Vidal & Co.
Tracks the agreement, coordinates visits and keys, communicates changes and helps resolve practical concerns.
Your transaction is firm
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Closing is not one appointment—it is a coordinated legal, financial and practical handoff. Here is what happens next and how to arrive ready, whether you are buying or selling in Ontario.
Closing file
Vidal & Co.Ontario real estate
StatusFirm sale
Agreement firmKeys released
Next
Lawyer, funds, final details and the legal transfer.
Ottawa & Eastern OntarioBuyer + seller guidanceUpdated July 2026
Start with your side of the keys
One closing. Two different to-do lists.
Select your pathway for the timeline, video and checklist that apply to you.
The period before closing
Three teams keep the handoff moving.
Vidal & Co. coordinates the real-estate details, your lawyer manages the legal transfer, and you complete the personal, financial and moving tasks only you can complete.
Your lawyer
Prepares the legal closing, coordinates funds and registration, and advises you on legal questions.
You
Provide documents promptly, arrange services and moving, and complete every obligation assigned to you.
Closing explainers
Watch the guide made for your role.
Short enough to watch with a coffee; useful enough to prevent the most common closing-week surprises.
For Ontario home buyers
Your Buyer Closing Guide
The essential steps from a firm sale through closing day.
For Ontario home sellers
Your Seller Closing Guide
The essential steps from a firm sale through closing day.
Buyer pathway
Prepare the money, the move and the moment.
Once the agreement is firm, your focus shifts from deciding whether to buy to completing the legal and practical steps needed to take possession.
As soon as the sale is firm
Connect your lawyer and lender
Confirm your lawyer, send the signed agreement and identification they request, and keep your lender moving toward final funding. Ask each professional what they need and by when.
Well before closing
Arrange insurance and closing funds
Your lender will usually require property insurance. Your lawyer will later provide the amount and approved method for delivering your down payment balance, land transfer tax, adjustments and legal costs.
Before possession
Plan utilities, movers and access
Arrange utilities and services for the date you become responsible for the property. Confirm your move without assuming keys will be available first thing in the morning.
Near closing
Complete the final walkthrough
If your agreement provides a pre-closing visit, use it to confirm the home is in the expected condition and that agreed inclusions remain. Report concerns promptly; do not negotiate directly at the property.
Closing day
Wait for legal confirmation
The lawyers exchange funds and documents and the transfer is registered electronically. Enter only after your lawyer confirms closing and Vidal & Co. confirms the key arrangement.
Interactive checklist
Buyer closing checklist
Check items on this device as you complete them.Buyer closing costs
Know the categories. Get the exact number from your lawyer.
Purchase funds
The remaining amount required after deposits and mortgage advances.
Land transfer tax
Ontario land transfer tax is generally paid by the purchaser when the transfer closes; eligibility for a first-time buyer refund is specific.
Legal & title costs
Legal fees, disbursements, registration costs and title insurance if arranged.
Adjustments
Property taxes, utilities or other prepaid or owing amounts may be adjusted between the parties.
Seller pathway
Leave the home ready for a clean handoff.
Your job is to complete the agreement, protect the property through closing and give your legal and real-estate teams what they need to transfer it smoothly.
As soon as the sale is firm
Give your lawyer a complete file
Confirm your lawyer and provide the signed agreement, identification, mortgage information, property-tax details and anything else requested for title, payout and closing preparation.
Before moving day
Complete every agreed obligation
Maintain the property and insurance, complete any agreed work, and leave all included fixtures and chattels. Keep receipts or documentation when the agreement requires them.
Near closing
Prepare the home and every key
Remove belongings and waste, leave the property in the condition required by the agreement, and gather keys, fobs, remotes and access information for the agreed handoff.
Before you leave
Record details and update services
Take dated photos, record meter readings where appropriate, update your address and coordinate utility or service changes without ending anything the property still needs before closing.
Closing day
Let the lawyers complete the transfer
Your lawyer receives funds, addresses payouts and registered items, and confirms completion. Sale proceeds are handled through the legal closing process and timing can vary.
Interactive checklist
Seller closing checklist
Check items on this device as you complete them.What actually happens on closing day
It is a sequence—not a set appointment time.
The legal transfer happens behind the scenes. The timing depends on documents, funds and electronic registration, so keep the day flexible.
Funds and documents move
The parties' lawyers complete the required exchange and address lender or payout instructions.
The transfer is registered
Ontario uses electronic land registration. Your lawyer completes the registration when the file is ready.
Closing is confirmed
The lawyers advise that the transaction has completed and the teams coordinate the agreed key release.
Possession changes hands
The buyer enters only after authorization. The seller receives proceeds through their lawyer's closing process.
Closing questions
The answers clients need before the last mile.
This guide is general. Your signed agreement and advice from your lawyer, lender, insurer and Vidal & Co. take priority.
What time will I receive the keys?
There is no guaranteed morning key time unless your agreement specifically says otherwise. The lawyers must exchange funds and documents and register the transfer before closing can be confirmed. Plan movers and access with flexibility.
What does the real-estate lawyer do?
The legal work varies by transaction. It commonly includes reviewing title and closing documents, coordinating mortgage or payout instructions, preparing the statement of adjustments, exchanging funds and registering the transfer. Ask your lawyer about your specific file.
How much money does a buyer need for closing?
The amount is transaction-specific and may include the balance of the purchase funds, Ontario land transfer tax, legal fees and disbursements, title insurance if arranged, and tax or utility adjustments. Your lawyer provides the amount and approved payment instructions.
Should I send money using instructions received by email?
Verify all payment instructions directly with your lawyer using a trusted phone number before sending funds. Never rely solely on a new or changed email instruction. Real-estate transactions can be targets for payment fraud.
Is a final walkthrough the same as a home inspection?
No. A final walkthrough or pre-closing visit is generally a limited opportunity provided by the agreement to view the property before closing. It is not automatically a new inspection or a chance to reopen the transaction.
What can delay a closing?
Funding, document, title, payout, registration, identity-verification and moving issues can all affect timing. A delay does not automatically change anyone’s obligations. Contact your lawyer and Vidal & Co. immediately if a problem arises.
When should a seller cancel insurance and utilities?
Do not cancel coverage or essential services too early. Confirm the correct timing with your insurer, lawyer and utility providers so the property remains protected and serviced through the seller’s responsibility period.
What if something is damaged or missing at the walkthrough?
Document the concern and contact Vidal & Co. promptly. Do not remove items, confront the other party or assume you may delay closing. Your representative and lawyer can review the agreement and advise on the appropriate next step.
Trusted resources
Clear information from the organizations responsible.
Your next chapter is close
Questions are welcome—especially before closing day.
Contact your Vidal & Co. representative whenever a timing, property or handoff detail feels unclear.