Buying a house is something that requires time, patience, money, and steps. In fact, there will be dozens of steps you must take during the home-buying process, and one of the last ones involves completing a final walk through of the house. Here are three important things you should know about this step.
Why the Final Walk Through Is Important
The final walk through of the house you are buying is one of the last chances you have to fully examine the house before closing. During this last walk through, you will have the opportunity to look at all the details of the house, and this opens up the chance to make final requests to the person selling the house. You should never skip completing this step, and you should not close on the house until you have completed the final walk through.
The Things You Should Look For
When you arrive for the final walk through, you will need to be ready to look at the following things while you are there:
- The condition of the house – When you complete this step, the sellers should be completely moved out, and the house should be ready for you to move in. As you look around, is there junk in the house? Did the sellers forget to take things? Did they clean the house? These are some of the things to look for.
- The items in the house – In most home sales, buyers often ask sellers to leave certain items in the home, such as the appliances. As you walk through the home, be sure the seller left everything he or she agreed to.
- The systems in the house – The final walk through also gives you an opportunity to test all the systems in the home one last time. When doing this, make sure the HVAC system works, and you should also test all the plumbing fixtures.
Your real estate agent should accompany you during this and help you know what else you should look for.
Timing Is Important When Completing the Final Walk Through
The timing of the walk through is important too, and it is something you should aim to do the day before closing. Doing this one day in advance gives sellers time to fully move out and prepare for you to take possession of the home.
There are a lot of steps involved when buying a house, and completing the final walk through is one of the last ones you will do. If you haven't yet started shopping for a house, call a real estate agent to help you find one.