One final visit to your home can help tie up any loose ends and assure that everything is ready for the closing. Read on and find out how to conduct this visit and what to do when things are not up to your expectations.

The Purpose of the Visit

Speak to your real estate agent about setting up a visit a week or so prior to your closing. The main two reasons to do a walk-through at this point are:

• Inspect the home for damage that occurred recently.
• Inspect the home to ensure repairs were made.

Recent Problems to Watch For

Most closings happen quickly so you might sign a purchase contract and close in as little as a few weeks. The less time between those two events, the lower the chances of problems with the home. However, damage can happen in an instant and you don't want to find out about it after you have already closed on the home. Once you close, you are responsible for anything that goes wrong with the home. However, until that time, the current owner is responsible. Here are a few things that you do not want surprising you on closing day:

• Critters are living in your attic or elsewhere. Pest control should be performed on a home even if the previous owners are not living there. Watch for signs of animals by locating any openings to the home from the outside and looking for bug infestations in the home.
• Vandals have broken into the home and destroyed or defaced something. Homes that have been vacant, especially those in remote areas, can fall victim to vandals. Your real estate agent will contact the agent of the seller and arrange for the damage to be corrected. This could delay the closing, however.
• Damage from leaks or natural disasters. In some cases, an old tree can fall on a home even if no bad weather is present. A walk-through should include looking inside cabinets and near plumbing areas for leaks and water damage.
• Movers can make a mess of things in some cases. Inspect the walls for paint damage and gouges. Check to see if the removal of anything left damage as well. The owners should not have left you with trash and any of their belongings either.

Inspecting Repairs

If the home inspection reveals problems that the owner agreed to fix, those repairs should be verified. If the work was extensive, consider hiring a home inspector to verify that the work was done and done correctly.

To find out more about the pre-closing walk-through, speak to a company like McGraw Realtors.

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