Why are you scheduling walk through right before closing?

Good morning Patricia. What an excellent post. I don't ever remember a post about walk throughs and it is essential. Anything can happen and often does.

Patricia, i believe in many cases, the deadline and work schedule are to blame for these untimely 'walk-thru' inspections. In addition, the undeniable worry that there might have been a catastrophic water pipe break, or burglary of copper in the case of REO properties. So, I support a final walk-thru inspection just before closing, even if there was a more thorough walk-thru a day before. Things DO happen, and we need to protect our prinicipals if representing the buyers.

For ten years I have done the walk through on the way to the closing table or at the earliest within 24 hours of closing. Never had a problem so far.

Always do walkthrough right before closing.  One time I did a walkthrough and there was a flood inside the home from the storm the night before.  I would not do it any other way. 

Boy does this subject require good timing....good post

Patricia,

Thanks for your helpful suggestions about the final walk through.  On the other hand, if the home inspection never indicated any problems for concern to the buyer(s), then it ought to be OK to have the final walk through near the closing date.

Thanks again,

Andrew

Walk-throughs are necessary and sometimes it takes two, one wheen the Seller or tenant has moved and one the day of closing. Even if the Seller has moved several days before closing, they still have the keys and last minute issues can still arise.

Walk throughs are a great idea for your buyers. But recently with my seller, he just about freaked out. He was so worried they would find something, walk away or whatever. Then I later figured out he was losing money each day that he didn't move forward to his next home which is a rental that he had moved the tenants out of already. Everything worked out! Thanks for the blog!

Most of our walk throughs are either the day before or the day of. It is usually that late before sellers are out of their homes here in our area.  Most of the time it goes fine.

Betty

Patricia, I can go either way on this topic.  In most cases in our area, the seller is moving out the day of the closing.  I always try to encourage them moving out at least one day before because so many people underestimate the amount of time it takes to move out and to clean.  I can't tell you of how many sellers I have seen pulling 'all-nighters' to get all of their stuff out, especially if not being moved professionally.

I once did a walk through the day before and then went back the morning of the closing to remove the lockbox.  The huge palladian window in the two story family room had a large crack in it that was not there the day before.  I was glad to have been there that morning because who would have known if the crack in the window would have occurred before the closing or after the paperwork had been signed.

I have had two other instances where appliances that were in the house the day prior to closing were either missing or swapped out within 24 hours of closing.  In one case, the seller forgot that she included the washer and dryer in the sale and sold them to someone from Craigs List who picked them up after the walk through and before the closing.  In the other case, the sellers switched out their beautiful $2,000 stainless fridge with the 1980's olive green one that was in the garage.  They claimed that 'a' refrigerator was included, not specifically 'which' refrigerator was included.  That is called learning by the school of hard knocks.

It is a custom ( and according to CA RPA) to schedule it 5 days before closing of escrow to have time to check if all is well and negotiate missing or left behind items.