Getting the Most from Your Final Walk-Through

ARLINGTON, Mass. - May 12, 2015 - PRLog -- When purchasing a new home, most people opt to order an inspection with a licensed home inspector in order to check for any flaws. But the inspection is not the only chance to identify problems with the house and potentially have them addressed before taking possession and moving in. The final opportunity to negotiate with the seller comes during the final walk-through of the property prior to closing.

If you’re making an offer on a house, an inspection provides you with information about structural, electrical, and plumbing issues that might not be easily identifiable to someone without the proper training. Following an inspection, you may choose to try to negotiate with the seller to fix the problems prior to sale. A list of any such repairs will be included in the purchase agreement for the home, and prior to the final walk-through, you would be wise to look over the list in order to verify that any such repairs have been completed. A walk-through is typically conducted shortly before the close of sale, allowing a small window of opportunity to address further concerns.

You’ll also want to check for any additional problems with the property that might have arisen since the inspection. Here are ten tasks to complete during your walk-through:

1)      Make sure that you have all the keys to the house and any outbuildings, plus the garage door opener and a mailbox key if necessary. You may want to change the locks and codes, but you’ll want to start out with all the keys and mechanisms necessary to access the property.

2)      Verify that all light fixtures work, as well as the major appliances like the refrigerator, stove and oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal, trash compactor, and the washer and dryer, if they were included as part of the sale.

3)      Check smoke detectors and make sure they are operational.

4)      Turn on fans and vents in bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry room to make sure they are working properly.

5)      Run faucets and flush toilets. Don’t forget outdoor faucets. Keep an eye out for leaks or slow drainage. Also confirm that the water heater is functioning adequately.

6)      Check windows and doors to make certain that they are closing, latching, and locking properly.

7)      Run the air conditioning and the furnace to make sure that both systems are working.

8)      Take a tour of the property, both inside and out, and make note of any signs of new damage. Movers can sometimes scratch floor, scuff walls, or chip paint, so make sure you identify any blemishes that weren’t previously visible.

9)      Confirm that all items that were supposed to be left behind (such as window treatments, draperies, and even appliances or furniture included in the sale) are still on the property.

10)  Finally, make sure that the previous owners haven’t left anything behind, including belongings or trash. If they have, it is likely an oversight. Don’t forget to check the basement, attic, garage, and any outbuildings.

If you happen to notice that anything is amiss, once you have completed the walk-through, you should contact your real estate agent and ask that the seller’s agent be notified about any problems you have identified. Remember, once the closing is final, you will have no further opportunities to remediate any problems, so be sure to make good use of your last chance.

Interested in knowing more? Visit www.marklesses.com for more information.