Closing on a House Checklist

The closing appointment is two to three hours of signing documents that codify everything you've been working toward for months. Most buyers arrive underprepared — not because they didn't try, but because their agent gave them a high-level overview and they didn't know what they didn't know.

This checklist covers everything: what to do the week before, what to bring on closing day, what to review at the table, and how long the process actually takes.

One Week Before Closing

Review your Closing Disclosure. Your lender is required to send this at least three business days before closing. Compare it line by line against your original Loan Estimate. Verify your loan amount, interest rate, monthly payment, and total cash to close. Confirm any seller credits from your purchase agreement appear on page 3. If anything looks wrong, contact your loan officer immediately — not the morning of closing.

Verify your homeowners insurance is in place. Your lender will not fund the loan without confirmation that a homeowners insurance policy is active on or before closing day. The declaration page and paid receipt must be sent to both the lender and the title company.

Confirm your funds transfer method with the title company. Ask directly: do you accept cashier's checks, and is there a dollar limit? Some title companies reject physical checks over $5,000 to $10,000 due to check fraud risk and require wire transfers for all amounts. Don't assume — confirm.

Independently source the title company's phone number. Go to the company's official website or look at your original signed contract. Save this number now, separate from your email. You'll use it for wire verification — never call a number listed in an email during the final week.

Confirm your first payment date. Look at page 1 of your Closing Disclosure or ask your loan officer. Knowing when autopay needs to be set up prevents an accidental missed payment.

48 Hours Before Closing

Complete your final walk-through. This is a legal verification, not a victory lap. You're confirming the property is in the same condition as when you signed the contract, seller repairs have been completed, and all agreed fixtures and appliances are still present. Test HVAC, run every faucet, check under sinks, test all appliances, and verify all outlets work. Take photos of anything that looks different from what you expected.

Verify wire instructions. Call the title company at the independently sourced phone number. Read back the routing number and account number digit by digit. Ask to speak with someone who can confirm those details. Then initiate the wire from your bank. After the transfer, call again to confirm receipt.

Obtain a cashier's check if wiring isn't your method. Get the check made payable to the title company exactly as they specify. Bring it to the appointment — don't mail it.

Confirm closing location, time, and parking. Remote closings via RON (Remote Online Notarization) need a confirmed login link. In-person closings need confirmed address details, especially if you're in an unfamiliar office complex.

What to Bring to Closing

Two forms of unexpired government-issued photo ID. Driver's license and passport is the standard combination. Both must be unexpired. The notary or settlement agent is legally required to verify your identity and cannot proceed without acceptable ID. This isn't optional — show up with one ID and an expired driver's license and the appointment will be delayed.

Your Loan Estimate (the original one). Bring it to the table so you can cross-reference key figures against the Closing Disclosure.

Proof of homeowners insurance. The declaration page and paid receipt. Even if your lender has a copy on file, bring your own.

Certified funds (if not wiring). The cashier's check, made out to the exact entity the title company specified.

Wire confirmation numbers. If you've already wired funds, bring the bank's confirmation of the transfer.

Contact information for all parties. Your real estate agent, loan officer, title company, and any attorney involved. Written down, not only in your phone. If something needs to be corrected at the last minute, you'll need to reach someone immediately.

Any outstanding documents your lender requested. If underwriting issued any conditions you were still gathering documentation for, bring them.

What to Expect at the Closing Table

Closing typically takes 60 to 90 minutes for a standard purchase with a mortgage. Cash purchases run shorter — around 30 to 45 minutes. Complex transactions, unfamiliar buyers who need explanations, or documents with errors can extend to 2 to 3 hours.

The general sequence:

1. Identity verification — your IDs are checked by the notary or settlement officer
2. Closing Disclosure review — you review the final CD and confirm the numbers
3. Promissory Note — you sign your promise to repay the loan; this is your primary debt obligation
4. Deed of Trust or Mortgage — you sign the security instrument that attaches the loan to the property
5. Additional lender documents — various federal disclosures, right to cancel notice (not applicable for purchase loans), acknowledgments
6. Title documents — warranty deed from the seller (may be signed separately or in advance by the seller), title affidavits
7. Certified funds exchange or wire confirmation — the settlement agent confirms receipt of funds
8. Disbursement and recording — the title company disburses funds to all parties and submits the deed for recording with the county

You will not typically receive keys at the signing table. Keys are released by the real estate agent — usually once the deed has been recorded by the county recorder's office, which can take a few hours or, in some counties, until the next business day. Confirm with your agent and title company when exactly you can expect to receive keys.

Questions to Ask at the Table

• If any number in the final documents differs from your Closing Disclosure, ask why. Do not sign if the change is unexplained.
• If a fee appears that wasn't on the CD, ask the settlement officer to explain it before signing.
• Confirm the recording timeline — when will you receive confirmation that the deed is recorded?
• Ask for a copy of everything you've signed. You're entitled to it.

What to Do Immediately After Closing

Change the locks on your new home that day. The previous owner has had years to distribute copies of keys to neighbors, contractors, family, and people they've long since lost touch with. Rekeying is inexpensive — typically $50 to $150 per lock — and eliminates this risk completely.

Set up utility accounts in your name for the possession date. File a change of address with the postal service. Locate and store your closing documents — the deed, title insurance policy, and settlement statement — in a fireproof location.

The actions above are the essentials. For a complete, structured checklist organized by timeline — including a wire fraud verification script, walk-through testing protocols, and a post-closing security plan — the Closing Day Checklist & Wire Fraud Prevention was built for exactly this moment in the buying process.