Your New Home: The Final Walk Through

You are almost there! At the end of your home buying journey, you will want to do a final walk through of the property. This final walk through is not mandatory, but it is advised that you make sure to take the time to do one. This walk through should happen right before the close of escrow, and right before the final papers are signed. Although you might think that this walk through is unnecessary, it is important that you do it.

There are several reasons that you should do your final walk through. The first reason is to make sure that the seller has completed any repairs that they agreed to make. You can get receipts for all of those repairs and make sure that they have been completed to your satisfaction. You will also get a chance to make sure first hand that they buyer has continued to maintain the property and not let it get run down or let the lawn get out of hand, etc.. The main point of the final walk through is for you to get a first hand look at the property one last time and to make sure that it is in the same condition as it was when you agreed to buy it.

Please don't make the mistake that a final walk through can or should take the place of a professional inspection. That is not true. You should still have a professional inspection done after any repairs have been made, but the final walk through is just for your benefit to make sure you are satisfied with the condition of the home. Also remember that you always need to do your final walk through after the sellers have completely finished moving out or the tenants have moved out. This way you can make sure that the home was not damaged during the final move out. If there are significant changes to the state of the property since your last inspection, you will need to talk with your agent about the possibility of asking for an additional fee at closing to cover the costs of the damage or repairs that have not been completed. You will usually still need to continue with the closing or you will be in breach of contract and can lose your earnest money, but your agent can help you with how to handle any issues that might arise at the final walk through.

Basically, the final walk through is not one last chance for you to back out of the home purchase. You have already agreed to buy the home. The final walk through is simply a last chance for you and your agent to handle any issues that might have arose since the inspection, or damage, etc that might have been done while the seller was moving out. The final walk through offers protection for you, the buyer, and you should not waive the right to a final walk through. It should not be a time of worry, it is just like one last check up for your new home. If you are having questions about the final walk through process, give Hamid Ali a call today, and he can help you get your questions answered!