A Walk Through is a final inspection of a home just prior to closing, in fact just hours prior to closing.

No more than 24 hours, preferably within 2 hours of your closing a walk through must to be performed. And it must be performed by the buyers Realtor and all buyers involved. And the second rule is that the property has to be 100% empty at that point.

If you are a buyer and don’t get why this is important, then read on. Furniture, boxes and other objects can cover may issues. You absolutely must be able to investigate the home one final time, in it’s empty state. Why? To see if anything has changed since you last saw it.

Case in point, a friend of mine a few years bought a home in Wilmington NC. The Realtor took them on the final walk through just a few hours prior to closing. The house was still full of boxes and so they were unable to really get in and see anything. In fact it was packed with boxes! They went to closing, signed all of the paperwork, and got the keys and went right to their new home. What did they find? Cat urine in bedroom carpets, so bad that they could not save it and even had to pull the sub-flooring below the carpet. Who paid for this? The buyers did, because they accepted the home as they saw it in the walk though. The walk through is to identify issues PRIOR to closing. These issues can get resolved before closing if found. Once the contracts are signed the buyer is out of luck.

Another reason buyers must inspect properties close to closing, is that anything can happen within the forces of nature. A tree can fall down on the home, winds can loosen shingles on a roof, or any number of other scenarios. Who pays for that? The person who owns the property the day the mess is discovered. If it is found prior to closing the seller will do the repairs and more than likely they will have insurance to cover it.

Did the sellers leave the appliances, lighting and other things that were a part of the contract? Did they dig up plants or trees? Did they leave a mess?

If the buyer discovers any of these things after closing, then the buyer does the repairs, or lives with the missing items. Do you as a buyer really want to start home ownership with repairs and a fight with a new insurance company?

So you may be tempted to think, “I can’t jeopardize moving day. I have the moving truck on the way.” Well, isn’t one more day or two worth having the home the way you want it PRIOR to moving in? Think about that.

Always do a walk through as close to closing as possible, and always inspect the property when fully empty. As buyers performing the due diligence really does involve this point. Always insist on a walk through with an empty property the day of closing, hopefully within just hours of closing time. Doing so can save head aches on moving day.

What is your Realtor doing to protect your interests?

Jerri McCombs, Contributing Writer and Photographer