What To Look For During Your Final Walk-Through

So you’ve made an offer on a home, it was accepted, and you’re ready to back the moving truck into the driveway. Not so fast!  One of the last things you need to do before signing the closing paperwork is the final walk-through.

What is a final walk-through?

First of all, let’s answer what a final walk-through is not. It’s not time to celebrate and twirl around in your new living room (that time will come after you get the keys, we promise!) and it’s not a home inspection. A home inspection should’ve already been completed in the prior weeks. The goal of the final walk-through is to ensure that the home is in the condition to which you agreed to buy it. This is the time to check that all repairs that the seller agreed to make after the home inspection were completed in a reasonable fashion. It’s also the time to make sure that the seller has left all agreed upon items in the house, such as appliances and curtains. Lastly, you’ll want to check that the home hasn’t been damaged in any way since the home inspection. It may seem unlikely that the condition of the house has changed since last seeing it but sometimes the seller inadvertently damages the home as they are moving out or a weather event can cause water damage or damage to the home’s exterior. You don’t want to be stuck with any bad surprises after signing the closing documents, and the best way to prevent that from happening is to make a thorough walk-through.

Let’s recap:

During the final walk-through you are checking for the following 4 things:

1. The home is in the condition you agreed to buy it in.

2. All repairs listed in the purchase agreement have been made.

3. All items listed in the purchase agreement as staying with the house have been left in the house.

4. No new damage has been made to the house since the home inspection.

Use these checklists to ensure you make a thorough final walk-through: