02 May What You Need to Know About the Final Walkthrough
Buying a home is an exciting experience and there are so many aspects of the process, if you are a first-time home buyer you may be feeling overwhelmed.
A final walkthrough is the last step before the house becomes yours on closing day. It is important to be thorough during the final walkthrough to make sure the seller has completed what you have agreed on. This could take a couple hours depending on the size of the house. Rushing this process could end up costing you extra time and money that could have been avoided. The final walkthrough should happen a few days before closing day, and sometimes it happens on closing day.
During the final walkthrough you should check the repairs have been taken care of that the seller agreed upon. Check if anything is missing that you were told was staying such as flower beds, trees, appliances etc. Have any new damages occurred that need to be taken care of? Here are a few more tips to get the most out of the final walkthrough
What to Bring
- Purchase Agreement
- Home Inspection Report
- Something to take notes
- Camera
- Something to test outlets; phone charger, night light
What to Look For
- Have the repairs on the home inspection report been taken care of?
- Check doorbells, sprinkler system and other home systems
- Check for signs of pests
- Check that the appliances are all working properly
- Check that water runs hot and cold through all faucets and sinks drain properly
- Check the outlets
Since closing day is so important, it works in the benefit of both parties to not delay. If there are repairs that were agreed upon that have yet to happen or issues that have just come up there are a few things you can do. The seller can pay the buyer to have the repair done or the buyer can ask that the money due to the seller be held in escrow until it is fixed. Another option is to move forward with closing day and sign a contract agreeing the seller will take care of the repair after closing day. If none of those options will work, pushing back the closing day may be the only option.
Buying a home is a major milestone in anyone’s life, while it is exciting and fun it can be confusing and overwhelming. Make sure you are getting the most out of your experience and have a professional in the industry walk alongside you through the whole process. Best wishes on your home buying journey!
