After all the time and effort put into your search, you have finally found the home of your dreams (or at least one in your price range that you can easily be happy about). They made an offer to have the house inspected and soon it will be time to close it.
But before doing so, be sure to take one final tour of the house to ensure that any agreed changes and improvements have been made. Here’s why final viewings are important and what to look for before closing a property an article by Terri Williams on BobVila.com.
Why it is important to take one last tour
If you’ve already inspected the house, you may be wondering why you need to make another pass through the house before closing it. In short, because you want to make sure that any necessary improvements that you and the seller agreed upon after the inspection is actually done.
“We have probably not been home since the inspection. The purpose of the tour is to ensure that it is in the same condition, to confirm that the agreed work from the inspection has been completed and that everything that is included in the inspection remains at home, ”says Stephanie Minnich, Commercial agent at Falk Ruvin Gallagher team at Keller Williams Realty in Whitefish Bay, WI tells BobVila.com.
What to look for on a final tour
In addition to anything that hasn’t been discussed after the home inspection, here’s a list of other things to look out for, courtesy of Minnich and Betsy Ronel, a licensed real estate seller with Compass in Westchester County, NY, who was also interviewed the BobVila.com article::
- Water should be on and working.
- Luminaires should be available and working.
- Walls, floors, cabinets, doors, windows, garage doors or the outside property must not be damaged.
- Aside from potentially emptier, the house should look the same and be as solid as it was before.
- Look out for unexpected issues, such as damage from a mover or a recent storm that caused water damage.
- Confirm that everything on offer is still in the house. This includes fittings, devices and other agreed items.
- Confirm that all work from the inspection change has been completed. For example, check out the window that needed repair or a new water heater that needed to be installed.
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And if you and the seller have not made an agreement to include the furniture or other items in the house, then all the trash should be gone by the time of the last pass.
What to do if something doesn’t look right
If the home doesn’t live up to your expectations – either because something wasn’t fixed after the inspection, a new problem has arisen, or you discover a defect that the owner previously covered up – it may delay the closure, but in most cases it will stop the sale Not.
“Closing is usually delayed and the buyer’s and seller’s representatives work together to resolve any issues,” explains Minnich. “It can either be resolved quickly or we can work together on a plan to move forward and close the house.”
