Final Walk-Through: Check!

Don't skip your final walk through before the purchase of your new Las Sendas home in Mesa.

Mesa home buyers who are tempted to pass on their final walk through, because they are either too busy or too excited, should take a moment and reconsider. While the final walkthrough is not a home inspection, it is an important aspect of the home-purchase and closing process. The purpose of the final walk-through is to ensure that the home you are about to purchase, is still in the condition you have agreed upon and if repairs that were to be completed got done. There are two different final walk-through scenarios: the vacant home and the home that is still occupied.

A Mesa home that has been vacant for an extended period of time is more susceptible to problems than one which is occupied. Actually, it can be a great opportunity to do a walk through in a home that is still occupied. Take the seller along for the ride and pick their brains. Is there anything curious about the house, the water pipes, is there anything about the house they wish they would have improved or always dreamed of remodeling? These tidbits are great information that can clue you in about the health of the house. You may also want to ask the sellers for their new address in case you need to make contact or send forwarding mail.

If the Las Sendas house has been vacant, you can ask your realtor if the seller is available for the final walk-through. A history of the property can be invaluable. Regardless of whether the home is occupied or not, plan to invest 30-60 minutes of your time and consult a checklist (which you made in advance of course) to ensure you hit all the important points:

Turn all the light fixtures on and off and make sure they work fine and nothing flickers.
Open and close all doors and windows.
Flush all the toilets and check for leaks or clogs.
Run every faucet in the home, make sure nothing leaks, drips or pools around the base, also check the piping under the sink.
Do a visual inspections of ceilings, walls and floors.
Give the garbage disposal and exhaust fans a test run.
Check closets, storage and garage for any items left behind by the previous owners.
Check screens and storm doors.
Examine the outside of the home, especially if monsoon storms have blown through the area lately.
Open and test all major appliances.
Check the air conditioning and heater.
Lastly make sure that all repairs that were agreed upon have been completed and that nothing has been removed that the seller agreed to leave behind.

It is easy to get carried away during the final walk-through and dream about furniture placement and wall colors, but take your time to really walk through your future home with your eyes open. Should you encounter problems or issues with the house, you can postpone closing. Your East Mesa real estate agent can help you to figure out the best way of proceeding. Once you are done with your final walk-through: relax. You just got yourself an awesome new home.

The Trails and Paths team is always available to assist you with all your real estate needs and answer your questions. Contact us today at 480-355-4700 or email us at [email protected] for more information.