Your Pre-Closing Checklist: What to Confirm Before You Get the Keys
AtoZ Title & Settlement | atoztitle.com | 888-615-2869
The week before closing is exciting. It can also be the week things go sideways.
Between signing the contract and sitting down at the closing table, there is a window where small oversights, missed details, or rushed decisions can turn into real problems. Some of them show up on closing day. Others show up months later.
This checklist is designed to help you close with confidence, knowing you have covered what matters.
The Pre-Closing Checklist
1. Confirm the title search has been completed
Your title company should have completed a full search of the property’s public records before closing day. This search traces ownership history and looks for anything that could affect your right to own the property.
2. Review your Closing Disclosure carefully
Your lender is required to send you this document at least three business days before closing. It outlines your final loan terms, interest rate, monthly payment, all fees, and the exact amount of cash you need to bring to the table.
Go through it line by line. Compare it to your original Loan Estimate. If anything has changed or does not make sense, raise it with your lender and title company before closing day.
3. Verify your wire instructions by phone
Before you wire any money, call the title company directly using a phone number you have independently verified (from their website or Qualia, not from a regular email). Confirm the routing number, account number, and exact amount by phone.
Wire fraud is real and it is targeted specifically at real estate transactions. A two-minute phone call is the most effective protection you have.
At AtoZ, wire instructions come through our secure Qualia portal only. We never send them by email, and we always encourage buyers to call us before transferring funds.
4. Secure your owner’s title insurance
Make sure you understand whether you are getting an owner’s title insurance policy and what it covers. This policy protects your ownership rights against claims that arise from issues before you bought the property, things that may not have shown up in the title search.
It is not the same as the lender’s policy, which only protects the bank. Your coverage protects you.
5. Do your final walk-through
This is your last chance to confirm the property is in the condition agreed upon in the contract. Look for:
- Repairs the seller agreed to make
- Items that were supposed to convey with the property (appliances, fixtures, etc.)
- Any new damage that was not there when you made your offer
- That systems like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical are functioning
If something is off, note it before you close. Your leverage disappears once you sign.
6. Confirm all contingencies are resolved
Any inspection contingencies, financing contingencies, or seller-agreed repairs should be fully resolved and documented before you come to the table. Do not assume something was handled. Ask for written confirmation.
7. Make sure your funds and documents are ready
Know exactly how much you need to bring, in what form the title company accepts it, and whether any additional documents are required from your side. Showing up to closing without a required item causes delays that affect everyone.
What Can Go Wrong If You Skip These Steps
Most closings go smoothly. But when they do not, it usually traces back to one of the items above.
- A lien that was not caught can become your legal responsibility after closing
- A wire fraud mistake can mean losing your down payment with no way to recover it
- A missed error on the Closing Disclosure can change your monthly payment
- Unfinished repairs become your problem the day you take ownership
- A title defect can threaten your ability to sell the property in the future
None of these are meant to scare you. They are meant to make the case that this checklist is worth your time.
How AtoZ Walks You Through It
At AtoZ Title & Settlement, we do not hand you a stack of papers at the closing table and wish you luck. We start working on your file the moment we receive the contract, and we stay with you through every step until the deed is recorded.
That means early title work, secure wire instructions through our Qualia portal, and one dedicated processor who knows your transaction and is available to answer your questions.
We serve buyers and sellers across Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, and Florida. And we built our process around one goal: making sure you close with no surprises.
Have questions before your closing? Call us at 888-615-2869
