After months of construction, you are about to close on your new Travisso home. That’s exciting and a sign of relief. But, there is one more important step—the closing walk through. The walk through is an essential step for both the homeowner and the builder. The walk through gives you the opportunity to thoroughly check everything in your new home before your head to the bank. And, it gives your builder the opportunity to rectify any work that does not meet your satisfaction or replace any fixture or appliance that is non-operational.
Those items that need fixing are typically known as punch-list items. Typical punch-list items include patching walls and tile, painting missed areas, leveling out floors, fixing cabinet doors, potential leaks in pipes, and more. If you feel something doesn’t look right or work correctly the time to flag a faltering appliance or imperfection in the wall to your builder is during the walk through.
Things to bring with you during your walk through
- Your real estate agent or broker.
- Your original contract and design selections. Before you head out the door to your walk-through make sure you have your contract and design selections. Your contract will list your design selections and any upgrades that you are paying an additional price for. During the walk through you can use your contract to verify that the items you selected are the actual ones in your new home. A quick tip here is to put your contract and design selections in a folder so that you can refer to it during the entire building process.
- A flashlight. Use the flashlight underneath and in areas that are dark such as in cabinets, attics, closets and under sinks.
- A Pad of paper and pencil. Write down those punch-list items that you asked the builder to fix. You may also want to record the date and time of the walk through.
- Cell phone. The sole purpose of bringing your cell phone is to take photos. Taking photos to document those things that need to be touched up is a great way to confirm that they were completed.
Tips to a thorough walk through
Go through your new home in a logical manner. Start on the outside. When outdoors, check all masonry and concrete work including steps and the driveway for cracks and imperfections. In addition make sure outside electrical outlets are working and water faucets are operational and not leaking. And, don’t forget to check the landscaping.
Then, continue on the inside and go room by room. Check all floors, windows, doors, walls, and baseboards in every room in your home. Use the roll of blue painter’s tape provided by the builder to mark those areas that will need attention. Close and open all doors and windows. Turn on light fixtures.
Room by room
Each room in your home is different. Consequently, you need to check each room individually with a different set of criteria. Below is a list of rooms in a home and those things during the walk through that you should look for.
- The foyer area: If you have wood floors or tile in this area you will want to check the installation and look for any scratches that may have occurred during the building process.
- Bedrooms: Close and open all doors and windows. Inspect ceilings and closets. Turn on lights and ceiling fans. If your bedrooms are carpeted make sure the material is installed and stretched correctly.
- Bathrooms: Turn on the water in the sinks and tubs and flush the toilet. Additionally, turn on light fixtures and check to make sure the fans in your bathrooms are also working. Check mirrors and cabinets for scratches or chips.
- The kitchen: Since the kitchen is the area with the most electrical appliances you will want to be very thorough here. Turn on all appliances including ovens, the stove, dishwasher, microwave, exhaust fan, and garbage disposal. Turn on the sink. Check to see if the cabinets have been installed properly and are free from scratches and dings.
- Study, dining and family rooms: In these rooms you are primarily checking the walls, floors, baseboards and chair rails. You will also want to ensure that light fixtures and any ceiling fans are working.
- The garage: The garage is part of the house. Consequently, don’t forget to go through it in the same manner that as the other rooms in your home. Check the walls, floors, doors, stairs, and lighting fixtures.
- Laundry room: Since washer and dryers are typically not provided by builders, going through this room is fairly simple. If there is a utility sink fill it up. Otherwise, check the walls, floors, and turn on the light fixtures.
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