5 Tips For Performing a Final Walk-Through

The final walk-through is an important stage of the home buying process. It's not something that you should rush through. Remember, there's a good chance that the house you are buying is going to be the biggest purchase that you ever make. The last thing you want to do is buy a house only to find there are all kinds of issues that require costly repairs. And don't just breeze through the walk-through because you think the home seller is a person of their word and would never sell you damaged property -- this may be true, but even the seller may have overlooked potentially serious problems. The following are five tips to keep in mind when performing a final walk-through of the house you are about to purchase.

   Check for previous problems - Make sure that the seller has fixed all of the problems that were previously noted during the home inspection and that the seller has agreed to fix. You should check not only to see if the issue was addressed but if it was fixed properly. 

   Check for new problems - Check both the interior and exterior of the property for any potential new problems. Do a visual check of the home's siding and roof to make sure there is no new damage. Go through the home and turn on all the lights to make sure that they are working. Open and close all the doors and windows to make sure they are operating properly. Turn on the water on all the faucets and shower heads and flush all the toilets. You should also make sure that you bring your phone and a charger with you. Plug it into every outlet in the house to make sure all the outlets are working. There's nothing more aggravating than moving into a house and realizing that some of the outlets aren't working.

   Check for left behind items - Sellers will often leave behind things that they don't want, hoping that you'll either use it or get rid of it yourself, such as old furniture, paint cans and more. Make sure that the entire house is clear and double check all of the storage spaces for any left behind items.

   Schedule two different walk-throughs - First of all, never do a walk-through on the day of the closing. This could really cause problems if you find any issues during the walk-through and could delay the closing. It's usually recommended that you do two different walk-throughs, one a week before the closing and one a day before the closing. This allows the seller to fix any problems that you may have found on the first walk-through and gives them plenty of time to do so. Then, you can do the final walk-through the day before the closing to make sure that the seller addressed all the issues you brought up.

   Don't be surprised at missing items - There are some items that a seller might remove from the house that you may have thought were included. This is why it's important to communicate clearly with the seller about what comes with the house as well as why you should have a real estate agent working closely with you. Some of the things that you may have thought were included in the house but that you discover to be missing during your final walk-through could include home appliances (such as the refrigerator or washer and dryer), window coverings, light fixtures (such as pendant lights or chandeliers) and kitchen or bathroom hardware.

The final walk-through is not something that you should take lightly. Be sure to keep these five tips in mind when performing a final walk-through of the house you are about to buy.