What is a Final Walk-Through?

Final walk-throughs as we call them are not a home inspection.  It's not a time to begin negotiations with the seller to do repairs, nor is it a condition to the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.  A final walk-trhough is an inspection performed anywhere from a few hours to five days before closing and it is primary purpose is to make certain that the property is in the same condition when you removed your conditions and agreed to buy.  Also, that agreed upon repairs, if any, were made and nothing has gone wrong with the home since you last looked at it.

If after the walk-through there are repairs that were to have been made but were neglected or aspects of the home were different then when you last saw the home, you would contact your lawyer immediately and I would also contact the listing agent to discuss the problems.  We would ask them to remedy the situation by either making the repair or hold back money to accommdodate the problem.

It is important to advise your lawyer that you will be doing a final walk-through and not to close the transaction on your behalf until you are satisfied with your walk-trhough.

Buyers are often pressed for time as the day draws near for closing, which mean buyers can be tempted to pass on the final walk-through.  It is never a good idea to forgo the final walk-through.

Here is a list of items to check on a final walk-through:

• Turn on and off every light fixture
• Run water and look under sinks for leaks
• Check garage door openers
• Open and close all doors
• Flush toilets
• Inspect ceilngs, walls and floors
• Run garbage disposal and exhaust fans
• Test heating and air conditioning
• Open and close all windows
• Make sure all debris is removed from the home
• If there is a basement check for water penetration
• If the seller is home ask them for any manuals, keys for mailboxes, shed etc