Your Final Walkthrough: What to Check Before Closing

You’re almost at the finish line. The moving boxes are stacked, closing is coming up, and you’re already picturing your first night in the new house.

Before you sign, there’s one important stop: the final walkthrough.

As a mortgage planner, I want buyers to reach closing with more than finished loan paperwork. I want them to understand what they’re buying and speak up when something doesn’t look right. The walkthrough is your chance to compare the home’s current condition with what your purchase agreement requires.

Here’s how I recommend approaching it, step by step.

Step One: Know What the Walkthrough Is For

A final walkthrough is generally a buyer’s opportunity to check the property shortly before closing, as allowed by the purchase agreement. Your real estate agent can explain the timing and access provisions in your contract.

It is not a replacement for a professional home inspection. You’re not starting the inspection process over or expecting an older home to become brand-new.

Instead, you’re looking for answers to a few practical questions:

• Is the home in the condition required by the contract?
• Were agreed-upon repairs completed?
• Are the appliances and other included items still there?
• Has anything been damaged since your last visit?
• Has the seller removed belongings and debris as required?

The purchase agreement is your reference point—not a listing photo or your memory of a conversation. If something is unclear, ask your agent to review the relevant contract language. Questions about legal rights or remedies belong with a qualified real estate attorney.

Step Two: Set Up a Useful Visit

Coordinate the walkthrough with your agent close enough to closing that it reflects the home’s expected delivery condition, while leaving room to address problems. When possible and consistent with the agreement, visiting after the seller has moved out makes the property easier to check.

Ask your agent to confirm that utilities will be on. Without electricity or water, you cannot meaningfully test many of the systems you need to review.

Bring a simple walkthrough kit:

• Your purchase agreement and any repair addenda
• The inspection report and relevant photos
• Repair receipts, permits, or service records provided by the seller
• A phone for photos and notes
• A charger to check accessible outlets
• A flashlight

Leave enough time to move through the home without rushing. This is not the ideal visit for measuring every window or showing relatives the backyard. Keep your attention on condition, repairs, and what stays with the property.

If a repair involves specialized work, ask ahead of time whether the original inspector or another qualified professional should recheck it. A receipt alone does not prove a problem was fully resolved.

Step Three: Check the Home in a Consistent Order

Start outside, then work through each room in the same direction. A routine helps you avoid checking the kitchen carefully while forgetting the laundry room.

Outside, look for new damage, fallen branches, standing water, or belongings that should have been removed. Check accessible exterior doors, gates, and garage doors. Operate equipment only when it is safe and you know how to use it.

Inside, look at walls, ceilings, floors, and areas that were previously hidden by furniture. Moving can reveal problems or cause fresh damage. Pay attention to new stains, damp spots, broken glass, and damaged flooring.

Then check everyday functions:

• Turn lights on and off.
• Open and close accessible windows and doors.
• Run faucets and look beneath sinks for visible leaks.
• Flush toilets and watch for leaks or continuous running.
• Check that included appliances are present and respond to normal controls.
• Operate the heating or cooling system when conditions and manufacturer guidance allow.

Here in Northeast Florida, I’d pay particular attention to signs of moisture and whether the air conditioning appears to operate normally. But a brief walkthrough cannot establish the condition of an entire HVAC system.

Don’t climb onto the roof, remove electrical covers, or attempt repairs. If something seems unsafe, stop and ask for professional help.

Step Four: Verify Repairs and Included Items

Next, review every written repair agreement individually. Avoid a general question like, “Did they take care of everything?” Match each promised repair to what you can actually observe and the documentation available.

For example, if the seller agreed to address a plumbing leak, check the affected area while water is running. Look for fresh moisture, and review any records describing the work. If the repair required expertise to diagnose, it may require expertise to verify.

Also compare the property with the contract’s list of included and excluded items. Depending on your agreement, that might involve:

• Kitchen and laundry appliances
• Light fixtures and ceiling fans
• Window treatments
• Garage remotes
• Smart-home equipment
• Pool equipment

Don’t assume an item stays just because you saw it during a showing. Likewise, if the contract says it stays, don’t dismiss its absence as a small detail.

Ask how keys, access devices, alarm instructions, and smart-home account transfers will be handled. The actual handoff may occur later, according to the closing and possession arrangements. You want a clear plan rather than a guessing game after you arrive with a moving truck.

Step Five: Document Problems Before Moving Forward

If you find an issue, take clear photos and write down the location, what you observed, and which contract item it concerns. Share that information with your agent promptly.

Try to separate an observation from a diagnosis. “Water appeared under the kitchen sink while the faucet was running” is more useful than “The plumbing is ruined.”

Your agent can help communicate with the seller’s side. Depending on the issue and the contract, the parties might discuss completing work, obtaining a professional evaluation, changing the closing timeline, or another written solution. Available options and rights vary.

Loop in your lender and closing professional before agreeing to a credit, holdback, or other financial change. These arrangements may affect loan requirements or closing documents. A handshake promise to fix something later is not a substitute for a properly reviewed agreement.

Don’t independently withhold closing funds or assume you can postpone closing without consequences. Get guidance from the appropriate professionals, including an attorney when needed.

If everything checks out, follow your agent’s process for documenting the walkthrough. Remember that finishing it does not transfer ownership or automatically give you possession. Confirm when you may receive keys and move in.

Let's Talk

A smooth closing takes coordination, not crossed fingers. I’m Mack Humphrey, CMPS, NMLS #1110618, with the Mack Humphrey Mortgage Team at First Coast Mortgage Alliance in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

If you have questions about how a last-minute property issue could affect your mortgage or closing, call (720) 771-1308 or reach out to me for a no-pressure conversation.