October 18, 2026 · Tyler Drinkwater
A 90-day checklist for selling your LA home before a move
A practical timeline for getting your LA home sold and your move lined up, from first conversations through closing day.
Every move is different, but most out-of-state moves follow a similar arc. Here's a practical 90-day outline to adapt to your own timeline.
Days 90 to 60: get clear on the numbers
- Get a real estimate of your home's value from recent comparable sales, not just an online estimate.
- Request a mortgage payoff statement so you know your loan balance.
- Meet with a CPA about the tax side of selling and moving. The earlier, the more options you'll have.
- Talk to a lender in your new city if you'll be financing the next home.
- Decide on order: sell first, buy first, or sell with a rent-back. (See our post on the three approaches.)
Days 60 to 30: prepare the home
- Tour the home with your agent and make a short list of repairs and updates that are worth the money. Not everything is.
- Consider pre-listing inspections so there are fewer surprises in escrow.
- Declutter and start packing what you won't need. This doubles as moving prep.
- Line up photography, staging if it makes sense, and the marketing plan.
- Start interviewing movers and getting quotes for the date range you're targeting.
Days 30 to 0: list, negotiate, close
- Go live, review offers, and negotiate terms, including closing date and any rent-back.
- Complete disclosures promptly. California has extensive seller disclosure requirements, and your agent will go over them with you.
- Work through inspections, appraisal and any requests for repairs or credits.
- Review your estimated closing statement with escrow, including any California withholding forms.
- Schedule utility shutoffs and forward your mail for the move-out date.
One thing people underestimate
Coordinating two states. When the LA sale and the purchase in your new city depend on each other, small delays on one side ripple to the other. Having agents on both ends who talk to each other directly makes a real difference.
General information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Market figures are estimates from public data and may be out of date.
