 | Robert Cobb is Managing Broker/Owner of CENTURY 21 Cobb Realty in Pittsburg, KS. He is a life-long resident of Pittsburg and a PSU graduate with a BS in Business Administration. He has been in the real estate field for 23 years. He is currently a KAR Director and the President of the Pittsburg Board of Realtors. |
Real Estate
2012-01-26 15:46:16
What you need to know about the final
Q: We are in the process of buying our first home. Can you tell me the purpose of the final walk through and how it is handled?
A: Before the closing of your new home, typically five-seven days before closing, you will have the opportunity to do a final walk. Although some people are so anxious to get into their home that they want to forego the walk-through, there are many good reasons that you should take the opportunity to take a final look.
• It is your last chance to verify
sellers have upheld their side of
the bargain
• You still have the leverage to get
agreed upon things completed
The walk-through is not another home inspection, or a time to negotiate for repairs. The main purpose of your inspection is to verify that the home is being conveyed to you in the condition agreed upon in the contract.
Use this Time to Assure:
• The property has not been
damaged since you agreed to buy
it
• All required repairs have been
satisfactorily completed or are in
the process of being done
• The items that the seller agreed
to leave have not been removed
• All items that the seller agreed to
remove are gone
Here are Some Things to Consider
Be sure to give the process the time it deserves and look at it from the perspective of someone less emotionally involved. Excitement can cause us to overlook many things! As you conduct your walk-through:
• Refer to your purchase contract
as you look at the property rather
than relying on memory
• Start with the outside of the
property and work your way
through the home from top to
bottom
• Check major systems and
appliances to assure they are in
good working order
• Check attic and basements/crawl
spaces, looking for discarded
items and potential problem areas
• Inspect walls and floors for any
damage that may have occurred
when the sellers moved or that
may not have been obvious when
you originally looked at the home
• Check the condition of windows,
doors, sprinklers, gutters and
landscaping
If you are not comfortable doing the walk through alone, consider having a home inspector or your real estate agent accompany you. Also, be sure to make a checklist of issues that still need to be resolved to meet the conditions in your contract. Bring this list to your agent’s attention so they can help facilitate remedies. Ideally, everything is done before closing, but if not, don’t worry. It is common for buyers and sellers to agree on an amount of money to be held in escrow for repairs to be completed following closing.
Congratulations on your new home!
