The happiest moment when buying a house is when you are handed the keys at the closing table. Here are a few things my clients and I check during the final walk through:
- Appliances – Make sure all appliances are working. YOu probably didn’t turn them on when you initally were looking at the house; you may have tried them at the inspection, but make sure you do it again. Turn on the stove and oven, start the microwave, check the fridge to make sure it’s on, turn on all the a/c units if it’s not an HVAC system, turn the heat on, turn on the dishwasher & garbage disposal.
- Repairs – make sure all repairs that the seller promised are completed. It is smart to bring a checklist to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
- Termite Treatment – If your home inspector noticed past or present termite damage, make sure the seller has the termite treatment paperwork to hand over to your lender.
- Basement – Check the basement for water. Most times if the basement had no evidence of water in the beginning there will not be water now, but it’s best just to check in case, especially if there recently was a big rain storm.
- General Damage – Check for general damage to the walls, windows and doors. Make sure no new damage has occurred in the house and everything is opening and shutting properly.
- Contract Contingencies – Make sure whatever else the seller agreed to repair that is stated in the contract has been taken care of.
What happens if some things are not repaired or you find new damage? I suggest that my clients call their attorney for advice. Most times things can be resolved quickly unless major damage is found, such as water damage.