You’ve done it. You’ve bought a home. After numerous viewings of numerous properties, you found the right house for you and your family. You put in the offer and it was accepted. You had a home inspection performed. You arranged financing and a closing date has been set. That’s a lot of work that’s been done by you and your agent. However, you’re not quite done yet. There’s the final walk through to consider.
Once everything is finalized, it’s a good idea to have a final walk through of your new home. Usually, you’ll want to set this up for at least a week before the closing date but it is best if you can get this arranged for as close to the closing date as possible. This is your last chance to take a final walk through of the home before you take legal possession of the house. Take advantage of this opportunity to get a few things done.
For starters, keep in mind that the final walk through is NOT an inspection. You would have already arranged an inspection and it should be done prior to this point. The final walk through is a chance to ensure that the property’s condition has not changed since your last time in the house. If any repairs were required as per your contract (or as a result of the inspection report), this is your chance to make sure everything was completed.
Take the opportunity to walk around both the interior as well as the exterior of the home. Be sure to turn all light fixtures on and off to ensure they are in proper working order. Bring along a copy of your contract in case you need to refer to it for anything that was included (or excluded).
Check all of the major appliances. Be sure to turn on both the air conditioner and then the furnace to make sure they are working properly.
Turn on all faucets and make sure there are no leaks under sinks (don’t forget to turn the faucets off when you’re done!). Take a minute and head into the garage and test the garage door openers.
By taking the time to do a thorough final walk through, you will help to eliminate any issues in the first few weeks after you move into the home. After all, you’ll be busy enough unpacking and getting settled into your new home.
