Closing Day and Moving In: Your SF Home, Recorded
Closing in California is not a meeting. It is the moment the SF Assessor-Recorder records your grant deed, usually the business day after you sign and your lender funds, often in the afternoon. Everything in this stage hangs off that moment: keys, the rent-back clock, utility start dates, the movers, and a filing calendar that runs for a year.
What good looks like
A buyer who does this stage well treats recording day as a logistics problem solved a week early. They know from escrow which day funding is expected and that recording follows the next business day, so the movers are booked for the day after that, not 9 a.m. on closing day. If they offered a rent-back, the Seller in Possession addendum is signed, the daily charge and holdback are in escrow, the lender has approved the length, and the insurer knows a seller will be in the home for a few weeks.
Their PG&E, SFPUC and Recology accounts start on the recording date. They have three written mover estimates from licensed carriers, the SFMTA no-parking signs or the condo elevator slot, and a locksmith booked for key day. Within a week they file the change of address, update the DMV, file the closing package in two places, and calendar the first payment, the supplemental tax bill and the exemption deadline.
The biggest mistakes
- Scheduling movers for the morning of closing, then paying them to wait while the deed sits in the Recorder's queue.
- Letting a rent-back run past 29 days on a handshake, with no holdback, no insurance and no end date.
- Assuming the seller's utility accounts transfer. They do not, and water and garbage bills follow the property.
- Hiring the cheapest mover from a lead site without checking the California license, valuation coverage or stair charges.
- Tossing the inspection reports and disclosures, then needing them for an insurance claim or an HOA dispute.
- Ignoring the Assessor's homeowner exemption form, then being surprised by a supplemental tax bill the impound account does not pay.
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In this stage
Start with recording day and when you actually get the keys, which explains signing, funding and recording as three different days and what to do in the first 48 hours. If the seller is staying for a while, seller rent-backs in SF covers terms, deposits, insurance and the rent-control risk that makes local agents keep them short. Setting up PG&E, water and garbage walks through every account and which ones you can actually shop. Moving in San Francisco covers licensed movers, SFMTA parking permits, hills, stairs and condo elevator rules. Finish with what to keep forever and who to notify, the home file and change-of-address list that set up the own stage.
Do this now
- Confirm funding and the expected recording time with escrow before you plan to move anything; keys typically come after recording confirmation, often mid-afternoon.
- If the seller is renting back, have the signed agreement, deposit or holdback, and insurance question settled before recording.
- Open PG&E, SFPUC water and sewer, and Recology accounts effective the recording date.
- Book movers two to three weeks out and reserve SFMTA temporary no-parking signs or a condo elevator slot.
- Rekey exterior locks and change garage, gate and alarm codes on day one; collect HOA fobs and parking assignments in writing.
- File USPS change of address and update DMV, voter registration, employer, banks and insurers.
- Save the full closing package (Closing Disclosure, deed, title policy, HOA documents, inspection reports) in two places.
- Calendar the first mortgage payment, the supplemental tax bill window and the homeowner exemption deadline.
Articles in this stage
- Recording Day in SF: When You Actually Get the Keys
When do you get keys after closing in California? Signing, funding and recording are different days in SF. The sequence, what slips, and your first 48 hours.
- Seller Rent-Backs in SF: Terms, Deposits and Rent-Control Risk
Writing a seller rent back agreement in SF: daily rate, holdback, insurance, the lender's 60-day occupancy rule, and why local agents keep it under 30 days.
- Setting Up PG&E, Water and Garbage for Your New SF Home
Set up utilities for a new San Francisco home: PG&E and CleanPowerSF, the SFPUC water account, Recology, which bills follow the property, and the one to shop.
- Moving in San Francisco: Movers, Parking Permits and Hills
Hiring movers in San Francisco: the California MTR license check, not-to-exceed estimates, SFMTA no-parking signs, stairs and hills, and condo elevator rules.
- After Closing: What to Keep Forever and Who to Notify
What documents to keep after closing on a house and why, when your deed arrives, the homeowner exemption, servicing scams and a full change-of-address list.
What to shop for at this stage
| Service | When | Savings from shopping | How to shop it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movers | Two to three weeks before recording, once funding is confirmed | High: shop it hard The spread between the highest and lowest legitimate quote for the same SF move is commonly hundreds to more than a thousand dollars as of 2026-10-24; check current quotes for your size of move. | Get three written not-to-exceed estimates after an in-home or video survey from carriers with a current California MTR license, and compare stair, long-carry, elevator and packing charges plus the valuation coverage, not just the hourly rate. |
| Internet provider | The week you get keys | Medium: worth 2-3 quotes Introductory and post-promotion prices differ widely by provider and block; the realistic saving is picking the right plan for the address rather than a national default, as of 2026-10-24. | Check every provider that serves your exact address, including fiber and fixed-wireless options, and compare the price after the promotional period, equipment fees and contract terms. |
| Locksmith or rekey | The day you get keys | Low: compare once Rekeying a few exterior doors is a modest, similar-everywhere cost as of 2026-10-24; the value is security on day one, not the price difference. | Call two local locksmiths for a rekey of every exterior cylinder and ask about a smart-lock install if you want one; quotes are similar, so book the one who can come on recording day. |
Frequently asked questions
When do you get the keys after closing in San Francisco?
After the deed records with the SF Assessor-Recorder and escrow confirms it, which is usually the business day after your loan funds and often lands in the afternoon. Signing is not closing in California; recording is. Unless your contract says otherwise or includes a rent-back, possession is due the day of recording, and your agent releases keys once escrow sends the recording confirmation.
Is a seller rent-back a good idea for a first-time buyer?
It can win you the house, and it is fine when it is short and written properly. Keep it on the standard Seller in Possession addendum for 29 days or fewer, set a daily occupancy charge and a holdback in escrow, confirm your lender allows it, and tell your insurer. Longer rent-backs use a lease form and start to look like a tenancy, which in San Francisco carries real risk.
Which utilities do I have to set up in San Francisco?
PG&E for gas and electric delivery, with CleanPowerSF as the default electricity generation provider, SFPUC for water and sewer, and Recology for garbage, recycling and compost. In a condo the HOA often holds the water and Recology accounts and bills you through dues, so check the budget before you open anything. Internet is the one utility you actually choose.
What is worth shopping for at this stage?
Movers, by a wide margin. Written not-to-exceed estimates from licensed California carriers for the same move differ by hundreds to more than a thousand dollars, and stair, long-carry and valuation terms vary even more. Internet is worth a comparison because availability changes block by block. Rekeying is cheap and similar everywhere; just do it on day one.
Which closing documents do I actually need to keep?
The Closing Disclosure, the recorded grant deed, the owner's title policy, the note and deed of trust, every inspection report and disclosure including the 3R report, and the HOA documents. They feed your tax return this spring, your cost basis when you sell, insurance claims, a future refinance and any dispute with the seller or the HOA. Keep digital and paper copies and add receipts for improvements as you go.