Short answer
A final walkthrough checks that the home is in the condition required by your agreement, agreed repairs have been completed, and included items remain. Schedule it with your agent close enough to closing to check the current condition, while allowing time to raise concerns. It is not a replacement for an inspection or an automatic right to cancel.
Before you go: bring your agreement and repair list
Bring the purchase agreement, amendments, agreed repair list, relevant inspection photos, and a phone for notes and photos. Use the written inclusions and exclusions rather than your memory of a showing to decide what should remain.
Coordinate access and timing with your agent. Confirm whether the seller should have moved out, whether utilities will be on, and when possession begins. A rent-back or later possession agreement changes what you can expect; signing at closing does not always mean immediate keys or occupancy.
1. Compare the condition room by room
Walk through each room, garage, basement, and accessible exterior area. Look for new damage, active leaks, missing fixtures, or changes since your inspection and earlier visits. Check areas previously hidden by furniture when accessible, and note anything you cannot inspect safely.
Compare removal of belongings and debris with the condition your agreement requires. Do not assume the seller owes a professional deep clean or that normal wear creates a new repair obligation.
2. Verify the agreed repairs
Check each repair against the actual amendment, including any agreed documentation, receipts, permits, or warranties. A verbal assurance is not the same as evidence that the agreed work is complete.
If a repair involves safety, structure, electrical work, or a system you cannot evaluate, discuss an appropriate specialist or reinspection in advance. Your agent can coordinate questions, but a walkthrough is not a technical certification of the repair.
3. Check included appliances, fixtures, and access items
Compare appliances, light fixtures, window treatments, and other included items with the agreement. Check that substituted or missing items have not gone unnoticed. Confirm arrangements for keys, garage remotes, entry codes, and any agreed equipment instructions.
Where safe and practical, test included appliances, lights, faucets, and toilets. Look under sinks for leaks and confirm available heating or cooling operation with appropriate settings. Avoid unsafe tests, equipment you do not understand, or systems that should not be operated in the current weather.
4. Check the property-specific details
On rural or lake property, revisit the agreed items involving outbuildings, well or septic documentation, access, and included outdoor equipment. Verify outstanding agreed specialist work rather than treating a quick visit as proof of system compliance or water quality.
Snow, ice, a shut-off water system, or belongings can limit what you see. Document those limits and discuss unresolved questions before closing. Never enter an unsafe space or turn on a winterized system yourself.
5. If something is wrong, raise it before signing
Take clear photos, write down the concern, and contact your agent and closing team promptly. Compare the issue with the signed agreement. Possible solutions require the appropriate parties’ agreement and may also need lender or closing-team approval.
Do not assume you can unilaterally delay closing, withhold funds, or cancel. Your contract and circumstances determine your options. Ask your agent, closing professional, or a real estate attorney about unresolved concerns before completing the purchase.
Separate checklist: documents, funds, and possession
Review the Closing Disclosure and resolve loan questions with your lender; ask your settlement agent about closing documents and funds. For most home purchase mortgages, you must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. Confirm the requirements for your particular loan.
Verify wire instructions by calling the closing company at an independently confirmed, trusted number. Do not rely on a changed instruction or phone number in an unexpected email. Confirm identification, utilities, insurance, and the written possession schedule before your move.
What this means for you
Turn the walkthrough into a written comparison with your agreement, not a hurried last look. Send your repair list and questions to AM Realty MN in advance so we can coordinate the visit and help address concerns before closing.
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General education from AM Realty MN, brokered by LPT Realty, LLC. Not legal, tax, or lending advice.