Handing the Keys Over – Not as Simple as it Seems!
The final step when you sell your house is to pass along the keys to the new owner. Sounds simple enough, but it’s amazing what comes up! Here are a few true stories.
Most recently, a seller is selling a second home in Plymouth, MA, on White Horse Beach. The owner lived in South Carolina. The only key to the house was for the front door.
Easy breezy, right? Wrong! The day we were scheduled to close, the buyers did their final walk-through before heading to the office for the closing. When they entered the house, they found the hallway closet door locked. Nobody ever noticed this door had a keyed lock because it was always left unlocked. But when the seller’s son cleaned out the house, he accidentally locked the closet.
The buyers refused to close on the house because they wanted to see that the closet was empty. So, on the day of closing, we ran to the hardware store to buy the tools to remove the closet door from the hinges! Thankfully, the closet was empty.
Not the Only Time!
Not long ago, a house was due to close in The Pinehills, Plymouth, MA. The seller left the key to the front door, which was the only key to get inside. On the day of closing, the buyer asked, “How do I get into the mailroom and community center?” They would need a key for the mailroom and a key card for the community center. Thankfully, this buyer accepted an overnight delivery of the keys from the out-of-town seller. But it sure could have been another situation where the buyer wouldn’t close without all the keys.
And Another One to Think About
Our buyer bought a Plymouth, MA waterfront condo. They did not receive the storage unit key and mailbox key because the seller never considered anything beyond providing the front door key.
So, if you are in the process or thinking about selling your house, think beyond the front door. Walk around the house to see which doors have keys and label them now. Do you have garage door openers to pass along? Plus, many front doors have codes instead of a key. Provide the buyer with the information about how to change the code once they take possession.