7 Things To Check At Your Walk-Through Before You Close The Purchase Of Your New Home
Your final walk-through before you close the purchase of your home is a simple and easy process. Your walk-through should take no more than 20 minutes to complete.
Here is a list you can print and take with you to your walk-through so you don't miss anything.
1. Is the home in substantially the same condition as when you last saw it? 999 times out of 1,000, the house is the same, except the furniture is gone. There are no holes in the drywall, and no meteorites have crashed through the bedroom celiling.
2. The heating and air conditiong systems are in operational condition. IMPORTANT: Do not turn on the air conditioning if the air outside is below 50 degrees. Doing so could cause your compressor to blow. Does
the furnace blow hot air? I negotiate a one-year warranty for the buyers, paid by the sellers, so that you have insurance in place in case your AC doesn't cool the house.
3. Get an electrical outlet polarity checker with you to test any electrical outlets that needed the polarity reversed. You can also use the polarity checker to test your GFI outlets.
4. Run hot and cold water at each faucet. Look under the sinks for water leaks. Look at the water heater. Is there a small puddle of water at the base of the water heater?? If so, the water heater has just failed, and should be replaced at the seller's expense.
5. Take your home inspection summary with you and check to see that any negotiated repairs by the seller have been done. You'll get receipts for work done at the closing table.
6. Are the appliances working properly? Is the fridge cold, and the freezer REALLY cold? Does the 
icemaker operate? Turn on all of the burners on the stove or cook top. Turn on the oven(s). You can test a built in microwave by placing a wet paper towel, or wet tissue in the oven and nuke it for 30 seconds. You will see steam rising from the towel or tissue if the microwave is operating properly.
7. If you are financing the purchase of your house with a mortgage, your home will be 
inspected for termites by a licensed pest control company as a condition of your loan. If termites are found, Virginia contracts say the seller will pay for a termite treatment to kill those nasty critters; Moreover, you will get a one-year guarantee from the termite inspection company. You'll get a receipt for the inspection, and a summary of any treatment at closing.
So there you are. You've got your comprehensive checklist of things to check at your final walk-through. You'll blitz through those items in 20 minutes or less. Then you can go to the title company, sign the loan papers, get your keys, and celebrate!
If you are in the market for a home in Woodbridge VA, give me a call for a list of all homes for sale that fit your wish list. Text me or call 703-677-1120.
If you are driving down the street, and you want to know the price of a home, text the address to me and I'll send the price back to you in a few minutes. 703-677-1120.
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