07 May The Final Walkthrough – What You Need To Know

The Final Walkthrough

Plan ahead by calling all of your utility companies or use a company like http://www.allconnect.com/ to get everything transferred into your name. The title company will take care of the sewer company for you. If you ask, we can find out from the selling agent which utility companies the previous seller used for services like trash, cable, etc. Don’t worry; typically the utilities will not be turned off immediately when the seller moves out.

You can usually call the day before or the day of closing and not have a gap in service, but on most contracts you can do it anytime prior to closing.

1-4 days before closing we can meet at the house and walk through it, to make sure they did not damage the property, and that they have fixed everything we agreed they would. This can be simply the buyer and the REALTOR®, or the buyer often brings a family member.

Usually, nothing happens at this time, but it’s a nice opportunity for you to measure rooms and decide how you will set up the furniture. If something we have agreed upon in the inspection resolution has not been completed, we will contact the other agent, and get it fixed. In extreme circumstances, if you deem necessary, closing can be postponed until the issue is fixed.

Occasionally when you do your final walk through the sellers will be at the house

This has the potential to make the buyers a little uncomfortable, but that’s the wrong perspective. This is a great opportunity to learn things about the house from the seller. It’s a great opportunity to find out what those leftover paint buckets in the basement go to, find out which neighbor is friendly, and where the garage door openers are.

Take this opportunity to ask the seller about what updates they completed on the home, what they think the home needs, and try to get a list of repair and service companies the seller has previously engaged.

Here are a few items to check during your final walk-through:

• Turn on and off all light fixtures
• Run water and check under sinks for leaks
• Make sure all appliances are working
• Evaluate the garage door openers operation
• Inspect surfaces including all walls for holes, dings, nicks.
• Make sure the Heating and A/C is working properly
• Ensure that all personal items and debris are removed from property

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