The importance of a final walk-thru inspection

Michael I am continually amazed at the amount of people who do not have a final walk-through.  When I am working with buyers I tell them that the walk-through is a requirement, not a suggestion.  MY requirement.  I tell them that is the only way we can be sure that there was no damage done to the home during the sellers move-out and that I will not go to the closing table without it being done.  I have in fact walked through on my own when the purchasers could not do it.  I take photos and a written report/checklist to closing and go over it with my buyer clients prior to them signing.

Thank you for writing this post.

This is mandatory for my staff and a signed walk through list allowing everything is as it should be is  a part of all closed files......(if there is an outside Realtor, they usually won't show up and represent their client or customer which is incredibly unprofessional of their Realtor)

It's also very important as far as liability is concerned for the agents involved.

You can't be too careful.

I like to attend when possible. Some sellers intentionally (sorry but true) conceal things prior to an inspection. Recently a gaping hole under a throw rug in the basement!

Home Inspector Chicago

Mike,

I have in my report that the home buyer should do a final walk through and follow up on any repairs that may have been made to the property. Also to check to see if anything may not be in working order since the inspection. A lot of times it is three weeks to a month after the inspection that the house closes. A lot of things can break during this time.

If I were the buyer I would definitely have a final walk-through. Iwould want to see if items the inspector found in need of repair were indeed repaired and to my satisfaction. Many things can happen to a home from the initial look-around, the inspection, and the final walk-through.

A home purchase is a major decision. You don't want surprises once you move into that new home.

If the buyer is concerned whether or not repairs have been completed, they should be encouraged to have a reinspection after repairs are completed.  Usually this can be accomplished for less than the price of a full inspection.  However, remember that inspections and reinspections are not warranties, guarantees, or insurance policies.

I provide a walk through checklist to my clients, to ensure that they pay attention.  It includes common problems that can occur between the home inspection and the walk thru.  It also provides information about the problems that were found during the inspection.