Closing day is a little like Christmas morning—you wake up, and you just know that it’s going to be an exciting, life-changing day! But, before you get caught up in that much-deserved excitement, there’s something you need to do to make sure that all goes smoothly. Final walkthroughs are absolutely vital, and in our opinion, they’re one of the things that get most overlooked or breezed thorough in the process, which can result in an absolute tragedy for buyers. Why is it so important? After all, your buyers already know that they like the house, and they likely already took measurements for everything earlier on to make their moving plans. What could possibly be left? Turns out there’s a lot, and here are our top 5 things to make sure you look for as you go on your own final walkthrough so that you make the most of your time and don’t have a bad experience that you can’t remedy after signing the papers.

1. There is no new damage to the house.

According to most contracts, at least in Georgia, when a buyer submits an offer and the seller accepts, that means that all parties are guaranteeing that the condition of the property will be the same on closing day as it is when the agreement was made. In other words, if anything new happens to the house—a leak, a tree falling through the house, etc,-- the seller will need to correct these issues before the buyer is obligated to purchase the home. Because of this, while you are doing your final walkthrough, you will want to make sure that the house looks fundamentally the same as when you agreed to purchase it. Quick items to check are no new roof leaks, no crazy new damage (made by an angry tenant or homeowner), and plumbing leaks. When we say this, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be looking for items such as where a tv was mounted to the wall and get upset because there are still marks. There’s an element of judgement that will need to be made here so that everyone can get what they want. We just want to make it clear that you should exercise your right as a buyer to make sure that there are no crazy, recent surprises that make the house different than it was when you submitted the offer. 

2. Everything promised on the Property Disclosure or written into the contract is still there:

One of the many reasons that a seller should complete a property disclosure when selling a house is so that the buyer and seller have equal expectations for what will be left and what will be taken with them when they move out. Most notably, appliances appear on this list and thus inform the buyer as to what they will need to be prepared to purchase when moving into the home. When you are doing your final walkthrough, you will want to confirm that there were no errors made by moving trucks or anything like that which has disrupted your agreement with the sellers as to what they promised to leave. Major items to check for are the fridge, any pieces of furniture that you were promised, and any attached items such as televisions or safes. 

3. Repairs have been made:

One of the most important steps to getting to the closing table is making sure that all promises are kept on all sides. For buyers, this means turning in earnest money and paying for an appraisal and any other items that they have promised to do. For sellers, this means keeping the property in the same condition that was promised and also agreeing to make any repairs that they agreed to make during the due diligence period. While it is common for receipts from workmen to be provided in order to show that these items have been completed, it is also smart to make sure that the repairs still look good right before closing and have been completed to the standard of the contract. 

4. Make a moving plan.

While you’ve no doubt been looking through the pictures of the house constantly, seeing it in person is the perfect opportunity to really solidify your moving plans. Which rooms will need to be set up first? Are there going to be any big pieces that you will need to bring in first or any logistics that need to be addressed that might be surprising? While finding out that your couch might not be easy to carry up the stairs is not a reason to break a contract, the more time you can have to find solutions the better for a smooth moving day! 

5. Take final measurements:

Similar to the previous item, this is not going to be a line item that makes or breaks a contract, but it is a smart idea to take advantage of another trip to the house by making sure that you know as much about it as possible. Will your kitchen table fit in the breakfast nook? Will your l-shaped couch look good in the living room? After all, there’s no use spending time and money moving large pieces of furniture that won’t match your new space, so it’s a much better idea to do your research and make sure that you know what is going on than it would be to just hope it all works out. 

Thank you so much for reading this article on how to make the most out of your final walkthrough. If you have any other questions that we can help you answer or need help with anything else real-estate related, please reach out to us by either sending us a message through the chat feature of this website or by calling or texting 678-242-9981. We can't wait to meet you and help you find your dream home!