The Final Walkthrough
Things to remember and do at your final walkthrough.
Homebuyers, its important to do a final walkthrough after you and the seller agree to the terms of purchase, and before you close on the house (when its too late). Although there are some differing opinions about when the final walkthrough should occur, I believe it should be done the day before closing or the morning of closing.
Check the water
Turn on all the faucets (kitchen, bathroom, laundry tub) to make sure everything is working. Its important to make sure you get hot water from showers and faucets as well, to make sure the hot water heater is working.
Check repairs
If you’ve done the smart thing, and got a home inspection, and requested that a few minor repairs be made as a contingency on the sale, remember to ask for all receipts and copies of paid bills. This not only ensures that work was done by a professional, and was up to standard, but oftentimes contractors and companies have warranties on their workmanship.
Request that the seller leave these receipts and other warranty information at the final walkthrough, so you can check on the work performed, and check into warranty transfers, if needed.
Check the small stuff
Make sure that everything that was included in the purchase is still on the premises. This may include light fixtures and draperies.
Check appliances
Make sure the washer/dryer, microwave, stove, dishwater, etc. are all working as well. Flush the toilets, make sure they refill, and turn on lights to make sure they are operational. Check the doorbell and alarm system as well.
Check HVAC
The last thing you want is a faulty HVAC, so make sure it is working correctly. During our final walkthrough, we noticed that our thermostat was replaced with a newer one. We didn’t think anything of it, and experienced high heating bills and heat that went fluctuated from 60-80 degrees, making it very uncomfortable. When we finally did get a heating expert out the fix the problem, he noted that the “updated” thermostat was part of the problem!
Check the yard
Shrubs and flowers are considered to be “part and parcel” of the property, and are automatically included in the purchase, unless specified otherwise in the purchase agreement. Double-check and make sure that things like these haven’t been removed.
Check debris
Many times, homeowners will leave behind “gifts” such as junky old furniture and collections of old paint cans, thinking that these might be things you want, if you need to touch up paint or don’t want to buy a bunch of furniture.
During the final walkthrough, be very specific about what you want removed from the property. Disposing of furniture, and especially old paint cans can prove to be costly and a general pain to remove. You’ll have plenty of things to dispose of as you are moving residences, you don’t need to worry about another person’s garbage.
