A BUYER'S CHECKLIST PRIOR TO CLOSING

    Buying a home, whether it is your first or one of many, is an exciting and stressful experience. After you have already hired an experienced real estate attorney, taken care of all necessary inspections and received your commitment, your broker/agent should present you with a checklist like the following to prepare you for a comfortable transition of the property at the closing.

FUEL: Call the seller's fuel company or the company of your choice and advise them that all invoices should be sent to you after the closing date. At the closing the seller will provide a letter from the fuel company (if it is oil) with the amount of gallons remaining in the tank for which you will reimburse them.

WATER: Advise the water department that you are the new owner at the home's address so that future bills will be sent to you for payment.

ELECTRIC: Notify the electric supplier of your choice of your closing date and arrange for electricity to be turned on before you move in.

TELEPHONE: Call the telephone company of your choice to arrange to have service installed after you close. If you switch from the previous carrier, working service can sometimes take weeks to arrange, so explore the time your carrier will need to turn on service.

CABLE: Contact the cable provider and arrange for service installation after the closing.

POST OFFICE: Make sure your present post office is aware of your new mailing address and the effective date of the move, so that letters can be forwarded to your new home. Send out change of address cards as soon as you have a chance - it will make life much easier.

OTHER SERVICES: Ask the current homeowner for the names and telephone numbers of service people including the gardener, snow plow, pool, security, etc. and arrange for service that you deem necessary.

FINAL WALK THROUGH: Arrange with your Realtor to do a final walk-through of your new home within 72 hours prior to closing. Remember to check appliances and utilities along with your visual inspection.

REMEMBER: All monies brought to the closing should be in the form of bank checks or certified checks.

Mr. William B. Holmes, President
Holmes & Kennedy Real Estate
Office in Chappaqua, Armonk & Pleasantville
Phone: (914) 238-3988
www.holmesandkennedy.com