First Time Home Buyer's Guide to the Final Walk-Through

 If it's your first time to buy a house, you probably know that towards the closing period, things can get pretty hectic. It's because of this fact that many people end up skipping the final walk-through. Let's say that you looked through Rockwall homes for sale. You finally made an offer on a Rockwall real estate property that you liked. The seller accepted your offer, you have the house inspected, and you move towards closing the sale. Some people trust that the issues of the house will be revealed during the home inspection. (honest bob)

This is true to some extent, but the fact is that there are many things that could happen from the point where home inspectors inspected the house and the time when the final walkthrough should be done. Especially if the house is still occupied during the sale, which is usually the case. Occupied homes sell faster than unoccupied ones. Skipping on the final walkthrough is not exactly a wise thing to do because the whole point of the walkthrough is to make sure the house is in the condition that you agreed to buy it in before money and documents exchange hands.

Here are a few things you should check during the final walk-through. It would be best if you made a list and check items off one by one as you go through the house.

1. Included appliances - In some instances, there are appliances that come with the house, like the garbage disposal system, dishwasher, microwave, and the likes. since you agreed to purchase the house with the idea that the included appliances are working as expected, it would be best if you checked all of them during the final walkthrough.

2. HVAC systems - Between the time when the home inspector inspected the house and the final walkthrough, some of the major systems could have broken down. Checking the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems is an important part of the final walk-through process.

3. Walls and floors - Some parts of the walls and floors may have been damaged when the seller moved out. Or some damages may not have been visible while the seller's furniture and appliances were still in place.

4. Repairs - As part of the closing process, it's possible that you may have agreed that the seller would shoulder some repairs to the house. The final walkthrough will be the best time to check whether the repairs have been done or not.

5. Doors and Windows - Checking the hinges, the materials, knobs and locks is important because you need to know whether you should have anything replaced before you move in. It's also for your safety if you make sure that all the doors and windows are secured before you take possession of the house.

You probably will be swamped with a lot of things to do during the closing process. There's so many paperwork to be done, so many documents to read through. However, taking the time to do the final walkthrough will save you from many headaches in the future.

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