When you’re almost at the finish line of the home-buying process, getting a final walkthrough is important. It would help make sure that everything is in order before you move into your new home.

But First, What Is A Final Walkthrough?

As the word suggests, your final walk-through is the last task you do before you become the official owner of the house. It is an essential step in the home-buying process as this allows you to inspect everything before the official closing. It will allow you and the real estate agent to go through the house room by room. Therefore, you should take this seriously. 

Checking the house for the last time gives you the chance to see if any necessary changes or repairs are made after the initial walk-through or home inspection. Before doing this, create a checklist to make sure that you won’t miss anything. 

How Long Will It Take?

The time that will be spent in the walk-through will depend on the size of the house. For most houses that are big, it takes at least an hour depending on if there are many questions the buyer has on the house. While smaller houses can take up to 20 minutes. 

What Should Be On Your Checklist?

Appliances

Check all the appliances. Look for the following:

• Oven – when you go through the house, look for the oven in the kitchen, and turn it on, if it’s heating up and doesn’t smell like gas then it’s good
• Dishwasher – you can check the dishwasher by putting a used plate or mug and running a full cycle to see if it cleans
• Washing Machine and Dryer – check the tubes on the washing machine to ensure it’s not clogged 
• Garbage Disposal – check if the home has one and if the key code is correct upon its close and opening. 
• Toilet – flush the toilet to verify that the water shut-off valves near the base of the work well 
• Shower and Sink – check if the running water is coming out without any issues, if it has an option for hot or cold, if there’s enough water pressure on both the faucet and shower and if the drainage can hold the water.

Inspecting all of the appliances on your walk-through can save you a lot of time, money, and stress.

Purchase Agreement On The Sale

The agreement you both agreed on after you make an offer will state what’s included in the sale. For example appliances, such as chandeliers, ceiling fans, blinds, or other window treatments, etc.

Make sure that the seller has already moved out. Why? First, walking through an empty house will make it easier to move around and see or spot new defects that have accidentally occurred when the previous owner is moving out. And, ensuring that the homeowner has left the property clean and most of all damage free as possible.

Windows, Locks, and Doors

Make sure your home is secure and safe before you move in. You can try and test all the window latches and door locks to make sure everything is working properly. You can also open them to test if they are easy to open or have door sticks (which can be a major hazard in the event of a fire or other emergency). 

Check if any window screens are missing. Additionally, you can equip your home with an alarm system that signals you if a window or exterior door is open. Arm your alarm on all your doors and windows and make sure the sensors are working.

Repairs

Never forget the requests for repairs that you make to the seller. The last opportunity to confirm all these required repairs is through the final walk-through because this will be the last time you can ensure that all repairs are up to your standards and all are in quality work. 

The seller must agree to make repairs before closing. Double-check if all requested repairs have been completed. It’s a bonus when the seller provides all the receipts and warranty of the repair so you can follow up with them if something breaks and is still under the warranty. 

Molds and Pests

None of us wants to have mold in our house. Aside from molds becoming large, it can also be an expensive problem. It can spring up anywhere that is moist so carefully inspect areas that have moisture, like the kitchen and bathroom. 

Pest can move in at any time even if the seller has cleaned the house during the inspection. Make sure there are no critters, rodents, and ants, especially in areas like garbage. You can also check for termites by looking for dry rot, spongy floor, and crumbly timbers that have signs of it. Wood mark bites are also signs of other invaders, such as mice.

Conclusion

Buying a home might sound tedious because of the steps you have to follow. However, this will help make sure that everything is ready before you and your family finally move to your new place.

For instance, the final walk-through will give you the last chance to inspect the house thoroughly and look for house issues, if there are any. Usually, buyers always go through this in good condition as they already fixed all the problems on the initial walk-through. So the best thing to do is to keep a closer look at your checklist thoroughly.

If you still found a problem along the walk-through you can address this to the seller or consult your real estate agent. You can also ask the seller to repair it or delay the closing until all of the issues are addressed. 

In case you want to change or update anything in your new home, you can always do so by discussing the improvements once you finally move into your dream house. As long as you have the budget, you can always consult an expert for these improvements on your house without stress.