Key Takeaways
Summary: The final walk-through is your last look at a Silicon Valley home before it becomes yours. Under the standard California purchase agreement, the seller has to deliver the house, yard, pool and landscaping in substantially the same condition as when your offer was accepted, remove their debris and belongings, and finish any agreed repairs. Go room by room, walk the yard, test everything, bring your contract and repair receipts, and if something’s off, work it out through your agent before you sign closing documents.
I’ve done plenty of final walk-throughs with buyers in Silicon Valley over the last 23 years, and most of them are pretty uneventful. You walk in, everything looks like it did the day you made your offer, you flip a few switches, peek into the attic and garage, and go pop the champagne. Every once in a while, though, we find something that would have cost the buyer real money if we’d skipped it: a washer and dryer that were supposed to stay and didn’t, a garage full of leftover junk, a pool that had turned green, or a front yard that went from lush to crunchy because the seller turned off the irrigation the week they moved out. This guide walks you through what the final walk-through is, what the seller actually owes you under a California contract, what to check (including the yard, which almost nobody talks about), and what to do if you find a problem.
What Is a Final Walk-Through?
A final walk-through is a last visit to the property by you and your agent shortly before closing. In the standard California Residential Purchase Agreement (the RPA from the California Association of REALTORS®), it’s called the “Final Verification of Condition,” and the default timing is within 5 days before close of escrow. That number can be changed in the offer, and in practice I usually schedule it for the day before closing or the morning of, once the seller has moved out.
Here’s the part a lot of buyers don’t realize. The contract says the walk-through is not a contingency of the sale. By the time you get there, your inspection contingency and other contingencies have usually been removed. The walk-through is there to confirm the seller did what they promised, not to reopen the deal or renegotiate the price because you found something you don’t love.
What the Seller Is Obligated to Deliver
The RPA spells out the condition the seller has to hand the home over in. Unless you agreed to something different, the property, “including pool, spa, landscaping and grounds,” has to be maintained in substantially the same condition as on the date of Acceptance. Acceptance is the day the signed offer (or final counter) was delivered back, so for most buyers that’s within a day or two of when they wrote the offer. On top of that, the seller has to remove all debris and personal property that isn’t included in the sale by close of escrow (or by the time you get possession), complete any repairs they agreed to, and give you invoices and receipts for that work.
Notice the word “substantially.” The seller isn’t on the hook for normal wear from a few weeks of living there, and they aren’t required to make the house better than it was. But a broken window, a hole punched in the drywall by the movers, a dead lawn or a missing appliance that was included in the sale are all fair game. California also requires sellers to tell you if something they disclosed becomes inaccurate before closing (see Civil Code §1102.9), so a new roof leak after acceptance is something they should be disclosing, not hoping you won’t notice.
Don’t Forget the Landscaping
This is the part of the walk-through I see buyers skip the most, and it’s one of the most common places where the condition changes. The seller’s duty to maintain the property explicitly includes the landscaping and grounds, so the yard you walk on at the final walk-through should look substantially the same as it did when your offer was accepted. If you fell in love with that green lawn, the mature citrus trees and the flowering hedges, that’s what you’re entitled to get.
Here’s what typically goes wrong in Silicon Valley. The seller moves out a couple of weeks before closing, turns off the water or unplugs the irrigation controller to “save money,” and in our summer and early fall heat a lawn can go brown in under two weeks. Pools are even faster, and a pool with the pump and chemicals shut off can turn green within days. I’ve also seen sellers dig up a favorite rose bush, a prized Japanese maple or fruit trees to take to their new place. Under California law, trees, vines and shrubs rooted in the ground are considered affixed to the land (Civil Code §660), which means they’re part of the real property you’re buying. Plants in movable pots are a different story, they’re generally personal property, so if you want the big potted olive trees or the fountain on the patio, list them in your offer.
A few practical tips. Take photos or a short video of the front and back yard when your offer is accepted, because listing photos may have been shot months earlier in a greener season and aren’t the measuring stick. Ask your agent to remind the seller’s agent that the irrigation and pool service need to keep running until closing. At the walk-through, look for brown patches, dead or missing plants, holes where something was dug up, broken sprinkler heads, and ruts or damage from the moving truck. And be fair about the season. Leaves falling in November or a lawn going dormant in winter isn’t the seller’s fault, and if your city is under water-use restrictions, the seller only has to water within the local rules.
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Although both involve looking at the property, a final walk-through isn’t a home inspection. The home inspection happens early in escrow, takes a few hours, and is done by a professional inspector who digs into the roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing and other systems. (One thing that surprises people: California doesn’t actually license home inspectors, so it’s worth picking one with solid credentials and references.) The final walk-through is a much quicker check to confirm nothing has changed since acceptance, that agreed repairs were completed, and that the right items are there (or gone, as the case may be).
Why the Final Walk-Through Matters
The walk-through is your last chance to catch problems while the seller still has a reason to fix them. Once you close, your leverage drops to almost nothing and your options shrink to asking nicely or hiring a lawyer. If a window gets broken during the seller’s move, you can ask them to repair it or credit you before closing. If the contract says the washer and dryer stay but they’re gone, you can insist they come back. If the seller left a garage full of old paint cans, furniture and boxes, they need to cart it off before closing, because hauling and hazardous waste disposal can easily run several hundred to a few thousand dollars here.
When Does the Final Walk-Through Happen?
The contract default is within 5 days before closing, but I like to get as close to the closing date as possible and always after the seller has moved out. An empty house shows you damage that furniture was hiding, and you’ll see anything that happened during the move. If the seller is staying in the home after closing on a rent-back, you’ll still do the walk-through before closing, and then the rent-back agreement and its security deposit cover the condition of the home when they finally hand you the keys. In that case it’s smart to do a second walk-through on move-out day.
The Final Walk-Through Checklist
Bring a copy of your purchase contract, any counter offers and repair agreements, the seller’s repair receipts, and a phone charger so you can test outlets. Then go through the house systematically.
Outside the home:
- Walk the front and back yard and compare the lawn, trees, shrubs and flower beds to your photos from acceptance.
- Run the irrigation for a few minutes if you can, and look for broken sprinkler heads or a dead controller.
- Check that the pool or spa water is clear and the equipment is running.
- Look for debris, junk or leftover belongings in the yard, side yards and garage.
- Check gutters, exterior lights and fencing for new damage.
- Open and close the garage door and check for fresh dents from the moving truck.
Inside the home:
- Run every faucet, shower and toilet, and look under the sinks for leaks.
- Test the appliances that are included in the sale (stove, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, washer and dryer if they stay).
- Turn on the heat and the air conditioning.
- Flip light switches and test outlets and the garbage disposal.
- Open and close doors and windows and check that they lock.
- Look for new wall, floor or ceiling damage from the move, and signs of leaks, mold, water damage or pests.
- Confirm that agreed repairs were completed and match the receipts.
- Make sure you’ve got the keys, garage remotes, gate fobs, mailbox key and any manuals or warranties.
This list isn’t exhaustive, and every house and contract is a little different. Your agent should tailor it to what’s actually in your agreement, including any items you negotiated to stay or go.
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What Happens If You Find a Problem at the Final Walk-Through?
First, don’t panic and don’t sign anything at the house. Take photos, write it down, and talk to your buyer’s agent right away so they can reach out to the seller’s agent. Most problems are small and get fixed quickly, like a missing remote or a pile of boxes in the garage. For bigger issues, the usual fixes are having the seller repair it before closing, negotiating a closing cost credit or price reduction (your lender has to approve credits), holding back some of the seller’s proceeds in escrow until the work is done, or signing an addendum to push the closing date. C.A.R. even has a Verification of Property Condition form your agent can use to document what you saw.
What you generally can’t do is just walk away because the walk-through turned up a problem. Since it isn’t a contingency, refusing to close could put you in breach of the contract and put your deposit at risk. If the seller damaged the home badly or failed to deliver what they promised and won’t make it right, that’s the time to bring in a real estate attorney before you make any move. I’m not an attorney, and this isn’t legal advice, but in my experience nearly every walk-through issue gets resolved between the agents without it ever getting that far.
Tips for a Smooth Final Walk-Through
Bring your agent. Your agent knows exactly what’s in your contract, which items were supposed to stay, and which repairs were agreed to, and they’ve seen enough walk-throughs to spot things you might miss in the excitement.
Give yourself enough time. Plan on at least 30 minutes for a typical home, longer if there’s a big yard, a pool or a long repair list. This is your last chance to see the place before it’s officially yours.
Focus on the promises. If you negotiated repairs, credits or included items, check those first and make sure they match the paperwork.
Have a game plan for a rent-back or a tenant-occupied home. If someone is still living there, agree ahead of time on how you’ll handle the walk-through and the move-out inspection, and consider a home warranty for some extra peace of mind on systems and appliances after closing.
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Final Thoughts
The final walk-through only takes about half an hour, but it’s your last real chance to make sure you’re getting the home you agreed to buy, inside and out, all the way down to the lawn and the fruit trees. If you’re thinking about buying in Silicon Valley and want someone in your corner who’s been through this hundreds of times, book a buyer consultation call with me and let’s talk about your plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days before closing is the final walk-through?
In the standard California Residential Purchase Agreement, the default is within 5 days before close of escrow, though the number can be changed in the contract. Most buyers I work with do it the day before closing or the morning of, after the seller has moved out.
Can I back out of buying the house after the final walk-through?
Generally, no. The California purchase agreement says the final verification of condition is not a contingency of the sale, so a problem you find usually gets handled with a repair, credit, escrow holdback or a short delay. Refusing to close can put your deposit at risk, so talk to your agent and a real estate attorney before taking that step.
Does the seller have to keep watering the lawn and maintaining the yard?
Yes. Unless you agreed otherwise, the seller has to maintain the pool, spa, landscaping and grounds in substantially the same condition as on the date your offer was accepted. If the sprinklers were shut off and the lawn died, or the pool turned green, you can ask the seller to fix it or negotiate a credit before closing.
Can the seller take plants or trees with them when they move?
Not if they’re planted in the ground. Under California Civil Code §660, trees, vines and shrubs rooted in the soil are part of the real property, so they transfer with the house unless the contract excludes them. Potted plants are generally personal property, so list any you want in your offer.
What if the seller leaves furniture or junk behind?
The seller is required to remove all debris and personal property that isn’t included in the sale by closing or by the time you get possession. If they don’t, your agent can ask them to haul it away before closing or negotiate a credit or holdback to cover the cost.
Do I need my real estate agent at the final walk-through?
It’s not legally required, but I strongly recommend it. Your agent knows exactly what’s in your contract, what repairs were agreed to, and how to handle a problem with the seller’s agent before closing.
What if the seller is staying in the home after closing on a rent-back?
You’ll still do a walk-through before closing, but the seller is still living there, so it’s smart to do a second one on move-out day. The rent-back agreement and its security deposit cover the condition of the home when the seller turns over the keys.
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