A Final Inspection is Always Necessary

You’ve found the perfect home to purchase. The sellers have even agreed to your offer. The mortgage loan has been approved and you are ready to close. Don’t forget the simple but imperative next step before your actual closing…the final walk thru!
Firstly, along with your Realtor, insure that everything that the sellers were supposed to leave, they actually left. If the window treatments were included in the contract, you are entitled to them. If the sellers forgot, and accidently removed them, they need to bring them back or replace them before closing. This may seem obvious, but simple mistakes like this happen more often than one would imagine.
Next, check that the repairs that were negotiated after the initial building inspection were actually completed. Obviously, for any major repairs, your attorney should receive copies in advance of the paid work orders. However, small repairs should be inspected and approved. If promised repairs are not completed, they should to be handled before closing, while the seller still the motivation to correct them quickly.

Look for damage that may have occurred after your contract signing. Did the movers damage the wood floors or gauge the wall during the move out? Are the locks working the same as when you inspected the home?
Bring a portable hairdryer and spot check as many electrical outlets as you have time to. Flush every toilet and run all sinks and showers to insure proper pressure and hot water .Believe it or not, I once found a homeowner that changed a shower head before closing, but we uncovered it simply by running the shower and observing low pressure.

Run the dishwasher, washer and dryer. Put on the stove and oven. Make sure all are heating at expected rates. Trust me, a small amount of time well spent will save you problems and frustrations later.
Your Realtor does this type of walk thru many times a year. He or she will work with you to complete all these visual and physical inspections. Your attorney can help negotiate any “surprises”.

The earlier you can do your final walk thru before closing, the better. It will give your agent and attorney time to track down the sellers and their agents to correct any issues. Never do the final inspection before the seller has completely moved out. The process of the actual move is often where the greatest damage occurs.