Your Final Walkthrough Guide

by | Oct 8, 2022 | Buying a Home |

Your final walkthrough before closing is absolutely necessary! Here’s what you need to look for before closing.

What is a Final Walkthrough?

A final walkthrough is an opportunity for the buyer to view and assess the property before closing. This process gives the buyer time to make sure improvements agreed upon have been made, or the home is in the same condition it was in when the buyer agreed to buy it.

The final walkthrough is an essential component to the closing process, and it’s important that you have your realtor there. Choosing your realtor does matter. Having the right realtor present at the walkthrough means you’ll have experienced, knowledgable suggestions and eyes on all the details. Romanski Group Realtors pride themselves for their experience and seamless, comprehensive house buying processes. They’ll be great additions to your team the whole way through!

Final Walkthrough Checklist

Here’s a quick, brief list, but see below for more, elaborate explanations and questions to ask along the way!

  1. Verify final, agreed upon repairs (better yet, have your inspector do a re-inspect to verify).
  2. Check for all items included in the sale (appliances, window treatment hardware, etc).
  3. Take time to assess the house and ensure it’s in the same condition you agreed to purchase it. This process can take as long as you need. Your experienced, Romanski Group Realtor will be very helpful to you. Here’s a launching list of what to observe both inside and outside the home.
    1. Outside: Obvious signs of pests, check for debris or outside storm damage. Has there been a major storm within the closing process? Check sprinklers, irrigation, fencing, pools, dry rot in wood, etc.
    2. Inside: check for mold or damage in the bathrooms and kitchen, test heating and cooling systems, test water heater and electrical systems, electrical outlets and lights, test appliances, belongings moved in or out, locks on windows and doors, etc.
  4. Communicate any problems. Communication is key! Options are available if any problems do arise.

Additional Information and Questions to Ask

An article by Rocket Mortgage gives great, specific advice for what to check in your appliances and mold:

Appliance Breakdown

  • “Make sure your oven heats up without smelling like gas.
  • Run the dishwasher through a full cycle. You may want to toss in a dirty dish to make sure it comes out clean and undamaged.
  • Turn the washing machine and dryer on and off.
  • Run water in all of the drains to make sure they drain out and don’t clog.
  • Make sure there aren’t any strange smells coming from the running water.
  • Run the garbage disposal if the home has one.
  • Open and close the garage door. Make sure it opens and closes only when you use the correct key or code.
  • Run your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system on both the heating and air-conditioning modes. Make sure the home heats up or cools down in a reasonable amount of time.
  • Arm and disarm the home’s security system if it has one. Confirm that only the correct code or key can activate the system.
  • Flush every single toilet to make sure they work well. Verify that the water shutoff valves near the base of the toilets also work.
  • Run the water in your showers and sinks. Make sure the water gets hot and cold in a reasonable amount of time, check the water pressure in the shower and confirm that your bathtub holds water when you plug the drain.”

Mold

  • “Pay special attention to toilet bases and around the drain of your bathtub or shower.
  • Open your sink cabinets and check for mold around your sinks as well.
  • Inspect the base of the refrigerator and sinks.
  • Check the bottom of your dishwasher and the bottom of any kitchen doors that lead outside.”

Final Consideration

  • Has the house been left vacant for any period of time?
    • A vacant house can cause some outlier issues. If the house has sat empty, additionally test water lines and piping.

The Bottom Line

A Final Walkthrough is for you, as the buyer, to analyze the home and guarantee it’s still in the condition you agreed to purchase it in. Take your time, pay attention to detail, and take you Romanski Group Realtor with you so they can be an extra help!

This article is inspired by posts from Trulia and Rocket Mortgage.

For up-to-date information on YOUR Indiana area neighborhood or a FREE Seller Consultation – call The Romanski Group at (765) 293.9300.  Using an experienced team is the way to get your home ‪SOLD‬! You deserve the BEST Real Estate Team in the Lafayette Indiana area!