Final Walk-Through Inspection

Imagine the situation. You've concluded the deal that you've spent that last month working on. Everything is great, the house is perfect, you've negotiated what repairs need to be finished and your going to move-in in two weeks time. Everyone is happy; so you sign the contract and two weeks later you move in to the house of your dreams. Then you begin to cry.

What has happened is that the repair are not done, the house is a compete mess and its going to take you ages and a lot of money to sort it all out. What has gone wrong you may ask? Well what you have done is committed one of the most common mistakes; you didn't have a final walk through to check that everything was on track and going smoothly!

The final walk through is one of the most fundamental pieces in the real estate buying jigsaw puzzle. Although we would like to believe everything that we hear and trust strangers, you can't afford to do this with real estate. Consider this scenario: A young couple, Allan and Pauline are traveling through a South American country. They need to exchange their American greenbacks for the local currency. They can't believe their luck when a friendly local stops them on the street and offers to exchange the currency with no commission. They hand over fifty U.S; the friendly local hands back a thick wad of money. Allan and Pauline recognize the bill, so they assume that everything is good and they have got the best deal. Exchanging a pleasant goodbye the two parties go their separate ways. Hours later Allan pulls out the money to pay for dinner. He is shocked to discover that of the thick wad only the top and bottom papers were real; the rest were blank. The moral of the story is that if they had checked the money before going their separate ways they would have caught the person trying to fleece them before it was too late.

Whilst the above is an elaborate story it emphasizes the point that merely accepting things on face value, or taking the word of someone whom you are not really familiar with is not a good idea, and you should have everything written down legally before you commit to any deal.

It is generally a good idea to go on a walk through with your realtor or real estate agent no earlier than five days before you expect to close any deal. Whilst a final walk through is usually not a problem with the majority of sellers, you should non the less have your right to a final walk through again written into any contract, so that there are no problems. If you are refused a final walk through, then you should seriously consider the contract on offer and look at the reasons why you are not allowed to have a final look at the property before you purchase it. Never sign a deal until you are 100% happy with it.

Everyone has their own idea on what the final walk through should incorporate; usually based on what they asked for in the contract, however below is an itinerary of a possible inspection:

Outside the House

You should start your final walk through outside your 'new' property. Examine everything that you asked to be looked at. Check everything thoroughly and if everything is good then you have noting to worry about. If there are still some faults that need repairing make sure that they were pointed out in the contract that you both signed and that they will be completed before you take ownership. Things that you should make an effort to look for include the following:

Broken windows Dirty guttering Un-mowed lawn Unfinished driveway

The garage

If your new home has a garage you should make sure that it has been cleaned out, as you would have mentioned in the contract. If there are still items in there, then get assurances that they will be removed before the hand over date. Also make it a priority to check if the garage door actually open and closes freely.

Bottom floor of the house

The bottom floor of the house (assuming that it is not a bungalow) will contain lots of rooms; each of which will need to be checked individually. Start in the living room and make sure that all the carpets that are staying (they may not be part of the deal) have been shampooed and all the furniture that you are expecting to stay is still there.

You should look for signs of untidiness and make sure that you have a tick list of everything that you asked to be cleaned or fixed, so that as you go through each room you can tick it off the list to make a new list of what has and hasn't been done.

After the living room check any downstairs washrooms. Make sure they are clean and smell fresh. Check that new paint has been put on the walls, if that is what you have asked for.

The kitchen is one of the most important parts of any home and you should make sure that all fixtures and fittings have been tightened and cleaned. Again make sure that what you have asked to be cleaned or fixed has been done and if not then make a note of these items that still need work. Certainly make sure that the counter tops are clean and hygienic

Second (and third floor)

The sleeping areas of any property should be checked to make sure that they are fresh and clean. Check for any cracked or damaged windows, and that all furniture is still in the rooms that you purchased with the property

After looking at the bedrooms check the bathroom. Again basically look to make sure that it is clean and any faults have been fixed. Make sure that the faucets and showerheads are tight and working properly,

Attic