Throughout the home purchasing process, there are a number of key milestones that you need to be aware of. One that is particularly important, though, is the final walk through of the property.
While the final walk through is not the same thing as the home inspection, it does provide you with the opportunity to go back through the property and look over everything in order to ensure that all is in the condition in which you agreed to buy.
It is also a good time to make sure that all of the agreed-upon repairs with the seller – if there were any – have been properly made, and that nothing has gone wrong with the property since you last looked at it.
Depending on the size of the property, the final walk through can typically take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. While you may be excited about closing and tempted to just skip the final walk through, this is never a good idea, as unexpected issues can – and do – sometimes come up.
A list of items that should be checked while you’re on the final walk through should include the following:
- Turning on and off light fixtures
- Running all water faucets and checking underneath sinks for any leaks
- Testing all appliances
- Closing and opening all doors
- Flushing all of the toilets
- Turning on and off all ceiling fans
- Checking the garage door opener
- Running the garbage disposal
- Turning on all exhaust fans
- Opening and closing all windows
- Inspecting the ceilings, walls, and floor for any leaks and / or cracks
In addition, it is typically required in the standard real estate contract that the property be left in “broom swept clean” condition. This means that the home should be emptied of everything and, at a minimum, be swept clean once the seller’s belongings have been moved out.
Sellers and the Final Walk Through
As a seller, it will be important that you prepare your home for the new buyer to come through, as well. This can be done by ensuring that all inspections have been made as required, and that the property has been left in as clean a manner as possible.
If you do have the chance to meet the new buyers at the time of the final walk through, this is a good time to answer any questions that they may have. It can also be a good time to provide them with a forwarding address so that they can send you any mail.
What To Do If Everything’s Not OK?
Why the walk through matters for buyers and sellers – If a problem does arise at the final walk through, it should be addressed immediately. In most cases, you will have to sign an acknowledgement form stating that you are satisfied with the results of the walk through. Therefore, your real estate agent should be notified as soon as possible regarding any potential issues.
If you’re thinking about buying or selling in the near future, give us a call. We can provide you with information on what your home is worth in today’s market, and details on what properties are available in the Western Slope area.