Did you find the perfect home and now you’re ready to make an offer? Plan and prepare for the home buying process, so you can walk into your closing with confidence. Avoid a closing delay, or even worse an issue that causes your transaction to fall through. Here are some dos and don’ts from a few experts to ensure a smooth real estate closing.

Take care of the financial process upfront. If you are a serious buyer, it is important to get preapproved for a mortgage loan before shopping around. A preapproval will help determine your qualification and price point. The Prosperity Buyer Advantage is even better than a standard preapproval and will help expedite the financial process at closing, suggests Ron Wivagg, national sales support manager of Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC. This complimentary pre-approval provides you with a commitment letter in hand.

Lock in your interest rate. When you get preapproved for a mortgage loan, ask your lender if they can lock in the interest rate. Otherwise, there is a possibility your interest rate will rise, while you’re shopping for a home, and you will no longer qualify for the mortgage loan. The Prosperity Buyer Advantage Lock, Shop & Home program will lock in your interest rate for up to 90 days, explains Wivagg.

Schedule a home inspection. According to US Inspect, a partner of Long & Foster’s Home Service Connections, a home inspection empowers the buyer to know the home’s condition and gives them exactly what they need to address potential issues with the seller. “Don’t wait until last minute to schedule your home inspection because otherwise it could delay the closing,” recommends Mark Munsch, marketing manager of US Inspect.

Be prepared to wire your funds. Most settlement companies now require their clients to wire funds for the security of everyone involved in the transaction, explains Julie McConnell, vice president of marketing for Long & Foster Settlement Services. When working with a title company, be sure to confirm the wire instructions over the phone before wiring any funds. This is an important precaution to take to avoid wire fraud.

Ask questions and discuss details ahead of time. Don’t wait until closing day to ask questions, recommends McConnell. Be sure to provide the settlement company with important details, including how you want to hold title (for example: tenants by the entirety, joint tenants, tenants in common) , so they can prepare the deed. Be certain to talk to your settlement company about protecting your property rights by purchasing owner’s title insurance. You can learn more about protecting yourself and your home here.

Don’t make big purchases before closing. Even if you’re preapproved, your lender will check to make sure no recent hits have been made to your credit. You want to avoid purchasing and financing a car, jewelry or any other big item, suggests Wivagg. This could disqualify you for the mortgage loan, causing your transaction to fall through.

Review the Closing Disclosure timely and carefully. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, your lender is required to give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before your scheduled closing date. Be on the lookout, so you can review the Closing Disclosure prior to settlement – this will allow time to resolve any issues before closing, suggests McConnell.

Buying a home is such an exciting life event. Follow these important dos and don’ts to avoid delaying your closing. If you’re considering buying a home and don’t know where to start, contact your local real estate agent – they can walk you through the entire home buying process from contract to close.

All the experts agree – clear the clutter out of your home before listing it for sale. The reason is simple – there’s a greater chance that a decluttered house will sell faster and possibly for a higher price than one that is cluttered. Decluttering makes the house look bigger and by packing away at least some of your personal belongings, it’s easier for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home. To maximize the benefit of decluttering, it’s a good idea to clear your home of at least 30 percent of its contents, allowing your home to look its best and help it to stand out from the competition.

To declutter, first start with your in-house storage areas. The basement, garage, closets and even guest bedrooms are commonly used for excess storage. It’s important to empty these spaces as much as possible. Buyers love storage space and it’s more appealing to see empty closets than full ones.

Next, minimize the amount of furniture in each room. Again, it’s important to show as much space as possible so extra chairs, tables and other large items should be removed during the sales process.

The last stage of decluttering involves your personal effects—items such as pictures, books, collectibles and toys that you can live without until your home sells. Boxing up these items and storing them out of the house helps to present a version of your home free of your personal taste. Buyers and their agents can then focus on your house without any distraction from your personal possessions.

Realtors and home stagers often recommend that sellers rent storage units to place excess items while selling their home. We talked with a few of Long & Foster’s Home Service Connections storage partners about their advice on getting ready to sell your home.

 Portable Storage

Zippy Shell’s portable storage containers are a great way to declutter your home. Zippy Shell containers can be parked in your driveway or on the street in front of your house. You have the option of loading the container yourself or the company can load it for you. After it’s filled, the portable unit can then be stored in Zippy Shell’s climate-controlled facility where it’ll remain locked and accessible only to you while in storage. When you’re ready to have it returned, Zippy Shell can deliver the container to your new home, anywhere in the country. “Packing is the hardest part, so it’s best to start early and do a little bit every night,” said Bill Shannon, owner of Zippy Shell of Northern Virginia.

 Conquering the Clutter

It’s a good idea to be open to your Realtor’s decluttering suggestions, said Piet Gauchat, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Olympia Moving and Storage. Olympia works with many Realtors and the firm even has a “Declutter Program” designed for home sellers. Through that program, Olympia’s crew will move out the clutter and store it for free for up to three months, according to Gauchat.

 Storage in the Cloud

Storage Genie takes a digital inventory of your belongings at no charge before moving them to storage. Then, when you need specific things like your holiday decorations, just log into your account and order the items you want delivered to you. “It’s almost like your items go into the cloud,” said Chris Patton, CEO of Victory Van Corporation/Allied Van Lines. Patton points out that this type of storage is so much more convenient than placing your belongings in a self-storage facility. “Often your tax returns or vacuum cleaner are in the back of the unit when you need them,” said Patton. “Storage Genie takes the ‘self’ out of self-storage.”

Once you’ve chosen a storage solution that’s right for you, decluttering your home will not only help your home show well, but also will give you a head start on packing for your move.

It’s February – winter’s not over yet, but spring is right around the corner. If you have cabin fever from being inside, cleaning and freshening up your house can help you get through this last month of winter and be ready to get outside when spring arrives.

Once you check these items off your to-do list, you’ll be able to relax by the fire with a good book and enjoy the last few weeks of winter.

• Mop entryway floors. Clean your floors regularly to prevent damage from road salt and melting snow. Place a basket of old towels near the door to wipe up water and salt as soon as it is tracked inside.
• Rotate or flip your mattress. Extend the life and comfort of your mattress by flipping or rotating it. At the same time, vacuum box springs and the mattress to eliminate allergy causing dust- mites.
• Organize your laundry room. Scrape dried-on laundry detergent from the ridges in your washer. Throw away laundry products you never use and replace damaged sorting bins.
• Clean out your spice cabinet. Throw away expired spices and other seasonings, which may not only lose their taste, but could harbor mold and bacteria.
• Sanitize hand-held devices. Prevent germs that cause the spread of colds and the flu by disinfecting your phone, remote controls, tablets, as well as your door and cabinet knobs.
• Dust blinds, ceiling fans and fixtures. Wipe down or use a feather duster to remove the dirt that builds up on blinds, ceiling fans, light fixtures other small electronics.
• Add color to your table. Treat yourself to some fresh flowers to add cheer to your kitchen table while waiting for spring blooms to make their first appearance.
• Plan your summer vacation. Reserve your vacation home now to get the best selection of available properties. Start your planning today at Long & Foster’s Vacation Rentals website.