First thing to do is READ THIS LIST COMPLETELY!!!

Get in touch with your LAWYER ABOUT ONE TO TWO WEEKS AFTER the conditions on your offer have been met (unless it's a quick closing, then call right away) to be sure they have received all of the necessary documents and your information.

Let your lawyer know the DETAILS surrounding your mortgage.

CALL YOUR LAWYER 2 weeks prior to closing to make an appointment to meet one to three days prior to closing to review and sign all closing documents. Bring in at least one key to your property for this appointment. Leave the keys to the shed, gates, mailbox, pool, etc. and any spare keys in the property for the day of closing. WE WILL send you a reminder list of items to leave at the property about 2 weeks prior to closing. EMAIL US THE DATE AND TIME OF YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR LAWYER.

CLOSING PAPERS: You may not receive a copy of all the papers you signed at your lawyers, including your mortgage documents, for 3 to 6 months after closing. If you have not received them by then call your lawyer.

Notify your INSURANCE company to cancel your property insurance and arrange to insure your new property. Property Insurance must be in place 3 WEEKS BEFORE closing! Have your insurance agent fax or email a "Commitment Letter" to your lawyer AT LEAST 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO CLOSING. 

P.S. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY to view your new property after you've moved in to be sure it is covered properly as they will only take information on the phone from you for now. It is important they come out as soon as possible in order to protect your investment. And have your insurance company KEEP YOUR PRESENT PROPERTY INSURED FOR A DAY OR TWO after you are supposed to close in case the closing is postponed.

How are you moving? Have you made arrangements with a MOVER, or friends to help you? Remember you MAY NOT GET YOUR KEY to your new property until as late as 4 p.m. on the day of closing, although normally it is between 2 and 4 p.m.

Prepare a list of friends and relatives, your doctor and dentist, magazine subscriptions as well as companies you have done business with and obtain "CHANGE OF ADDRESS" cards from the Post Office and mail to all addresses on your list. Notify your friends etc., on your Change of Address cards of your new phone number if applicable.

Arrange with CANADA POST to forward mail to your new address. (Go to Postal Outlet to fill out "Change of Address" form). Cost varies. Or you can go to www.canadapost.ca and click on change my address and you can do it online.

Leave your postal box keys in the property for your new buyer and leave a note indicating location of the mail box.

Leave any keys or combinations to locks you may have for gates or sheds. 

Collect all your manuals, warranties and receipts for all appliances you are leaving, furnace, air, central vacuum etc and leave them on the kitchen counter for the new buyers along with any instructions that will help settle them into their new home easier. They will really appreciate this gesture.

Notify your TELEPHONE Service to cancel and reconnect at new property:

• To cancel your Bell Mobility service after it’s been activated, call 1-800-667-0123.
• To cancel your Bell Home phone service after it’s been activated, call 1 866 310-BELL (310-2355).
• To cancel your Digital Voice service after it’s been activated, call 1-877-864-7435.
• To cancel your Bell Internet service after it’s been activated, call 310-SURF (7873).
• To cancel your Bell Satellite TV service, call 1-888 SKY DISH (759-3474).

Contact your CABLE (Rogers 1-888-764-3771) to disconnect and reconnect to your new property on the day of closing. (Rogers requires 30 days notice to terminate a service without a cost.  If less than 30 days a major fee is applied) 

Notify your OIL or GAS Company (Enbridge 1-888-774-3111) between 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday and HYDRO ( London Hydro 519-661-5503, St Thomas Energy 519-631-5550)  between  8:30 and 4:30, Monday to Friday, that you are moving. They will disconnect your services, transfer the bills to your new property and turn on your new services. Not all lawyers will do this for you. 

If you rent your WATER HEATER, arrange to have the rental agreement transferred to the new purchaser if they agreed to it in their offer to purchase. (About 99% do.) Call RELIANCE HOME COMFORT (1-866-735-4262), if gas or LONDON HYDRO (519-661-5503) or ST THOMAS ENERGY HYDRO (519-631-5550). Reliance charges a $35 administration fee on teh 1st months bill.

Do you have a PAPERBOY? (London Free Press 519-679-1111)? They should be notified that you are moving. Also arrange for delivery to new address.

Is it necessary to arrange to transfer your BANK ACCOUNTS and securities? Call to change your address.

Cancel PRE-AUTHORIZED CHEQUES for contracted services if you are changing banks or moving out of town.

CITY TAXES: If you are paying monthly by postdated cheques or automatic withdrawal, contact the city of London Tax Office (519-661-4540) or for St Thomas go to https://www.stthomas.ca/living_here/property_tax to advise them not to take any further payments after the last one before closing. The lawyer will arrange for any financial adjustments from the buyers to you, if necessary.

The address on your DRIVER'S LICENSE must be changed within 6 days after you have moved if you sold your principal residence.

Don't forget to change your HEALTH CARD 1-866-532-3161. They will give you the address where you mail the information they need or go to www.gov.on.ca/health.

You can call 1-800-277-9914 for Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan and 1-866-522-2122 for Veterans Pension to change your address.

After you have cleaned the property and emptied it of everything that was not negotiated to remain with the property, and agreed to in your offer (that means do not leave anything that has not been agreed to in writing or you have asked me to ask buyers if they want you to leave and they have said no), go ahead and close up the home. Go through and shut off all the lights, pull the curtains closed, unplug anything that is plugged in and lock the windows and doors.

Your Buyers may have included in their offer a FINAL WALK THROUGH INSPECTION of your property. If so, they will be accompanied by their Agent for this visit. This inspection should take 15 to 30 minutes and is usually done 1 to 3 days prior to closing. This inspection is to ensure that the property is in the same condition as when they purchased it. Our seller coordinator will call you to set this up.

Legally, the new buyers are entitled to take POSSESSION OF THE PROPERTY at 6:00 pm on the date of closing at the very latest! In most cases, property owners are out and the property has been cleaned by 2:00 pm. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL THROUGH OUR OFFICE AT 519-471-8888, SO WE CAN BE SURE YOUR CLOSING IS AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE.

P.S. This information is as of December 2018. If you find any information missing or out of date, call or email us.