The final walkthrough is the last moment anything can be raised while you still have leverage. Conduct it after the seller has moved out and with enough time before closing that a problem can be addressed. Run every system, photograph everything, and raise any issue in writing before you sign.
Treated as a last look at a property you have already decided to buy. It is also the last moment anything can be raised while you still have leverage.
The final walkthrough is treated by most buyers as a formality — a last look at a property they have already decided to buy, days before they own it.
It is the last moment at which anything can be raised while you still have leverage, and it is worth taking seriously for exactly that reason.
Not a second inspection. Three specific things.
Confirming the property is in the condition you agreed to buy it in. Nothing has broken, been damaged during the move, or deteriorated since you last saw it.
Confirming agreed repairs were completed, and completed properly rather than superficially.
Confirming what is present. Fixtures, appliances and anything the contract said would remain.
As close to closing as possible, and after the seller has moved out where that applies.
A walkthrough conducted while a house is still furnished tells you very little. Furniture conceals floors, walls and damage, and an empty property reveals a great deal that a full one does not.
Allow enough time before closing that a problem can actually be addressed. A walkthrough two hours before signing gives you no practical options.
Run every system rather than looking at it. Heating and cooling in every zone. Every faucet, hot and cold. Flush every toilet. Run the dishwasher and any appliance staying with the property. Open and close every window and door, including the garage.
Look where furniture was. Floors, walls and carpet under and behind what has been removed frequently show damage nobody mentioned.
Check the ceilings and under sinks for staining or fresh water marks that were not there before.
Test the systems that were part of the sale — irrigation, security, automation, generator, pool equipment. Bespoke systems in particular, since these are expensive and the seller is the only person who knows how they work.
Confirm that agreed repairs were done, and ask for the invoices. An invoice tells you who did the work and whether it was a proper repair or a patch.
Count what should be there. Light fittings, appliances, window treatments, and anything specifically listed in the contract. Items being removed and replaced with cheaper equivalents is a recurring problem.
Of everything, systematically, with timestamps.
It costs ten minutes and it settles any dispute afterward about whether something was already broken. Buyers who skip this and discover a problem the following week have no evidence and no leverage.
Raise it immediately, before closing, in writing.
Your options depend on the contract and the jurisdiction, but they generally include delaying closing until it is resolved, holding funds in escrow pending repair, or negotiating a credit at closing.
All of those disappear the moment you sign. After closing, a defect that existed beforehand becomes a claim rather than a negotiation, and claims are slow, expensive and frequently unsuccessful.
The pressure at this stage is entirely toward proceeding. Movers are booked, funds are in position, everyone wants it finished.
That pressure is exactly why the walkthrough gets rushed, and exactly why it should not be. An hour spent properly, days before closing, is the cheapest protection in the whole transaction.
Three things: confirming the property is in the agreed condition, confirming agreed repairs were completed properly, and confirming that fixtures and items due to remain are present. It is not a second inspection.
As close to closing as possible and after the seller has moved out, but with enough time that a problem can actually be addressed. A walkthrough two hours before signing gives you no options.
Damage revealed once furniture is removed, systems that were never actually run, bespoke equipment nobody demonstrated, and fixtures swapped for cheaper equivalents. Run everything rather than looking at it.
Yes, systematically and with timestamps. It costs ten minutes and settles any later dispute about whether something was already broken.
Raise it in writing before closing. Options generally include delaying closing, holding funds in escrow, or negotiating a credit — and all of them disappear the moment you sign.
A select network of the nation's most accomplished luxury real estate professionals.