FAQ's: Step 9 to Owning Your New Home: The Walk Through
The final walk through - so important to make sure the house is still in the same condition it was when you made the offer! Something many people don't want to bother with and that could be a REAL mistake!
On your way to the settlement table, there is one very important stop you should make. You need to go to the house with your agent to complete the final walk-through.
After your home inspection, there was probably a list of repairs you asked the seller to make. This is your chance to ensure they were completed. Even if there was nothing for the sellers to do, it's a good idea to drop by to ensure the house is in the same condition is was back when you agreed to your price and terms. It's important to make sure that all of the utilities are turned on.
Between the time you ratify a contract with your sellers, there is a lot that can happen.
If it's winter time, the pipes might have frozen. If the house was winterized, there not be any visible evidence until someone turns the whole house water cut off valve to the "on" position. Flush the toilets and turn all of the faucets on or off.
- A hurricane can blow through, dumping a lot of water into the formerly bone dry basement. This may be every sellers' worst nightmare.
- Run all of the appliances to make sure they are still working. Disposals have a way of breaking down during the walk-through. Go figure.
- If there is an automatic garage door opener, check it out. Make sure the sellers left the remote control openers.
- Look for evidence that repairs were made, and there should be copies of the receipts for you to keep.
- Did the movers damage anything moving out the sellers' furniture?
- Is the place reasonably clean? In the DC area, the standard in the contract is not very high. Unless you negotiate a professional cleaning in the contract, the house needs be only "broom clean", and the entire property should be free of trash and debris.
If the sellers did not leave the house as they should, you need not delay the settlement while they get the disposal fixed or have a hauler come for the trash they left behind. You can usually have funds placed in escrow with the settlement office to pay for the repairs, with any unspent funds returned to the sellers. The only catch here is that the lender must approve of the escrow. Another solution is to have the title company make out a check from the seller's proceeds to a home repair contractor who can do the work. Your agent can probably access a list of problem fixers on her I-Phone.
Skipping the walk through is a bad idea, and if you are concerned about the condition of the home, you should arrange it for a day or two before settlement, and if the work wasn't complete, stop back on your way to the settlement table.
If you are planning a move to or from the Washington, DC area, I can help! I am licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. You may call, email or text me at:
Housepat@mac.com, 202-549-5167
Comments(1)