What To Expect During a Real Estate Walk Through (For Sellers and Buyers)

What exactly is a walk through and what should happen?

Guest Blog Post by Cara Ameer 

THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WALKING… THROUGH THAT IS.

One of the last pieces that a buyer does before going to closing is to “walk though” the house.  What exactly is a walk through and what should happen?

A walk through is the last milestone prior to closing where a buyer visually inspects the property to ensure what they are buying is in substantially the same condition as when they first saw it, and to check on the completion of any negotiated repairs or replacements that were agreed upon to be made.

Everyone has come a long way from contract offer to acceptance, financing, inspections, getting through the appraisal and now one last check before documents are signed and keys are handed over. 

Because it is one of the last things prior to closing, it can often be a rushed process as sellers are often hurriedly trying to vacate, etc.   This part of the transaction is often the least prepared for and least coached about the proper way to leave a property upon move out:

So, let’s talk about seller and buyer do’s and don’ts:

Sellers:

TIME – Plan ahead and give yourself more time than you think.  Plan to be moved out two to three days BEFORE the closing.  This will give you some extra time for any last minute things that need to be taken care of.  The process often takes longer than what you think.

EMPTY – The house should be completely empty when the buyers walk through.  Buyers are expecting to see a totally VACANT house.  Empty means empty –nothing lingering behind or in “a don’t know what to do with” pile.

CLEAN – Leave the home THOROUGHLY CLEAN and not just surface level clean.  Make arrangements to have the home professionally cleaned once you move out.  The buyers will appreciate it and it is one less thing you will have to take care of.  This also means having carpets professionally taken care of as well.  Don’t forget inside the cabinets and the oven – yes – buyers look inside of that during the walkthrough –even if you last used it a year ago!  Things will be that more exposed in a vacant home setting.

UNWANTED ITEMS – Don’t leave unwanted items behind in the garage or attic – those areas seem to be a repository for things like old paint, doors, broken hoses, tires….. if you don’t want them, the buyer likely does not either.  Make plans to dispose of these things well in advance of your moving day – especially anything deemed hazardous.

MANUALS – Put all manuals for appliances, controls, etc. in one drawer and gather all keys and remotes and have those in one package for the buyer.  Label any keys and where they go – the buyer will appreciate knowing what goes to what doors –especially if all are different.  It is also nice to leave a list of any particular instructions, details about the house, garbage collection day(s), etc. for the buyer.  A vendor list also helpful to leave behind – even if buyer got your list in advance of the closing, being in transition will help to have important information easily accessible.

TRASH – This needs to be taken away BEFORE the walk through, not left behind for the new owner to deal with.  Make arrangements to take to a neighbors or arrange for a special pick up if your closing date is between trash pick-up days.

DAMAGE- Move out damage – this can often create stress at the end when a buyer notices a gauge or ding.  If something is damaged during move-out, promptly notify your agent so they can advise the buyer’s agent.  Have a plan in place to get it repaired – this can often happen with movers and walls, floor scratches.  Be sure to take care on surfaces like wood floors.

And one last thing… sometimes floors are faded when area rugs are picked up –be sure to check this BEFORE you put the house on the market 🙂

 

BUYERS – Stay flexible… this may not be a perfect process.

A walkthrough can be a rushed situation as it is right before closing and you have a ton of things going through your mind.  Recommend having your original inspectors come back to check any inspection repairs that were made PRIOR to the walkthrough.  It can be very difficult to check all repairs yourself, even if you have a receipt right before closing.  Some items may be difficult to determine or may not be the most accessible.  Leave this to the professionals that did the inspection in the first place.  There is usually a charge for a reinspection but it is WELL worth it.  Can’t put a price on eliminating doubt.

If incomplete repairs are found, have inspector document their findings and submit to the listing agent immediately to issue(s) can be rectified.  Reputable contractors warrant their work and should not have an issue coming back out to address.

Don’t plan to start moving things in prior to closing – you legally don’t own the home and there could be issues with insurance coverage in case something happened between the time you placed your belongings in or on the property until the closing.   While it may not seem a big deal to bring over “a few boxes” – this could create some potential liability issues if something went wrong.  You may need some interim storage arrangements.

Arrange if time allows to meet with the sellers prior to closing so they can orient you with the home and go through how things work.

Read more home buying tips and resources.

Check out more great posts from Cara here.

Cara Ameer is with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty in Pontre Vedra Beach, Florida

Cover image via Allstate Insurance

 

Lindsay is the the Director of Media Engagement for Coldwell Banker Real Estate and manages the brand’s media and social media department. She is also a licensed real estate professional. In 2017 & 2018, she was named a top 20 social influencer in the real estate industry in the annual Swanepoel 200 power rankings.

Lindsay lives in Livingston, NJ with her college sweetheart and now husband Joe and rwelcomed another Joe into her life as she became a mom in June 2016.

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17 Comments

  1. What To Expect During a Real Estate Walk Through (For Sellers and Buyers) | Susan Lerner's Real Estate Blog
    December 14, 2013

    […] MANUALS – Put all manuals for appliances, controls, etc. in one drawer and gather all keys and remotes and have those in one package for the buyer. Label any keys and where they go – the buyer will appreciate knowing what goes to what doors –especially if all are different. It …read more […]

    Reply
  2. What To Expect During a Real Estate Walk Through (For Sellers and Buyers) | Earl Forbes Blog
    December 14, 2013

    […] MANUALS – Put all manuals for appliances, controls, etc. in one drawer and gather all keys and remotes and have those in one package for the buyer. Label any keys and where they go – the buyer will appreciate knowing what goes to what doors –especially if all are different. It …read more […]

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  3. What To Expect During a Real Estate Walk Through (For Sellers and Buyers) | Elaine Allinson's Blog
    December 14, 2013

    […] MANUALS – Put all manuals for appliances, controls, etc. in one drawer and gather all keys and remotes and have those in one package for the buyer. Label any keys and where they go – the buyer will appreciate knowing what goes to what doors –especially if all are different. It …read more […]

    Reply
  4. What To Expect During a Real Estate Walk Through (For Sellers and Buyers) | Ojai
    March 30, 2014

    […] What To Expect During a Real Estate Walk Through (For Sellers and Buyers). […]

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  5. DeVallon Bolles
    March 1, 2015

    I’m always a little dubious about re-inspection: inspectors might not want to take responsibility for signing off on work they didn’t do; they are better off finding short-comings, making the process more difficult and more stressful.

    Reply
  6. Kyle W.
    July 19, 2016

    Oh how I wish the sellers in our real estate purchase would have complied with these guidelines! To many, getting their stuff out is all they feel responsible for and leave cupboards and other areas dirty. Thanks for this article and providing these guidelines.

    Reply
  7. Zequek Estrada
    July 26, 2016

    Cara, I thought this was really educational. A real estate walk through sound like it’s more beneficial if you know what you’re looking for. It’s probably a good idea to be aware of what to expect on both ends. It would probably give you an even better idea of what to expect.

    Reply
  8. Scott
    December 13, 2016

    I like that you suggest to put all the manuals in a drawer. I can see why this would help the buyer know where to look if they are having issues using the appliances. My sister is wanting to sell her house next spring. I’ll have to point this out to her when she does sell her house and is about to move.

    Reply
    • Victoria Keichinger
      December 13, 2016

      Glad you found this to be helpful, Scott. If we can help your sister find a real estate professional (or her new dream home!) please let us know.

      Reply
  9. Burt Silver
    February 24, 2017

    This is great information about a real estate walkthrough. My wife and I are looking into buying our first home, and we want to get all the help we can. Thanks for mentioning to have the inspector come back and give it another walkthrough. We will be sure to do that.

    Reply
    • Victoria Keichinger
      February 27, 2017

      Best of luck to you and your wife on your home search, Burt. If we can help you find a real estate agent in your area, just say the word!

      Reply
  10. lenny strin
    February 27, 2017

    Very nice blog about real estate keep sharing it.

    Reply
  11. Derek Mcdoogle
    February 28, 2017

    In your article, you stated that a walk through is the last milestone prior to closing where a buyer visually inspects the property to ensure what they are buying is in substantially the same condition as when they first saw it, and to check on the completion of any negotiated repairs or replacements that were agreed upon to be made. My cousin and his wife have been trying to sell their house but haven’t been able to get a buyer to come for a walk through. I wonder how most agents get the buyers to come to the walk through.

    Reply
  12. John Ferrell
    March 6, 2017

    I like that you explained what a walk through was. If I was going to buy a home I would want to make sure everything is working correctly in person. Hiring a professional might be a good idea if you don’t have a knowledge of home systems, like me.

    Reply
  13. lenny strin
    April 3, 2017

    Very nice article first home is dream our duty is fulfill there expectation.

    Reply
  14. LNWeaver
    June 23, 2017

    That’s a good tip to not move things before closing. You don’t want to be liable when you don’t have rights to the house yet. Make sure you verify with a real estate agent that your sale is final and the home is yours before doing anything.

    Reply
  15. Ridley Fitzgerald
    October 12, 2017

    It’s great to know what to expect for a property walk-through. My wife and I are hoping to sell our home quickly, so we’ll be sure to take your advice to prepare for walk-throughs. We’ll especially make sure to do a deep clean of the home.

    Reply

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