Guide II
Final Walk-Through
The final walk-through is your last look at the home before you sign. It is not a second inspection. It is a check that the home is in the condition the contract promised, and that nothing has changed since you last saw it.
When it happens
Walk-throughs are usually scheduled within a day or so of closing, often the morning of the signing or the evening before, once the seller has moved out. Allow at least an hour, and go in daylight if you can.
What to bring
- A copy of the purchase contract and any repair agreement.
- Receipts or invoices for agreed repairs, if the seller has shared them.
- A phone charger to test outlets, and a phone for photos.
- A notebook, or this list.
Room by room
Kitchen
- Turn on every burner and the oven. Run the dishwasher for a minute.
- Check the fridge is cold and the freezer is freezing.
- Run the taps hot and cold and look under the sink for drips.
- Run the waste disposal, if there is one.
Bathrooms
- Flush each toilet and watch that it stops filling.
- Run the shower and bath until the water is hot. Check the drains clear.
- Turn on the extractor fans.
Living spaces and bedrooms
- Try every light switch and test outlets with your charger.
- Open and close each window and door, and check the locks.
- Look at floors and walls where furniture stood. Moving day can leave scrapes and holes.
Systems and outside
- Turn the heating and cooling on and listen for them to start.
- Check the water heater for leaks.
- Try the garage door and openers.
- Look at the yard: anything left behind, and anything removed that the contract said would stay.
Items that stay, items that go
Contracts usually spell out what conveys with the house: appliances, window coverings, light fittings, sometimes a shed or a play set. Check each one is there. Equally, check the seller’s belongings and rubbish are gone, unless you agreed otherwise.
If something is wrong. Take dated photos and raise it before you sign, not after. Depending on the problem and the contract, the usual options are a repair before closing, a credit, money held back until it is fixed, or a short delay. Once the papers are signed, your leverage drops sharply.
A short list for the day
- Agreed repairs are finished, with paperwork where available.
- Everything powers on, heats up, cools down and drains.
- No new damage since your last visit.
- Included items present, excluded items gone.
- Keys, codes and openers accounted for.