You're under contract. Congratulations. Now comes the part nobody warns you about: the last 30 days, when you're packing a whole house, the buyer's lender wants one more thing, and you're trying to remember who you still need to call about the water bill.

Here's the checklist I give my sellers, after 13 years and over 2,000 deals in Louisville. Print it, stick it on the fridge (the fridge you're either leaving or taking, which we sorted out in what stays with the house), and check things off.

30 days before closing

• Book your movers now. End of the month and summer weekends fill up fast in Louisville.
• Decide what's staying and what's going, and make sure it matches your contract. If you're unsure about the hot tub, read sell it, leave it, or move it.
• Start the purge. Donate, sell, or toss anything you don't want to pay to move. Book a junk haul if you need one.
• Line up your next place. If you're buying, stay in touch with your lender so both closings line up. If you're renting, get the lease signed.
• Gather your paperwork: the deed, any survey, warranties and manuals for appliances, the HVAC and roof records, and your HOA documents if you have them.
• Get your payoff started. Your title company will order the mortgage payoff, but tell them about every loan or line of credit on the house, including any home equity line (HELOC).

2 weeks before closing

• Schedule your utilities to stop the day after closing, not the day before. The buyer's final walkthrough needs lights, water, and heat or air.
• In Louisville that usually means LG&E for electric and gas, and Louisville Water for water. Sewer charges from MSD (the Metropolitan Sewer District) come on the Louisville Water bill, so stopping water service covers both.
• Schedule internet, cable, and security monitoring to stop, and set up a time to return any equipment like routers and cable boxes so you don't get charged for them.
• Set up utilities at your new place so they're on the day you move in.
• Do your change of address with the Postal Service (USPS). Do this first, because other agencies mail new cards to the address the Postal Service has on file.
• Finish any repairs you agreed to in the contract, and keep the receipts. The buyer's agent will usually ask for them.

1 week before closing

• Confirm your closing time and place with the title company, and ask whether you can sign early if you won't be in town.
• Ask the title company how you'll get your money: a wire or a check. If it's a wire, give them your bank details in person or over a phone number you already trust.
• Watch out for wire fraud. Scammers send fake emails that look like they're from title companies with "updated" wiring instructions. If you ever get an email changing where money goes, stop and verify with the title company using a number you already know is real, not one from the email.
• Update your address with your bank, credit cards, employer, insurance, and subscriptions.
• Keep your homeowners insurance active. Don't cancel it until after closing and after the buyer takes possession. Something can still happen to the house before then, and it's still yours until the deed records.

3 days before closing

• Finish packing and get everything out that isn't staying. Most contracts expect the house to be empty and broom-clean at the final walkthrough.
• Clean out the garage, the attic, the crawlspace, and the shed. Those are where leftover stuff hides.
• Don't forget paint cans and chemicals. Movers usually won't take them.
• Leave the good stuff for the buyer in one spot, usually a kitchen drawer: every key, garage door remotes, mailbox keys, gate codes, appliance manuals, warranty papers, and leftover paint labeled by room.
• Reset or transfer anything smart: thermostats, doorbells, cameras, locks, and garage openers. Log yourself out and remove them from your apps.

Closing day

• Bring a valid photo ID. Every person on the deed needs to sign, so make sure everyone can be there or has arranged to sign ahead of time.
• Bring any keys and remotes you haven't left at the house, unless we've agreed on another handoff.
• Read the settlement statement before you sign. Your agent should walk you through every line of it.
• Take a final look at the house, then hand off the keys. That's it. You sold a house.

After closing

• Update your Kentucky driver's license address. Kentucky says you have to do it within 10 days of moving. You can start at drive.ky.gov.
• Update your voter registration and your vehicle registration with your county clerk.
• Cancel the old homeowners insurance once the buyer has the house, and ask about any refund for the unused part of the policy.
• Keep your closing papers. You'll want the settlement statement when you do your taxes. Here's a quick read on who pays taxes when you sell a house in Kentucky.
• Watch for a final escrow refund from your old mortgage company. If they were holding money for taxes and insurance, the leftover usually comes back to you a few weeks after the loan is paid off.

Not under contract yet?

If you're still thinking about selling, start with the numbers. Find out what the house is worth, what it'll cost to sell, and what you'll actually walk away with.

• Get a free home value estimate
• See what you'd walk away with after selling
• Estimate your Kentucky closing costs
• Get pre-approved for your next home

Got a question about your move? Text or email me. That's what I'm here for.

Seller moving checklist FAQ

When should I turn off utilities when selling my house?

Schedule them to stop the day after closing, not before. The buyer does a final walkthrough right before closing and needs the power, water, and heat or air on to check that everything works.

Should I cancel my homeowners insurance before closing?

No. Keep it active until after closing and after the buyer takes possession. The house is still yours until the sale is complete, and you want it covered if something happens.

Does the house have to be empty at closing?

Usually, yes. Most purchase contracts expect the home to be empty of your belongings and broom-clean by the final walkthrough, unless you've agreed in writing to leave certain items.

How long do I have to change my address on my Kentucky driver's license?

Kentucky requires you to update the address on your license within 10 days of moving. Update your address with the Postal Service first so your new card is mailed to the right place.

How do I get my money when I sell my house?

The title company pays you at closing, usually by wire transfer or check. Always confirm wiring instructions directly with the title company using a phone number you already trust, never one from an email, because wire fraud is common around closings.