What To Check During Your Final Walk Through

Prior to Closing on A New Home

You did it! In this crazy, real estate market you found a house! You made an offer! It was accepted! And you lived through all the ups and downs with the inspections and the bank. Your current house is packed and you’re living with 4 plates and a frying pan until closing day. But right before the magic happens and the mortgage payments start comes the final walk through of the property you’re purchasing. But, do you even know what to check on during your final walk through? Well, I’m going to tell you just that. And if you’re the seller, this will be helpful for you too as you prep your home for it’s new owners and your payday.

Check That Promised Repairs Have Been Made During Your Final Walk Through

A home inspection is usually a part of the home buying process. And for a lot of people, this inspection gives reassurance about their purchase, but it can also point out things that are problematic with the home. So you ask the seller to fix some of them (like faulty plugs, broken window seals, loose banister rails and the like). At the final walk through, it’s your chance to check that these repairs have been made to your satisfaction.

Check That Sellers Belongings Are Removed and That The House is Clean During Your Final Walk Through

A few years ago, I went to the walk through of a house I was buying and it was loaded with trash. There was food in the fridge. And there were dog hair bunnies the size of small children all over the place. NOT acceptable! Luckily, the walk through was a few days before the closing. My relator and I insisted on repeating the walk through a few days later and gave the seller a “to do” list. So when you have a final walk through it’s your chance to make sure the house is clean (the standard is “broom-swept,” so we are not talking about hospital clean here, but reasonably clean). And you’re also checking that the well-meaning sellers haven’t left you all their lawn tools (unless you’ve agreed to that) or random pieces of wood left over from reno projects) that you “might need” someday.

Make Sure Everything That Should Be There Is There

If your contract says the window treatments stay, make sure to check for them at the final walk through. Appliances? Same deal. Make sure they are there and in working order. If you made the offer contingent on it staying, the final walk though is the time to check.

Check That Everything Works

We’ve already mentioned the appliances but what else should you check to make sure it’s in working order at the final walk through? Check that the lights turn on and off. Make sure the faucets run and the toilets flush. And make sure the plugs work. In a recent blog article, Rocket Mortgage suggests that you, “walk through the house with your cell phone charger and plug it into every outlet in every room. You don’t need to wait and see if the outlet charges your phone, just ensure that your charger registers the outlet as soon as you plug it in.” Pretty easy idea to avoid a big issue after-the-fact. This is also a good time to make sure that windows and doors open and close properly and that window screens are present and in good repair.

Check That No New Conditions Exist

Mold. Pest infestation. These are terrible at any time. But you don’t want them to turn up in your new property before you even have the keys. So check at your final walk through for these conditions (damp places for mold and door thresholds and under the slink for pests) . Also check for anything else that wasn’t there before (like a big paint spill in the foyer or a big hole in the wall).

And Lastly, Secure The Property

When you’re done, especially if you won’t be moving in immediately, make sure to secure the property, locking all windows and doors and turning off anything that could be potentially hazardous. In minutes, it will be yours and you will want to keep your new baby safe.

Insider Tip: Remember that once you close and the home is officially yours, consignment shops like Consignments Ltd. can help you find those missing pieces that will truly make this house your home. Hope to see you there soon.

Interested in some related reads? Just check out my previously blogs, like: Getting Your House Ready For Sale, Part One and Part Two.

And Now For A Little Music Before We Go…

Have a lovely day, my friends. Marianne