Home selling checklist: 90 days out to closing day

Selling a home goes smoother when the work is spread out instead of crammed into the week before the sign goes up. This checklist runs from roughly 90 days before listing through closing day. Your timeline may be shorter or longer, and that's fine. The order matters more than the exact dates.

It's written for Arizona sellers who use the standard Arizona REALTORS® (AAR) resale purchase contract, which is the form most residential resales in the state use. Contract deadlines in that form are counted in calendar days, not business days. Your contract terms control, so always check the version you actually sign.

Teigh Wade, REALTOR® with HomeSmart Elite Group, HomeSmart, walks her listing clients through each of these steps. If you'd like a price opinion before you start spending money on the house, ask for a comparative market analysis (CMA) at what's my home worth. Values vary by home and by market, so a CMA is based on your home, not an average.

The first month is about finding problems before a buyer's inspector does.

• Walk the house with fresh eyes. Look for dripping faucets, running toilets, cracked tile, loose door hardware, stained ceilings, dead outlets and burned-out bulbs. Small items add up on an inspection report.
• Service the big systems. Have the air conditioning serviced and replace filters. In the desert, the HVAC system gets hard use, and buyers notice. If you have a pool, have the equipment checked.
• Look at the roof and the exterior. Check for cracked or slipped tiles, worn underlayment, peeling stucco paint, gaps around windows and damaged screens.
• Consider a pre-listing inspection. Some sellers hire their own inspector so they can fix items on their schedule or price the home with known issues in mind. Teigh can refer inspectors from her network.
• Track down permits. If you added a patio cover, a room addition, a pool or solar, find the permit and final inspection records. The seller's disclosure form asks about work done without permits, so it's better to know now.
• Decide what to fix and what to disclose. Not every item needs a repair. Some are better handled by disclosure or price. Talk through the trade-offs before you hire anyone.

Buyers need to picture their own things in the space. Decluttering is the cheapest way to help them do that.

1. Pack early. You're moving anyway. Box up off-season clothes, books, collections and extra kitchen gear now, and store them in the garage neatly or off-site.
2. Clear surfaces. Kitchen counters, bathroom vanities and nightstands should look almost empty. Keep a few simple items.
3. Depersonalize. Put away personal photos, personalized decor and anything with names on it. Buyers should focus on the house.
4. Edit the furniture. Removing one or two pieces from a room often makes it feel larger and shows the floor plan.
5. Deep clean. Clean grout, baseboards, ceiling fans, window tracks and inside cabinets. Desert dust settles everywhere, so plan to dust again right before photos.
6. Neutralize where it helps. Bold paint colors and heavily themed rooms can distract. Fresh, neutral paint is a common pre-listing project.

Teigh offers staging help for her listing clients, from a room-by-room plan to hands-on styling with your own furniture, and full staging for vacant homes. See home staging for how it works.

The front of the house is the first photo online and the first thing buyers see at a showing. Desert landscaping has its own to-do list.

• Refresh the rock. Rake decomposed granite or gravel smooth, fill in thin spots and pull weeds. Pre-emergent treatment can help keep new weeds down.
• Prune and shape. Trim shrubs away from the house and walkways, remove dead branches and cut back plants that hide windows or the front door.
• Check the irrigation. Run the drip system and look for broken emitters, leaks and dry plants. Set the timer for the season.
• Wash off the dust. Rinse stucco, windows, light fixtures and the garage door. A dusty exterior reads as neglected.
• Freshen the entry. Paint or refinish a sun-faded front door, replace worn house numbers, add a clean doormat and a couple of potted plants that handle the heat.
• Fix exterior lighting. Many buyers drive by in the evening, especially in summer. Make sure porch and landscape lights work.
• Check HOA rules. If you're in an HOA, some exterior changes, such as paint colors or landscaping, may need approval. Ask before you start.

Having paperwork ready keeps the transaction moving once you have an accepted offer. Start a folder, digital or paper, with these items:

• HOA information. The association name, management company contact, current dues, rules, and any pending violations or special assessments. Under Arizona law, after an offer is accepted, an association with 50 or more units delivers a resale disclosure package within ten days of notice of the sale; in smaller associations, the seller is responsible for providing it.
• Solar paperwork. Know whether your system is owned outright, financed or leased. Find the contract, the company's contact information and any transfer requirements. A leased or financed system usually has to be transferred to the buyer, and Arizona REALTORS® warns that transfers can take significant time, so the process should start right after contract acceptance.
• Warranties and manuals. Roof, HVAC, water heater, pool equipment and appliance warranties, plus any home warranty plan you have.
• Permits and receipts. Permits, final inspections and receipts for major work such as a roof replacement or AC system.
• Utility information. Your electric provider (APS or SRP, depending on address), water provider, trash, gas if any, and average bills. Buyers often ask.
• Loan and title details. Your mortgage lender and loan number for the payoff, and any second loans or liens.

You'll also complete the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS). Under the AAR contract, the seller delivers a completed SPDS within three days after contract acceptance, and a five-year insurance claims history (or the period you've owned the home, if shorter) within five days. Many sellers fill out the SPDS before listing so nothing is rushed. Answer honestly and completely; if you're unsure how to answer something, talk to an attorney.

Once the house is ready, the listing goes live with professional photos and a description. Then the showings start.

• Prep for photos. Open blinds, turn on every light, hide cords, put away trash cans and pet items, and park cars out of the driveway.
• Set a showing routine. Make beds, wipe counters, empty the dishwasher and take out trash each morning. A ten-minute reset makes last-minute showing requests easy to say yes to.
• Keep the AC comfortable. In hot months, a warm house is the first thing buyers remember. Keep the thermostat at a comfortable setting during showing hours.
• Plan for pets. Take pets with you or crate them, and note it in showing instructions.
• Secure valuables. Lock up jewelry, prescriptions, keys and important papers.
• Leave during showings. Buyers talk more openly and stay longer when the seller isn't home.

Teigh handles marketing, schedules showings and gathers feedback, then reviews offers with you, including price, earnest money, financing, timelines and requested credits.

After you accept an offer, the buyer's due-diligence clock starts.

The inspection period

Under the AAR resale contract, the buyer's inspection period is ten days after contract acceptance unless the parties write in a different number. During that time the buyer may order a home inspection, a termite inspection, a roof or pool inspection, and research insurance, flood zone and other items. Your job is to give reasonable access and keep all utilities on.

The BINSR

Before the inspection period ends, the buyer delivers the Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response (BINSR). On it, the buyer either accepts the property, cancels, or lists items they disapprove of and gives you the chance to correct them. You then have five days to respond. You can agree to fix items, refuse, or propose something different, such as a credit, in writing. If you don't respond in time, you're treated as having refused. If you don't agree to everything, the buyer has five days to cancel or move forward.

Repairs after the BINSR

If you agree to repairs, use licensed or bonded contractors where required, keep receipts, and provide them to the buyer. The contract asks sellers to deliver proof of agreed repairs at least three days before close of escrow. The appraisal, if the buyer is financing, usually happens during this stretch too.

• Book movers or a truck early. Month-end dates fill up. In summer, schedule loading for early morning to avoid the worst heat.
• Confirm your closing date and possession. Under the standard contract, the buyer gets possession and keys at close of escrow unless you've agreed otherwise in writing. Plan to be fully moved out by then.
• Change your address. Update the postal service, banks, insurance, subscriptions and your employer.
• Gather everything that stays. Garage door openers, mailbox keys, pool and HOA amenity keys or fobs, appliance manuals and warranty documents.
• Leave it clean. Plan a final cleaning after the movers leave. The buyer's final walkthrough checks that the home is in substantially the same condition as when the contract was accepted.

The contract requires the seller to keep utilities on through close of escrow, so the buyer can do the walkthrough with lights, water and AC working. Don't shut anything off early.

1. Call your electric provider (APS or SRP) and schedule service to stop the day after closing.
2. Call your water, sewer and trash provider. In the West Valley this may be a city or a private company, depending on the address.
3. Schedule gas, internet and security services to end or transfer.
4. Cancel pool, landscape and pest services, or ask the buyer if they'd like the contact.
5. Keep your homeowner's insurance until the sale records. Ask your agent about timing.

In Arizona, closing is handled by a title and escrow company acting as a neutral third party. You'll sign your closing documents, including the deed, with the escrow officer or a mobile notary, usually a few days before the scheduled closing. Your existing loan is paid off from the sale proceeds.

Close of escrow happens when the deed is recorded with the county recorder. After recording, the buyer gets possession and keys under the standard contract, and escrow releases your proceeds. Always confirm wiring instructions by phone with your escrow officer at a known number before money moves. Ask a tax professional about any tax questions from the sale.

Ready to start your list? Call or text Teigh at 480-550-2871, or read more about selling your home with Teigh.