What Do You Do With the Utilities When Selling Your Home?

Homeowners looking to put their home on the market are not going to immediately run and turn off their utilities when they list the property. Sellers generally need electric, gas and heat up until the day they move out.

Have you ever thought about what happens to your utilities when you sell a home? In the interest of saving money, you probably want to turn those utilities off. Unfortunately, that isn't really how the world works. Just because you stop living in a home, it does not mean you can stop paying the utilities for it.

Why Turning Off Utilities Could Be Bad

The problem with ceasing to pay utilities is the fact that it can cause damage to the home. Think about any appliances in the home. You also have to think about the weather outside. If the home gets to hot or too cold, it can cause damage to the floors and the walls. Turning off the utilities because you do not want to pay the bill could end up costing you more money than just paying the bill would have.

You have to think about the people who are coming to look at the home. They want to see what the home is going to look like when they buy it. This is going to be hard for them to do if you do not have any working lights.

There is also a strong possibility that you are violating rules of being a seller just by turning those utilities off. You do not have to pay for cable and Internet inside of the home, of course. But, you do need to keep the lights on and keep the home comfortable.

It is important to keep in mind that you do not have to keep the air and the heat running all the time. Just set the thermostat to be a little higher or colder (depending on the season) than what you would consider comfortable. The point is to protect the home, not to keep a person comfortable.

Seller Responsibilities

Sellers moving when a home is on the market will want to keep utilities on. This makes it easier for an agent to show a home, as light, heat and air conditioning can be used by the agent to ensure the comfort of prospective buyers.

When in the last stages of getting ready to move out, it is important that a seller performs a few last tasks to get the property ready for the buyer. In addition to gathering up documents and cleaning the house, it is necessary for the owner to cancel all utilities. In certain instances a seller may get a refund as they may pay some utilities on a quarterly basis or in advance. Some homeowners will want to transfer a remaining balance to a new home.

Tip for Sellers

With so much to do at the final stage of the selling process, homeowners benefit from having a list of all phone numbers for their utility companies. Compiling a list in advance can make any contact with utility companies faster for a homeowner, as they do not have to rummage through paperwork or look online for the numbers they need.

Closing on Your Home

After canceling the utilities and any subscriptions, homeowners will also want to shut off valves. Ensure that valves to water sources are completely turned off, including toilets, sinks and dishwasher. Speak with an agent about changing the timeline when closing on a home in a situation where unexpected delays arise by the seller or buyer. This may change when a seller has to perform certain tasks to avoid incurring additional expenses.