What is a Final Walk Through? Why is it important?

Final walk-throughs are not a home inspection. It’s not a time to begin negotiations with the seller to do repairs, nor is it a contingency. A final walk-through is an inspection performed anywhere from a few hours to five days before closing, and its primary purpose is to make certain that the property is in the condition you agreed to buy — that agreed-upon repairs, if any, were made and nothing has gone wrong with the home since you last looked at it. Buyers are often pressed for time as the day draws near for closing, which means buyers can be tempted to pass on the final walk-through. It is never a good idea to forgo the final walk-through.

Sellers often move out before closing. Ever watch HGTV’s House Hunters and try to guess which home the buyers will choose? Well, we’ll let you in on a secret. It’s the vacant house! Trust us, nine times out of 10, it’s the vacant one. That’s because they film the show backwards, starting with the house the buyer purchased, just before it closes escrow.

Now, in situations where the seller has already moved out, it is even more imperative that buyers conduct a final walk-through. Problems arise when homes sit vacant for any period of time. For example, when termite companies test showers, they plug the shower drain and let the water run. Guess what happens if the termite inspector forgets to remove all the paper over the drain and doesn’t completely turn off the shower handle? A small drip, drip, drip can turn into a flooded bathroom. You don’t want to find out your home is flooded after you buy it.

A final Walk through is an exciting time as you may not have seen your New Home for a while. Bring a measuring tape, paint colours etc to double check that new couch will fit or to plan for painting. Some of our clients like to plan out where their cutlery, glasses and plates will go in the kitchen cupboards.

A Final Walk through is strictly an hour long, so plan ahead if there are certain things you wish to measure or see. Then we always recommend to our client buyers that on Closing Date, even if you aren’t planning to Move in that day… make sure you go inside the home to check all keys are there, and double check that all appliances are working including the washer / dryer if it was included. The seller is responsible (generally) for all chattles – appliances, furnace, a/c etc to be working up until closing date.

If there is anything not working properly, you reach out to your lawyer immediately through email or phone call. Let your Realtor know as well.

Happy Buying!! For more questions & answers on Buying and or Selling Contact Us!

Sonya & Lori, Your Ottawa Property Gals.