The final walk through is one of the last steps in the home buying process before buyers and sellers go to closing. A final walk through of a home for sale in Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Locust Grove, or anywhere else allows the buyers to go through the home one last time before they purchase and make sure that it is in the same or better condition than what was noted in the contract. It usually happens a few days before closing. As a seller, you can help to make sure that the final walk through runs smoothly and closing isn’t delayed by doing the following.

Final Walk Through Checklist

  • Repairs are completed. Any repairs that you agreed to fix for the buyer should be completed. Plan on giving any receipts (keep a couple for yourself too) that you get from the professionals who did the repair work to your real estate agent. Your agent will pass them on to the buyers.
  • Plan on being moved out before the final walk through. It always takes longer to move out of a home that anticipated. Give yourself a deadline a few days before the actual closing date. This gives you a bit of a cushion if something delays your moving.
  • Contact the utilities. Make sure to call your utility companies and set up transfer dates for the day closing. Some utility companies won’t allow buyers to set up their new accounts until the seller has contacted them first.
  • Clean up the house. Even if you are a tidy person, moving drags dirt into a home and makes things dusty. Plan to do one final cleaning once you are moved out; give the floors one last vacuum. Wipe down the inside of the refrigerator and freezer. Check cabinets to make sure items haven’t been left behind.
  • Leave any helpful information for the new owners. Pick one drawer in the kitchen to leave any manuals you might have for appliances in the home, garage door openers or mailbox keys.
  • Don’t leave your unwanted stuff. Unless it’s been discussed and added into the contract, do not plan on leaving anything in the house. The new buyers may not need the spare bedroom mattress or your bookcase. If you don’t want it, look into donating these items to a local charity. It’s not the new homeowners’ job to deal with your leftovers.
  • Communicate with your agent. Let’s say that while you are moving out, a box falls and a bottle of wine inside spills and stains the carpet. Maybe the movers make a dent in the door as they are moving out. Let your Realtor® know about these things, so he can help you best address the situation. Having a plan in place to correct the issues will cut don’t on the surprise of the buyer’s finding these things out during the final walk through.

Following these suggestions will help to make the final walk through for the buyers an easier task. The end goal is for everyone to get to closing on time and be excited about the sale of the home.

Curious to know what buyer’s are doing during a final walk through? Find out here.