Final Walkthroughs are YOUR obligation

Cindy:

Your story is just one example of why you and your clients should do a final walk through.  Anything can happen, especially if the home is vacant.  I usually visit the house a day before the close just to be sure that all is still well.

I always do a final walkthrough and cannot imagine who would not do one - you just never know what can happen!

Hi Cindy, I have never missed a final walk through with any of my buyers. I couldn't image not doing one. I do have to admit that I don't get on my vacant listings as often as I probably should, But, I plan to remember your blog, so I will be better on those vacant listings in the future.

i always do a final walk through with the buyer.  You never know what will happen.  Ultimately its the buyer's decision to move forward with the purchase, so they should be there too. I have had appliances that were to be included gone or different appliances in their place, repairs that were supposed to be made not done, etc.  Even if it is vacant, always do a final walk through.

I do them every time, without fail...it's a must because you never know what kind of issue could crop up (or fall down).

Cindy -  how many times has the other aegnt asked that we be there -they can't... like it is no biggie...

Cindy, I like to do the walk through right before the closing, and if I am the buyers agent I will take the lockbox to the closing for the listing agent.  It is important to look OUTSIDE the house as well on the foreclosures.  Air Conditioners can turn up missing on the homes that have been vacant for so long.  It pays to be prudent and assume nothing!

This same thing happened to my niece. She was buying a vacant home. The day of the final walk-through, they discoved the entire first floor had water damage. The closing was delayed and the first floor gutted. Now my niece owns a practically new home.

Ah, yes, the best advice. I had one where the electrician put his foot through the ceiling while doing the negotiated repairs. So glad we caught it in time to get it fixed!

I had a buyer a few weeks ago say to me "oh, it's fine, we don't need to do a walkthrough".  Sure, the home was less than perfect, and they were buying in "as is". 

My response "heck, if you don't want to do the walk through, that's fine.  I'm doing it anyway, with or without you".

I really believe I can truly only know what's going on at the settlement table if I've done the walk through myself, regardless of which side of the transaction.

Surely, that's your teams philosophy too.

Cindy - A great story to prove that walk throughs are important.  It makes me concerned that we should do them later in the process. We do them up to 5 days before, and we don't close the same day as signing here but typically 2 - 3 days later, which leaves time for problems.

I agree that the walk-through is an important piece of the process.  We have the buyer sign-off that they are satisfied with the condition of the home, so there are no last-minute negotiations at the closing table.

Our contracts say, "the buyers have a right to walk through, 48 hours before closing."

Right not have to. But, for reasons like you mentioned you SHOULD.

Remember that mold has a short life cycle. You can get a nice growth within just 24 hours if you have moisture and the right conditions. Every time I’ve bought a home, the walkthrough was in the morning and closing at noon or that afternoon. No exceptions. One of my few demands.

Hey Cindy In Indy

Great life experience and a good blog.  Amazing how fast things can go south.  Have a great day!

Oh my gosh, it's so good you did a walkthrough. I had one once where the house had been stripped of the heatpump and furnace the weekend before closing. It was vacant, and the buyers declined a walkthrough at first, then luckily changed their minds.

That is terrifying!  I am getting more and more paranoid about these things being as close to closing as possible.  I used to be okay with doing them a day or two before closing, but now I do it an hour before as a rule.  I have only not done a walk through once, and everything was okay, but never will again.  Reblogging this one!

Cindy, our standard CAR form purchase agreement has a clause prewritten that the buyer can do a walk thru 5 days before closing. I always advise my agents to fill the the alternate time frame - making it as close to closing as possible. In reality 2 walkthrus would be ideal, one at 5 days if there was any work that was to be done, and another one just before.