You found the house, made the offer, everything’s rolling and now it’s time for the final walk through. It’s an important part of the home buying and selling process and is definitely an emotional part of it. The hardest part for an excited home buyer is taking the right amount of time with a final walk through. It’s easy to be anxious to get to closing and moving in, but this last opportunity to view the property is important.
To clarify, a final walk through is NOT a home inspection. That should have been completed long before this point. And we definitely suggest doing the final walk through BEFORE your closing date. However, there are many things that need to be checked in this last once-over of your home. Here’s what we suggest:
- Check appliances – double check anything that stays with the house – dishwasher, refrigerator, garbage disposal, and washers or dryers.
- Turn on heat AND air – yes, it’s awful to blast the heat in 90 degree Tennessee weather. Do it anyway to be sure that both parts of the unit work properly. That’s a large expense you wouldn’t want to overlook.
- Lights/fixtures/outlets – This is when you need to be sure that no light fixtures were removed (unless previously negotiated). Also – check all your outlets! It’s a huge disappointment on moving day to discover a bedroom with no lighting options.
- Faucets – Time to run the showers, check for pressure issues and dripping.
The final walk through should only take about 3-45 minutes but schedule a full hour so that you don’t feel rushed. If you do discover problems, be sure that you act quickly to have them resolved before closing. Be sure to weight the cost of the problem with the “cost” of backing out altogether too. In other words, do you want to lose out on a house over a $300 plumbing fix?
Want more tips and advice on a final walk through? Call DeSelms Real Estate today at 615.550.5565 and talk with one of our experienced REALTORS!