Buying your new home has been an exciting journey and you are almost to the end. It’s time for your final walk-through inspection!
Waypoint Real Estate Group knows that your excitement is building and you are probably daydreaming of how good those shiny new keys are going to look on your keychain. It’s great to be excited but don’t let your excitement blur your vision through your final walk-through inspection.
When you went under contract you most likely hired a professional home inspector. During your final walk-through inspection you want to ensure that all repair work negotiated with your seller resulting from the home inspection has been completed properly. If the repair work was extensive, you can ask your inspector to come back for a re-inspection.
You can use the handy checklist below as a guide to get the most out of your final walk-through inspection.
- Inspect ceilings, walls and floors. Does it look like any damage occurred when the previous owners moved out?
- Turn on and off every light switch. It may seem like a dance party (and dance all you would like) but make sure that if the switches were working at inspection time, they still work now.
- Do a quick test on the heating and air conditioning systems to ensure that they are still in good working order.
- Test garbage disposals and air vents. If there is a switch, flip it!
- Ensure that appliances included in the sale were not removed from the property and that they are still in working order.
- Do a quick check on all the doors and windows (locks too). Do they open, close and lock as you expect?
- Test the outlets. If they worked during inspection, they should work now too. Bring a small appliance with you to test with. A phone charger and phone are small and easy to carry.
- Peek under the sinks while running the water to make sure there are no new leaks to surprise you.
- Run sink and tub water. Flush all toilets too. Make sure any running water is both flowing and shutting off. Is the hot water hot?
- Test the garage door. Don’t forget to try the opener.
- Is there any debris or trash left behind by the seller? Are there any areas that need to be cleaned?
When buying a pre-owned home you can expect some degree of wear and tear, but your final walk-through inspection is your opportunity to ensure that you are buying your new home in the condition you agreed to when you signed the contract.
Another thing to consider is purchasing a home warranty. At this point, if you have not already made that commitment, it’s good food for thought especially during your first year in your new home.
Waypoint Real Estate Group is here to walk with you from beginning to end. Let’s tackle this final walk-through inspection together so that moving into your new home is a great experience with only good surprises! Welcome (almost) home.