The Final Walkthrough Before Closing on a Home

Preparing for a Walkthrough

Before closing on a property, you need to do a final walkthrough. As a buyer, here’s some info to help you with the final walkthrough.

• Don’t do a final walkthrough on the day of your closing.

A walkthrough can uncover repairs that should be made before closing. If you do the walkthrough on the same day as the closing, you might not have enough time to get the problems fixed. Many people have two walkthroughs, one to identify problems if any, and another to ensure those issues have been addressed. It is possible to push back the closing, but your lender may not have approved a delayed closing.

• Check all the outlets in the home.

A great way to do this is to bring a phone charger with you to your walkthrough and plug in your phone to each outlet to see if they all work.

• Make sure that the seller hasn’t left behind any belongings.

Take your time checking the garage, attic, and under the deck for anything like old paint cans or propane tanks. Some of these left behind materials may be toxic and require special handling, or fees, in order to dispose of them. Once you close, those items become yours, so make sure they are gone beforehand! On the flip side, make sure they have left behind any fixtures they have agreed to leave, such as chandeliers.

• Be ready to see an empty home.

An empty home may be a little jarring, as you are probably used to seeing the home full of furniture and other belongings. An empty home tends to show its imperfections, such as bleached floors showing an outline of a rug, carpet stains, or holes in the wall from a television or paintings.

• Check all major appliances.

Turn on and off heating and air conditioning systems. Flush all toilets. Open and close any windows and doors. Turn on the garbage disposals. Test the garage door opener. Anything you think should be checked, check it! You don’t want to come into a new house with everything broken. Talk about a buzzkill!

• Check the exterior of the home for any imperfections.

This is especially important if there have been any strong wind or rain storms since the last time you visited the home.

• While outside, check around the house. The seller might have dug up and taken plants with them!

• Bring a copy of your home inspection.

This will help to remind you of any items that were originally marked as not working so you can check to see if they have been fixed.

These are just some of the many things that you can do during your walkthrough.