You found a home you love, you made an offer, and the offer was accepted. The home inspector is done, the loan is funded and escrow is closing in a few days. However, before you sign and accept the keys, it’s time to do a final walk-through.
The final walk-through is just that – just before closing you walk through the property to make sure it is in the condition it was in the last time you saw it. You want to make sure that there are no unexpected surprises; the fixtures are still in place, the repairs that you negotiated with the seller have been completed, no piles of garbage or debris, and no squatters.
Your real estate agent should arrange this final walk-through about a week before closing. Here’s what you need to know for your final walk-through:
- Take your contract with you, you may need to refer to it while on site.
- Check the status of any agreed upon repairs.
- During the walk-through it is a good idea to test the light switches and receptacles
- Test the HVAC system
- Flush the toilets and check for leaks
- Turn on the water faucets, check for leaks under sink
- Test all the major appliances.
- Open and close all of the windows and doors
- Test the garage door opener.
- Look in storage areas to make sure no trash or unwanted items remain, including old paint cans or hazardous materials
- Do a quick check of the grounds, make sure that all of the trees, bushes and shrubs have not been removed.
It is not uncommon for the final walk-through to take an hour (or longer), however it is a good investment of your time. After all, you don’t want to spend the first weeks in your new home cleaning up or making unexpected repairs.
If you are in the market to buy (or sell) a vacation home in Northern California, Realtors associated with Century 21 M&M look forward to walking you through the process. Rest assured that Century 21 M&M Realtors will do their best to make sure that both Buyers and Sellers are protected during the transaction.
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