Selling Your Florida Home? The Move-Out Checklist: What Stays, Utilities, Keys and Closing Day (2026)

You have an accepted offer, a closing date and a house full of things. Now come the questions nobody covers at the listing appointment: what has to stay with the house, when to shut off the power and water, what to do about insurance and your homestead exemption, and what “broom clean” actually means in Florida. This checklist answers each one using the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract that most residential sales in the state are written on, plus our own data on when Florida closings cluster.

The short version: under the standard Florida contract, built-in appliances, ceiling fans, light fixtures, window treatments, garage door openers, access devices and storm protection items generally stay unless your contract excludes them. Keep every utility on through closing, because the buyer is entitled to a walk-through and the home has to be in the same condition it was in when the contract was signed. At closing you hand over the keys, openers and codes, with your personal items and trash removed. Then cancel insurance, stop utilities and settle your homestead.

Still deciding when to list? Start with an accurate number. Request a hand-prepared home value review from a Momentum agent; it is free and based on recent comparable sales near you.

What stays with the house when you sell it in Florida

In Florida, the answer starts with your contract, not with custom. The Florida Realtors/Florida Bar residential contracts (the standard form and the AS IS version) include a Personal Property paragraph, 1(d), that lists items that convey with the home when they are owned by the seller and on the property on the date of the initial offer. The list begins with range(s)/oven(s), refrigerator(s), dishwasher(s), disposal, ceiling fan(s), intercom and light fixture(s), and it continues with items such as window treatments, smoke detectors, garage door openers, security gate and other access devices, and storm shutters or panels. A separate line lets the parties add other items, and paragraph 1(e) lists anything excluded.

Two practical points follow from that wording. First, an item on the standard list stays even if nobody talks about it, so if you plan to take the refrigerator, the chandelier your grandmother gave you or the hurricane panels in the garage, exclude them in writing before you sign, or better, remove or replace them before the home is listed and photographed. Second, an item that is not on the list (a washer and dryer, a freestanding grill, a garage freezer) goes with you unless the contract adds it. Buyers ask for washers and dryers often; it is a normal negotiating point.

The form matters, too. Some local Realtor associations use their own contracts. The Naples Area Board of Realtors sales contract (7/1/2014 version), for example, lists washer(s), dryer(s), microwave(s), wall-to-wall carpeting and storm shutters and panels among the personal property included. Read the paragraph in the form your sale is actually on.

The gray areas we see most

• Wall-mounted TVs and brackets. The TV is usually personal property; the bracket bolted into the wall is arguable. Settle it in the contract and patch the holes if you take the bracket.
• Hurricane protection. Storm shutters and panels are on the standard list. Label panels by window and leave them, with the hardware, where the buyer can find them.
• Pool equipment and covers. Pumps, heaters and automation are attached to the property. A robotic cleaner is a judgment call; put it in writing.
• Smart-home devices. Thermostats, doorbells and locks that are installed generally stay. Remove them from your accounts, reset them and hand over the codes; the contract requires you to deliver access devices and codes.
• Leased equipment. A leased propane tank, water softener, security panel or solar system is not yours to convey. Tell your agent early, because a solar lease or power purchase agreement usually needs the provider’s approval to transfer to the buyer.
• Plants, sheds and play equipment. Landscaping in the ground stays. A shed or structure that is anchored is usually treated as part of the property; a portable one is personal property. If it matters to you, list it.

When to shut off utilities when you sell

Not before closing. The standard contract requires the seller, on reasonable notice, to provide utility service and access for appraisals and inspections (Standard L), and it gives the buyer a walk-through the day before closing or on closing day to confirm the personal property is there and the home has been maintained (paragraph 12). A house with no power cannot be inspected, the pool turns green in a week, and in Florida humidity a closed house without air conditioning can develop moisture problems quickly. Set the thermostat in a reasonable range and leave it.

Here is the order that works:

1. About two weeks before closing: call or go online with each provider and schedule service to stop in your name the day after closing (or on closing day, late). Ask the buyer’s agent to have the buyer start service in their name the same day, so there is no gap.
2. Electric and gas: request a final meter read on your stop date. For utilities regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission (investor-owned electric and gas companies such as FPL, Duke Energy Florida and TECO), the PSC’s consumer guide says a deposit can be applied to your final bill, with any remaining balance refunded within 15 days. Municipal and cooperative utilities, JEA among them, set their own rules, so ask.
3. Water, sewer and trash: schedule a final read. In many Florida counties solid waste is billed on the property tax bill as a non-ad valorem assessment; when it is, it is handled with the tax proration at closing rather than as a separate final bill.
4. Internet, TV and security monitoring: cancel or transfer, and return any rented modems, routers and boxes to avoid equipment fees. Monitoring contracts often require written notice.
5. Pool and lawn service: keep them running through closing. Paragraph 11 of the standard contract requires the seller to maintain the property, “including, but not limited to, lawn, shrubbery, and pool,” in its condition as of the contract date, ordinary wear and tear and casualty loss excepted.

Utilities are not on the standard contract’s proration list. Standard K prorates real estate taxes (including CDD and special district assessments), interest, bonds, association fees, insurance, rents and other expenses of the property as of the day before closing. Your utility accounts settle between you and each provider through the final read.

Closing day: what “move-out ready” means

Paragraph 6(a) of the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract is short and specific. At closing, unless the parties agreed to a post-closing occupancy, the seller delivers occupancy and possession free of tenants and occupants, has removed all personal items and trash, and delivers all keys, garage door openers, access devices and codes to the buyer. In practice that means:

• Every room, closet, the attic, the garage and the yard emptied of your belongings and debris, including paint cans and items you meant to “leave for the buyer” that nobody asked for.
• All keys (including mailbox and pool gate keys), garage remotes, gate fobs, amenity cards and alarm and keypad codes gathered in one labeled bag.
• Manuals, warranties and a short list of service providers (pool, pest, HVAC) left in a kitchen drawer. Not required, but buyers notice.
• Smart devices removed from your accounts and reset.

“Broom clean” is a phrase buyers and agents use, but the standard Florida contract’s test is personal items and trash removed plus the maintenance requirement. A professional clean is a courtesy that tends to prevent a tense walk-through.

Need to stay a few days after closing? Paragraph 6(b) of the standard contract provides for occupancy after closing when the parties agree and attach the terms. Do not rely on a handshake; your agent or attorney can write a short post-closing occupancy agreement that covers the per-day amount, the deposit, utilities and insurance.

Insurance, flood policies and storm season

Keep your homeowners policy in force until the sale has closed and funded. If a storm or a burst pipe damages the home before closing, the contract’s casualty loss provision decides what happens next, and you want your coverage in place while that plays out. After closing, cancel the policy and ask for a refund of any unearned premium; if the premium was paid from your mortgage escrow, the lender refunds the escrow balance after the loan is paid off.

Flood insurance is different. A National Flood Insurance Program policy can generally be assigned to the buyer, which can matter when the buyer is taking over a policy with a lower premium. Ask your agent before you cancel it. Our Florida flood insurance calculator shows how premiums are built.

Property taxes, your homestead and Amendment 3

Florida property taxes are paid in arrears, so at closing the seller credits the buyer for the seller’s share of the current year, prorated as of the day before closing (Standard K). Your homestead exemption stays on the closing year’s bill. On January 1 after the sale the home is reassessed for the buyer, which is why a buyer’s first full-year bill is often higher than yours; our property tax after purchase calculator shows the reset.

If you are buying again in Florida, two dates matter:

• Portability. Your Save Our Homes benefit can move to your next Florida homestead if you establish it within three years of January 1 of the year you abandoned the old one, and you must apply for it. The portability calculator estimates what moves with you.
• Amendment 3. Voters approved Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026 (about 62% yes in unofficial results; 60% was needed). From the 2027 tax year the homestead exemption on non-school taxes rises to $150,000, then $250,000 in 2028, while school taxes keep the $25,000 exemption. A new homestead you hold on January 1, 2027 is on that roll. Our explainer covers what Amendment 3 changes and when.

Moving out of state? Your exemption ends with your Florida homestead. If you keep the home as a rental instead of selling, notify the county property appraiser, because a home that is no longer your permanent residence no longer qualifies.

When Florida closings cluster, and why it matters for movers

Movers, cleaners and storage units book up when closings bunch together. Our county seasonality study of recorded Florida MLS closings, averaged over 14 to 25 years ending in 2025, shows how uneven the calendar is. In most of the large counties below, May through August holds well over a third of a year’s closings, and January is usually the lightest month.

Share of each year’s recorded MLS closings that fall in that month, averaged across the years shown. Source: Momentum county seasonality study of Florida MLS closings (as of August 24, 2026); aggregate statistics, deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

How to read it: a month with a 10% share sees about 20% more closings than an average month (8.3%). If you are closing in a busy month, book movers when you sign the contract, not two weeks out. If you are closing in November or December, the calendar is lighter, but holidays shorten business days for lenders, title companies and county recording, so confirm the closing time early.

Your Florida move-out checklist

When you sign the contract

• Read paragraphs 1(d) and 1(e) with your agent: confirm what stays and what is excluded.
• Book movers, and storage if you need it. Ask about hurricane-season rescheduling policies if closing between June and November.
• List leased equipment (solar, propane, water treatment, security) and start any transfer paperwork.
• Gather HOA documents and amenity devices; your title company will request an estoppel certificate from the association.

Two weeks before closing

• Schedule utility stops for the day after closing; share provider names with the buyer’s agent.
• Set up USPS mail forwarding and update your address with banks, your employer and the IRS.
• Keep lawn, pool and pest service running.
• Repair anything you agreed to repair, and keep the receipts for the walk-through.

The week of closing

• Move out, then clean. Remove everything, including the garage and attic.
• Leave the thermostat on and the power and water connected.
• Bag the keys, remotes, fobs and codes; leave manuals and warranties.
• Review your closing statement and wire instructions directly with the title company by phone. Never act on emailed wiring changes.

After closing

• Cancel homeowners insurance and request the unearned premium refund.
• Watch for the final utility bills and deposit refunds, and the mortgage escrow refund.
• Keep your closing statement with your tax records; it supports the sale price and selling costs on your return. The home sale capital gains calculator walks through the exclusion.
• Apply for your new homestead exemption (and portability) by March 1 if you bought again in Florida.

Selling an inherited home or selling as-is

The move-out rules are the same when you sell a parent’s house or sell as-is, but the timeline is usually longer and the clean-out larger. An estate sale company or a junk removal crew is often the fastest way to meet the “personal items and trash removed” requirement. If the home is in probate, the personal representative signs and the court process can affect timing; our guide to selling a house in probate in Florida covers the steps, and the Jacksonville page on selling an inherited house covers local options. For what an AS IS contract does and does not change, see the glossary entry on the AS IS contract. Talk to a Florida real estate attorney about estate and title questions.

Your next step

The move-out goes smoothly when the price and the timeline were right from the start. Get a hand-prepared home value review from a Momentum agent, then use the seller net proceeds calculator to see what you take to your next home. If you are still planning, our guides on how long it takes to sell a house in Florida and the cost to sell a house in Florida fill in the rest. Real estate commissions are always negotiable.

Frequently asked questions

What stays with a house when you sell it in Florida?

Under the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contract, items owned by the seller and on the property at the initial offer convey, including the range and oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal, ceiling fans, light fixtures, window treatments, garage door openers, access devices and storm shutters or panels. Anything you want to keep must be excluded in writing or removed before listing.

Should I turn off utilities before closing on my house?

No. The standard contract requires the seller to provide utilities for appraisals and inspections, and the buyer can do a walk-through the day before closing or on closing day. Schedule service to stop in your name the day after closing and ask the buyer to start service the same day.

Do I have to clean the house before closing in Florida?

The standard Florida contract requires the seller to remove all personal items and trash by closing and to keep the property, including the lawn, shrubbery and pool, in the condition it was in on the contract date, apart from ordinary wear and tear. A professional clean is not required, but it helps the walk-through go smoothly.

Can I take the washer and dryer when I sell my house in Florida?

Usually, yes. A washer and dryer are not on the standard Florida Realtors/Florida Bar personal property list, so they go with the seller unless the contract adds them. Some local forms, such as the Naples Area Board of Realtors contract, include them, so check the form your sale uses.

When should I cancel my homeowners insurance after selling?

After the sale has closed and funded, not before. Your policy protects the home until the buyer owns it. Then cancel and ask for a refund of unearned premium. A flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program can generally be assigned to the buyer, so ask before cancelling it.

What happens to my homestead exemption when I sell my Florida home?

It stays on the bill for the year of the sale, and the taxes are prorated at closing. If you buy another Florida homestead within three years of January 1 of the year you left the old one, you can apply to port your Save Our Homes benefit. Under Amendment 3, a homestead held on January 1, 2027 gets a $150,000 non-school exemption.

Sources: Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase (paragraphs 1(d) and 1(e), Rev. 4/17) and Florida Realtors/Florida Bar Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase (paragraphs 6, 11 and 12 and Standards K and L, Rev. 12/24); Naples Area Board of Realtors Sales Contract, Residential Improved Property (7/1/2014); Florida Public Service Commission, “What You Need to Know About Electric and Natural Gas Service” (February 2021); Bay News 9, “Florida voters approve Amendment 3” (November 4, 2026) and News4JAX (November 3, 2026) on Amendment 3; Momentum county seasonality study of recorded Florida MLS closings, monthly averages over 14 to 25 years ending 2025 depending on county (as of August 24, 2026). MLS-derived figures are aggregate statistics, deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice; consult a Florida real estate attorney or CPA about your situation.

Momentum Realty is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. Real estate commissions are always negotiable and are not set by law. Figures are aggregate market statistics, not a valuation of any property. Contract paragraph references describe the standard forms named above; the contract you sign controls. Equal Housing Opportunity.