I’ve done a lot of final walkthroughs. Most of them are uneventful — home looks like it did at the inspection, repairs got done, seller is gone, keys are on the counter. But I’ve also walked into homes the day of closing and found things that had to be dealt with before anyone signed anything. The one that still gets brought up: a seller who decided, after signing a contract that clearly listed the newly installed sod as conveying with the property, to roll it up and take it.
The final walkthrough is your last look before the deed transfers to your name. Use it seriously.
The final walkthrough is a visit to the property on or just before the closing date — typically within 24 hours of signing. Its purpose is to verify that the home is in the same condition it was when you agreed to buy it, that any negotiated repairs were completed, that nothing is missing that was supposed to convey, and that the seller has vacated.
It is not a second inspection. You’re not looking for new problems or re-litigating the inspection findings. You’re confirming the condition matches what you agreed to. There’s a meaningful difference between those two things and keeping them straight matters — both for your own expectations and for your leverage if something actually is wrong.
Typically it’s just you and your agent. The seller doesn’t attend — and honestly shouldn’t. You need to be able to move through the home and talk freely, and sellers hovering during a walkthrough just creates tension.
If repairs were negotiated after the inspection, bring your repair request and any addenda that specify what was agreed to. Look at each item. A roof repair that was supposed to involve replacing flashing shouldn’t just have a coat of caulk on it. An HVAC repair should come with a receipt from a licensed contractor, not evidence someone taped something together.
Ask for repair receipts and invoices before the walkthrough — ideally a few days before closing so you have time to review them. If a repair was done by the seller’s brother with no documentation, that’s worth questioning before you’re at the closing table.
Pull out your contract addendum listing what conveys — appliances, fixtures, window treatments, outdoor equipment, the refrigerator, the washer and dryer if they were included. Walk through and verify each one is present and in the condition you last saw it. This is the sod situation. This is also where chandeliers disappear, where a seller decides to take the outdoor kitchen grill that was specifically listed, where the garage door openers aren’t on the counter. If it was in the contract, it should be in the house.
Moving furniture out of a house takes a toll on walls, floors, doorframes, and landscaping. You’re not expecting perfection — nail holes from hanging pictures are normal. What you’re looking for is significant new damage: gouged hardwood from dragging furniture, broken fixtures, holes in drywall, damaged landscaping. Compare what you see to what you remember from the inspection or your last visit.
Run the dishwasher through a cycle. Turn on the HVAC. Run the disposal. Check the range burners. Turn on every faucet. Flush every toilet. An appliance that was working at the inspection can fail in the weeks between contract and closing. You want to discover this before the deed transfers, not after.
The seller should be fully out. All their belongings gone — including the attic, the garage, under the deck, the storage shed. The home should be in a reasonably clean condition. Not professionally detailed, but clean enough that you can move in without a hazmat team. Items left behind are your problem once you close unless you address them beforehand.
In Florida’s climate, a lot can happen in a few weeks. Check ceilings, under sinks, and around windows for any new staining or moisture signs that weren’t present at the inspection. A storm event between contract and closing can reveal a roof issue that wasn’t visible before. Take a look at the exterior too if weather has been active.
You find something at the walkthrough. Maybe a repair wasn’t done. Maybe the seller took a light fixture that was supposed to stay. Maybe the HVAC isn’t cooling. You have options, and which one applies depends on the severity and what you can get done in the time before closing.
The walkthrough happens the day of closing. If you haven’t completed agreed repairs, fully vacated, or if items that were supposed to stay are missing — the buyer has legitimate grounds to delay or create complications right at the finish line. That’s not where you want to be.
Have repairs done and documented at least a week before closing. Be fully out at least the day before, not the morning of. Leave everything the contract says stays — and if you want to take something specific, address it before the contract is executed, not after.
The walkthrough is not the place to find out there’s a problem. It should be a 20-minute confirmation that everything is in order, not a negotiation. The way to ensure that is to be prepared well in advance.
Buying or selling in Central Florida and want an agent who treats the walkthrough as seriously as every other part of the transaction? Reach out. This is one of those steps that goes smoothly when it’s handled right from the start.
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