Counting Down to Closing? Don't Forget the Include the Final Walk-through

Date: June 4, 2014

Many homeowners may readily admit that buying a home is an exciting, but often exhausting process. From the home search, to making an offer and possibly negotiating to having that offer accepted and going through the closing process, there are a lot of steps to complete before you can pick up those keys and call your new house “home.”

So, when you’re getting down to the final steps of the closing process, it can be easy to want to bypass a step or two to hurry along the process. But, taking an official final walk-through of that “almost yours” new home is an essential step in the closing process that you don’t want to skip, for a number of important reasons.

Think about this; most closing processes range between 30-60 days. So, it has probably been a while since you’ve been able to walk through your potential new home. In all likelihood, the last time that you were able to walk through, the current owners still had the home filled with their personal belongings, some of which you may even have agreed to acquire along with the home purchase.

So, what should you do during your final walk-through and what exactly are you looking for?

For starters, completing your final walk-through is not something that you want to do alone. While you may not need to take a professional home inspector with you, as this step already should have been completed by this point, you may want to take your trusted real estate agent. It is likely that your agent has completed several final walk-throughs and will be able to guide yours in the right direction as well.

In addition to your trusted real estate agent, you should also bring a copy of your sales contract with you during your final walk-through. You may think you remember every item that you agreed on, but it is always better to have the agreement in writing, right in front of you, as you are thoroughly checking over your new home.

As noted in your sales contract, be sure to check the following items during your final walk-through:

• Overall Home Condition: Does the home look the same as it did when you first toured through? Is it possible that the current owners may have caused some sort of damage when they were moving out?

• Home Inspection Issues: If there were any issues or repairs that needed addressed following the official home inspection, have they been completed or have you reached an agreement about the repair process?

• Other Agreed-upon Items: Were there specific items that you asked the current homeowner to leave or even some that you requested they take out of the home? Be sure to check that everything you agreed to has been fulfilled.

If any of the above items have not been completed to your liking, you have much more control over the situation at the time of your final walk-through than you will after you close. If something from your final walk-through doesn’t seem right, have it addressed immediately. Your real estate agent can relay your comments to the sellers before you sign any closing papers. Repeat: do not wait to address any issues until after you close.

In addition to the agreed-upon items from your sales contract, there are various other items that you will want to make sure are clean and in working order before you call them your own:

• Heating and Cooling Systems
• Appliances
• Lights
• Faucets, Toilets and Showers
• Doors and Windows
• Electrical Outlets and Breakers

With an extensive list of things to check during your final walk-through before closing, it is obvious that this ever-so-necessary step is not one that you should skip. On the contrary, your final walk-through should be very thorough.

Whether you start your final walk-through outside or inside, check your potential new home from top to bottom. That way, you’ll be able to sign along the dotted line and pick up your new keys with a complete sense of ease!