Completion Day Checklist
Hand over cleanly and close every account behind you.
Free, no sign-up. 6 sections, 33 checks. Edit it to fit your own transaction.
Completion day is short and the loose ends are long. Utility accounts left open, a meter reading nobody took, or a set of keys nobody accounted for all turn into correspondence weeks later, usually with someone who is no longer inclined to be helpful.
Most of it can be done in the week beforehand, which leaves the day itself for handing over keys and confirming that the money arrived.
The week before
- Confirm the completion date and time with your lawyer
- Confirm where the sale proceeds will be sent and check the account details by phone
- Book removals and confirm access arrangements at both ends
- Arrange mail redirection from the completion date
- Notify utilities, telecoms, insurers and any subscriptions of the move date
- Tell the property tax or municipal authority and any residents association
Documents to leave for the buyer
- Manuals and warranties for heating, appliances and any installed equipment
- Service records and safety certificates
- Approvals and certificates for any work carried out
- Alarm codes, entry codes and instructions for gates or entry systems
- Bin collection days and recycling arrangements
- A note of the suppliers currently serving the property
Preparing the property
- Remove everything not included in the sale, including loft, shed and garage
- Take away all rubbish and garden waste rather than leaving it bagged
- Clean to the standard agreed
- Leave included items in place and working
- Turn off what should be off and leave heating or water as agreed
- Photograph each room once emptied
Meters and readings
- Photograph every meter with the reading and serial number visible
- Record the date and time of each reading
- Submit final readings to each supplier
- Close accounts and provide a forwarding address for final bills
- Cancel any direct debits only after the final bills are settled
Keys and access
- Gather every key: doors, windows, garage, outbuildings, meter cupboards, communal entrances
- Include remotes, fobs and any spare sets held by family or a previous agent
- Label each set clearly
- Deliver to the agent or lawyer as instructed, not to the buyer directly unless agreed
- Confirm keys have been released only once your lawyer confirms funds received
After completion
- Confirm with your lawyer that funds have arrived and the mortgage has been redeemed
- Obtain the redemption statement showing the loan closed
- Cancel buildings insurance from the completion date, not before
- Keep the completion statement and all invoices for tax purposes
- Update your address with banks, employers, licensing and medical registrations
Do not release keys before funds arrive
Keys go when your lawyer confirms the money is received, not when the buyer arrives. Handing them over early is common, well-intentioned, and occasionally very expensive when a transfer fails on the day.
Photograph the meters, every time
Meter disputes after a move are common and tedious, and they are entirely prevented by one dated photograph per meter showing the reading and the serial number. Send them to the supplier the same day.
Cancel insurance after, not before
Your buildings insurance should run until completion, because until then the property is still your risk. Cancelling the day before to save a premium leaves an uninsured gap on the day most likely to involve removals damage.
Common questions
When exactly does the property stop being mine?
On completion, when funds are received and the transfer takes effect — not when contracts are signed or exchanged. The gap between those two moments is precisely why insurance should stay in force until completion.
What should I leave for the buyer?
Manuals, warranties, certificates, alarm codes, supplier details and bin days. It costs nothing, prevents a fortnight of messages after the move, and buyers consistently remember it.
Who pays the utilities on completion day?
Conventionally the seller up to the reading taken on the day and the buyer thereafter. That convention only works if the readings are actually taken and submitted, which is why the photographs matter.
Related templates
Disclosure, agency terms, negotiation and handover.
Turn a calculation into an enquiry
Buyers who run these numbers are ready to talk. Give every listing its own page with your photo, phone and WhatsApp on it — leads land straight on your phone.
Create your free property page