work for you, consider going with another buyer. Or you could ask to rent-back until you are ready to fully move. Set the plan while considering offers.
You also will need to determine what in the home will stay and what you will take. Typically, large appliances like refrigerators and laundry machines are sold with the house. Some buyers may request furniture. If you agree to sell your furniture with the house, you should put that in the contract. Blinds or drapes often are left behind. This will also help you plan your moving logistics.
Pack and prepare to leave the home
Once you have sorted out your move-out date, you will need to prepare to vacate the home. This means packing, but also scheduling a home inspection, appraisal or any other agreed-upon conditions. The home might need some repairs, paint or maintenance, and if that is the case, book that before focusing on moving. After the home inspection checks out, start seriously packing.
“Label each box by both room and category,” said Christian Pfeiffer, professional organizer at Valley Organizing in Phoenix, Arizona. “Color-coded stickers for each room make unpacking even faster.”
Start packing non-essential items. During the final week, you should only have a few essentials to pack.
Common mistake: “Underestimating packing, leaving repairs and cleaning to the last 24 hours and waiting too long to book movers," Ickowicz said. "I usually suggest booking movers three to four weeks ahead, and four to six weeks in busy seasons.”
As you prepare to move out, you will need to sever accounts attached to the home and pass along information to the buyers.
- Contact utility companies to end service at your move-out date
- Provide a forwarding address for your mail and change address on accounts
- Contact home insurance to end coverage of the house
- Gather warranty information
- Leave homeowners association information for buyers
- How to move: A guide to packing, planning and settling in
- DIY moving guide: Save money with smart planning and packing tips
Move-out day
Start early and have a plan. You will want to start packing large bulky furniture, then heavy boxes and finally light boxes.
Once the truck is loaded, walk through the home and check every closet, cabinet and nook for items left behind. Consider having cleaners come in behind you to wrap up and make the home move-in ready for the buyers.
“That means remove all personal items, haul away junk, basic touch-ups if agreed, and leave keys, remotes, fobs and manuals organized for the buyer,” Ickowicz said.
Your agent will handle passing the keys and other important information to the buyers during their final walkthrough. You should do this before the buyers close on the house.