Final walk throughs, a buyer’s last visit to a home before purchasing it, are important.  They are exciting because the buyers are only a few days away from moving into the home.  However, a final walk through isn’t just another chance to see the Locust Grove home, it is also the buyer’s opportunity to make sure that everything is functioning properly.  Here are three things buyers should be looking for during a final walk through.

Verify home inspection repair items

Did the sellers agree to fix the broken electrical outlet identified at the home inspection?  Did a window need to be replaced?  Now is the time to make sure that all repairs have been completed.  During the walk through of a Locust Grove home, buyers and REALTORS® will look at the items on the list and verify the repair is completed.  

Sometimes bigger repairs happen after the closing because of cost.  In this case, as a buyer, you want to make sure to have an addendum reflecting the commitment to the repair as well as documentation from the contractors doing the repair.

Check home systems and appliances

It is the responsibility of the sellers to deliver a home to the buyers that is in the same condition as it was during the home inspection.  This means that if the stovetop was functioning during the home inspection, it should also be working during the final walk through.  The buyers should turn on the water in sinks and baths, verify that the heat or a.c. turns on, make sure that the lights in all rooms are working, and that any other appliances are working properly.  

Look in closets

In the hustle of moving out, sometimes sellers forget items.  I’ve found boxes that were meant to be moved left in closets or even some things in a bottom drawer of the kitchen.  When these items are discovered during the final walk through, your REALTOR® can pass this info along to the seller’s agent and coordinate a pick up time.  

What happens if something wasn’t repaired or is broken?

If something on the agreed upon home inspection repair list was not fixed, then your REALTOR® will coordinate with the seller’s agent on how to get the item repaired.  If you discover something in the home that does not meet the same condition as the home inspection, your REALTOR® will work with the seller’s agent to get the item repaired.  Doing the final walk through a few days before closing provides the seller and buyer with time to repair the item or come to an agreement about when the item will be repaired.  For example, if a larger issue occurs like a pipe bursting in an empty home a day before the walk through, then the seller may need more time to complete the repair and this can be added to the home selling contract.  In some situations, a title company can hold an escrow account from the sellers for the costs of the repair so that the buyers can still move forward with the purchase of the home.