Your final walkthrough is your last chance to make sure the property is in the same condition as when you decided to purchase it. It’s also an opportunity to make sure everything is in proper working order and point out things you’d like to see fixed.
What to do:
- Turn on and off every light fixture.
- Turn on and off all sinks, showers, and tubs and look under sinks for leaks.
- Flush toilets.
- Test all appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, stoves, and refrigerators.
- Check garage door openers.
- Open and close all doors and test locks.
- Inspect ceilings, walls, and floors for scratches or damage.
- Run garbage disposal and exhaust fans.
- Test heating and air conditioning.
- Open and close all windows and test locks.
- Make sure all garbage and unwanted furniture is gone.
- Check the exterior of the home, especially if there was a storm since your last visit.
- Make sure the seller hasn’t removed any fixtures, such as chandeliers, that he or she agreed to leave behind.
- Check the status of any agreed upon repairs.
- Check screens and storm windows.
- Check storage areas for unwanted items.
- Check the grounds for any changes to the landscaping.
You can choose to bring an inspector with you to make sure any problems that arose during the inspection were properly dealt with. If you do, they usually charge a lower fee than they did for the initial inspection.
If you see any problems, you have several options. In extreme cases (for example, there was a huge storm and the house was completely flooded), you can walk away from the deal. You also have the option to postpone the closing until problems are fixed. You can also choose to take on the cost of minor repairs if you don’t want to delay your closing.
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