Colorado Closing-Week Moving Checklist for Buyers and Sellers

In Colorado, possession transfers at the date and time written in the Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate, and for most Front Range closings that is the moment the deed is delivered at closing. So the moving checklist runs backward from that hour: walk-through the day before or the morning of closing, utilities switched to start that day, movers booked for that afternoon, and the seller's truck gone before the closing table.

This checklist covers both sides of a Colorado closing in order: 30 days out, closing week, closing day, and the 90 days after. It names the utilities, the HOA rules, the DMV deadlines and the contract terms that trip up buyers and sellers in Denver, Aurora, Littleton, Centennial, Highlands Ranch and Colorado Springs.

30 days before closing

• Book the movers: Front Range movers fill weekends and month-ends 3 to 4 weeks out from April through September. A local move of a 3-bedroom home runs $1,200 to $3,000 in the Denver metro; a long-distance move into Colorado runs $4,000 to $12,000. Rent boxes or get free moving boxes from liquor stores, grocery stores and neighborhood groups.
• Read the contract's possession line: the Colorado contract has a Possession Date and a Possession Time, and a per-day charge the seller owes if possession is late. Confirm both with your agent so the movers match.
• Sellers: order the HOA status letter: the title company requests it, the HOA charges $150 to $400 for it, and it takes 5 to 10 business days. It lists dues owed, violations and transfer fees.
• Buyers: lock the rate and clear conditions: the lender's final conditions list arrives 10 to 14 days before closing. The what happens after your offer is accepted page walks the whole timeline.
• Declutter and pack the storage rooms first: basement, garage, closets. Label every box with the room in the new house.

Closing week

The final walk-through in Colorado

The Colorado contract gives the buyer the right to walk the property before closing to confirm it is in the condition the contract requires and that inspection repairs are done. Walk it within 24 hours of closing, after the seller has moved out. Check:

• Inclusions: the contract's inclusions list (appliances, window coverings, TV mounts, the shed) is what stays. Anything missing gets settled at the closing table, not after.
• Repairs from the inspection resolution: receipts and a look at the work. A sewer line repair or a radon mitigation install needs the invoice and the test result.
• Systems on: run the furnace and the AC, every faucet, the disposal, the garage door. In winter, confirm the sprinkler system was blown out; a Front Range freeze cracks an un-winterized backflow preventer.
• Damage from the move-out: gouged walls, a cracked window, a torn screen. Photograph everything.
• Trash and belongings: the seller leaves the house "broom clean" with personal property removed, unless the contract says otherwise.

Possession at closing and the seller lease-back

Most Colorado contracts set possession at closing, "upon delivery of deed." When the seller needs days after closing, the parties sign a post-closing occupancy agreement: the seller pays a daily rate ($100 to $200 is common on the Front Range), posts a deposit held by the title company, and carries insurance until the move-out date. Lenders limit lease-backs to 60 days on an owner-occupied loan. If you are selling and buying the same day, the standard south-metro sequence is: sell at 9 a.m., buy at 1 p.m., movers load in the morning and unload after the second closing. Our sell first or buy first post covers the alternatives, including bridge loans.

Utility transfers, by provider

The Denver utility providers and costs guide lists what each bill runs per month.

HOA move rules in Denver condos and townhomes

• Elevator and loading dock reservations: downtown and Cherry Creek high-rises book move windows of 2 to 4 hours, weekdays only in some buildings, with a refundable deposit of $250 to $1,000.
• Move-in and move-out fees: $100 to $500, non-refundable, charged at the status letter or at the front desk.
• Truck parking: street moves in Denver need a temporary no-parking permit from the city for the truck; the mover pulls it.
• Working capital contribution: many Front Range HOAs charge the buyer 1 to 3 months of dues at closing as a one-time reserve contribution. It shows on the settlement statement. The Denver HOA rules and fees guide explains each fee.

Mail, DMV and the 90 days after

1. USPS change of address: file it online the week before closing, effective closing day. Forwarding runs 12 months for first-class mail.
2. Colorado driver license: new residents have 30 days after establishing residency to get a Colorado license at a DMV office; bring proof of identity, Social Security number and two proofs of the Colorado address.
3. Vehicle registration: 90 days to register the car in Colorado. It needs a VIN verification, an emissions test in the Denver metro and Front Range counties, and proof of Colorado insurance. The car registration post covers the ownership tax that surprises out-of-state buyers.
4. Voter registration: update it at the DMV visit or online with the Colorado Secretary of State.
5. Property tax mailing address: the county assessor mails to the address on the deed; check the assessor's site 30 days after closing to confirm the mailing address and the owner name recorded correctly.
6. Homestead exemption: if you are 65 or older and owned and lived in a Colorado home for 10 years, apply for the senior property tax exemption with the county assessor by July 15.
7. Insurance and warranty: homeowner's policy effective closing day, and register the seller's transferable warranties (roof, windows, furnace) in your name.

Everything else on a Colorado move, from driver license to the dog license, is on the Front Range relocation checklist. For the move itself, a full-service mover such as Team Removals handles the packing and the heavy lifting; you are free to use any provider, and the long-distance movers ranked for Colorado post compares the carriers that run into Denver.

Mistakes that cost Colorado buyers and sellers money

• Movers booked for the closing hour: a delayed wire pushes closing 2 to 4 hours; book the truck for the afternoon.
• Utilities stopped the day before closing: the walk-through has no water, and the furnace is off in January.
• Wire instructions from an email: wire fraud hits Colorado closings every month. Confirm by phone at a number from the title company's website.
• Sprinklers left charged in October: a hard freeze on the Front Range comes in mid-October most years.
• Forgetting the garage remote and the mailbox key: both are in the contract's inclusions.

Where to go next

• Escrow: what happens after your offer is accepted
• Colorado Front Range relocation checklist
• Closing costs for Colorado home buyers
• What is needed to close on a house in Colorado
• The 10 most common mistakes people make when moving to Colorado
• Kenna Real Estate Group agents

Talk to the Kenna Real Estate Group

The Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC runs the closing-week calendar for every client, from the walk-through to the possession time to the utility start dates, and coordinates same-day sell-and-buy closings across the Front Range. Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree. Or search every home for sale in Colorado to line up the next address.