What We’ve Seen During Final Walkthroughs Right Before Closing

By Chad & Sara Huebener

Chad and Sara are Executive Circle sales associates at Edina Realty and are committed to serving clients in a manner that is ethical and respects confidentiality without giving up the aggressiveness and tenacity it takes to get homes sold.

You’re hours away from closing, your money is ready to move, and you’re about to sign the final paperwork. That’s exactly why the final walkthrough matters, because it’s your last chance to confirm the home is still what you agreed to buy.

We don’t treat the final walkthrough like a quick stop. We treat it like a protection step that’s built into the purchase agreement for a reason. It exists to help buyers avoid surprises right before they sign and release funds.

Why does the final walkthrough exist? The purchase agreement says the buyer has the right to do a final walkthrough of the property. The purpose is to make sure the home is in “substantially the same condition” as it was when the offer was made.

That phrase can sound formal, but the idea is simple. Before the buyer signs and turns over funds, they should be able to walk through the home and confirm that nothing important has changed.

What does “substantially the same condition” mean? When we talk about “substantially the same condition,” we mean the home should match what the buyer agreed to in the contract and what they saw when they made the offer.

Here are examples we’ve seen so far:

• If the refrigerator was included in the purchase agreement, it should still be there during the final walkthrough.
• If the walls were in good shape when the offer was written, there shouldn’t be major damage from the seller moving out.
• The property should still be in reasonably good condition and consistent with how it looked when the offer was made.

The final walkthrough isn’t about expecting perfection. It’s about confirming that the home hasn’t changed in a way that would affect the buyer’s decision to close.

Why does timing matter right before closing? The final walkthrough happens right before closing for a reason. This is the moment before the buyer signs documents and releases funds. If there’s a problem, it’s better to find it while there’s still time to address it.

Most of the time, walkthroughs go smoothly. In the script, we say about 99% of the time there are no issues. But we also say it’s the 1% that makes the walkthrough important, because one surprise can derail closing or create a bigger problem than anyone expected.

A true story of what can go wrong. One story we share often happened when we represented a buyer purchasing a condo. The closing was scheduled for midday, so we planned the final walkthrough for about 9 a.m. We had talked with the listing agent ahead of time, and everything seemed set. When we opened the door, the condo looked fully lived in. At first, we wondered if we were in the wrong unit, so we stepped out and checked again. It was the right place. Then we walked into the first bedroom and found the tenant asleep.

It turned out the condo had been a rental, and the landlord and the agent weren’t on the same page. The tenant hadn’t been told clearly that closing was happening that day, which meant the property wasn’t ready and wasn’t vacant. That final walkthrough made it clear the closing couldn’t happen that day.

Other last-minute issues that show up. Not every walkthrough problem is that extreme, but issues do come up. We’ve seen cases where the seller is still moving out, and the home isn’t ready. We’ve also seen homes that look great overall, but something fails right before closing, like a water heater leaking and flooding the basement. Situations like that can require attention right before the buyer closes, as they change the home’s condition.

Closing on a home shouldn’t come with last-minute surprises. With a proper final walkthrough, you can confirm the property is still in the condition you agreed to buy and avoid issues that can delay closing. If you’re getting ready to close and you have questions, feel free to call or text us at 952-212-3597 or email us at ChadandSara@edinarealty.com. We can talk through what to look for and how to handle anything that comes up before you sign.