Market & Moments: Closing Day Chaos

Welcome to Market & Moments, where real estate broker Susan Kadilak shares market updates and lessons learned from more than two decades in the business.

If you’ve ever bought or sold a home, you know that closing day feels like the end of a long journey. The finish line is finally in sight, the paperwork is ready, and the moving truck is on standby. But before the keys change hands, there’s one last important step: the final walk-through.

The point of the final walk through is for buyers to get one last look to make sure the home is in the same condition it was when they went under contract, and to confirm that any agreed upon repairs have been made. It’s usually quick and honestly pretty boring. Often, buyers will ask me why we even bothered to do one, and when I hear that I know it went well! But sometimes, things don’t go as planned. Let me tell you about one of those times.

I met my client on closing morning, both of us excited to take one last look before heading to sign papers. The house looked great from the outside… then we walked in the front door.

Instead of the empty space we expected, we spotted leftover belongings in every corner: art on the walls, random furniture here and there, old ladders and shelving units in the garage, an overflowing crawlspace, and we even found a pile of “gifts” from the seller under the deck.

What should have been a quick walk-through turned into a mini crisis. My client looked at me wondering what to do. Were they really expected to deal with getting rid of all this leftover junk on the day they were supposed to be celebrating moving into their new home?

The answer was no. Buyers are entitled to receive the property in “broom clean” condition and free of the seller’s personal belongings. Old paint cans, tools, and used toys aren’t helpful extras... they’re just trash.

With closing just hours away, the seller had to scramble, racing against the clock to haul away everything that should have been gone days earlier or risk the closing being postponed.

This unfortunately isn’t an uncommon scenario. Many sellers think they’re doing the buyer a favor by leaving behind “useful” items, but it’s never safe to assume. It’s always best to ask and put it in writing: if the buyer wants the tools, ladders, or extra flooring, then it becomes part of the agreement. Otherwise, the rule is simple: if it’s not attached to the house, it should be removed before closing.

In the end, the seller hustled, the stuff was cleared, and the deal closed. But it was stressful for everyone involved and could have been avoided with clearer communication.

Lessons Learned:

• For Buyers: Don’t skip your final walk through. If you see something left behind that wasn’t agreed to, this is your chance to have it taken care of before closing.
• For Sellers: Resist the urge to leave “helpful” items unless the buyer specifically agrees to them. What feels useful to you may feel like a burden to someone else.