Did you forget to check??? The Final Walk Through!

Closing Is Final... Inspect Your Largest Investment!

I'm sure this topic sounds dry to you, but the final walk through of your new home before closing is perhaps as important as your home inspection.

What's a final walk through? 

Well it's your last chance (you are entitled to it per the sales contract) to check out your home and make sure nothing has changed since you last saw it, before you head to sign the papers for it to become your home. 

Why is it important?

People mistakenly take the final day of closing lightly. They think, "oh, nothing bad can happen." or "if something goes wrong, my agent will take care of it." It would be nice to believe that I have superpowers to make it all better. But the reality is, when the deed is recorded at the courthouse (after you sign your papers in front of a closing attorney and pay for the home), you are accepting the home's condition at that time going forward. Meaning no warranty (unless provided in writing to succeed closing) or right to have a pre-existing repair item taken care of. 

If that reason alone isn't enough... think of the worse case scenarios... a tornado just came through and knocked down your home. Or maybe a refrigerator line exploded and your home is under water. Or remember that fire last night you saw on the news? Well it could have been your home.

I don't mean to sound patronizing, and I certainly don't expect these worse case scenarios to happen to my clients' homes, but I have had a few last minute possible fiascos resolved because of a final walk through.

Yes, last minute issues are fun to deal with. Not really! 

I once went to a final walk through on a town home in Woodcroft and the seller had taken the stove with her to Europe. I had an unhappy buyer on that day, but luckily she was able to get a new one.

In another situation, I helped my clients walk through their new construction home on the day of closing before heading to the attorney's office. We discovered a stream (not an intentional one, but one nevertheless) going through the middle of their back yard. Luckily we were able to have the builder install better drainage and a grate in the ground to catch water run off.

Don't skip the last step before home ownership. You will be happy you made the stop by home on the way to closing.

Sharing My Love Letter To Buyers

In my previous post I mention the importance of sellers writing a "love letter" to potential buyers sharing the cherished details of their homes that  buyers may not be able to learn from traditional marketing. 

If my home were on the market (which one day will be the case). my love letter to potential buyers who visit my home might read like this....

Welcome to 3231 Silver Star Drive. It might surprise you to learn that we the original owners of such a lovely home might want to part with it. I can assure you it was not a decision we made easily. You see, this is our dream home. Yes, most people envision their dream homes to be much larger with all the bells and whistles somewhere out in the country. 

But for us, as second-time home owners living on a budget friendly income, this home became our dream.

It began when I first sold this exact same floor plan to my clients in another community. I walked into the model home and quickly fell in love with the open, airy feel, 5-inch hardwood floors, luxurious master suite with tiled floor, shower and tub surround and garden tub. And oh how I loved the kitchen. I couldn't begin to imagine so much counter and cabinet space and I began to envision entertaining family and friends all in one space.

I then sold this same floor plan to a second set of clients and at this point, not being a homeowner of this home myself, became a little irritating. After learning we couldn't own this home in that community due to an overwhelming wait list for the diminishing availability of homes, we decided to build the home in Lochside, not far from the area.

So in December of 2005, we purchased our dream home after selling our first home. We had been married for four years and wanted to begin a family. We knew this home had plenty of room for us to grow.. 

Lucky for us, we were blessed with two boys! Not only have most of their "firsts" happened here, but there are many things about our home that we have enjoyed. My home office started out down stairs in the front guest bedroom with windows overlooking the front yard. Wouldn't most people give anything to have a nice office with a window that also housed a treadmill for late night exercise?

After my youngest came along, my home office and treadmill moved into our upstairs bonus room. This room also houses guests and is complete with a full bathroom.

We wouldn't settle for a home that didn't back to the woods. The views from my master bedroom, living room, kitchen and dining room are refreshing after a long week of work. A few years ago my father-in-law built a playground escape in the woods for the boys. What a lot of fun times we have had with neighbors and other kids playing in the woods and hosting most every birthday party at home!

We weren't sure how we would feel about living on a corner lot, but it has been quite a perk! The road beside our home dead ends at the woods and the city installed a side walk. Not only do we avoid drivers through on the side street, but the boys can ride their gliders and bikes up and down the side walk.

But it's not just the house that has made this place home, it's the neighborhood, area and convenience to everything that has made it home.  You see we are lucky enough to have a community pool and club house within walking distance. It's not uncommon to see friendly neighbors walking around. In fact, I can walk down the street to a neighbor's home to enjoy drinks and friendship. 

But icing on the cake is being so close to the American Tobacco Trail. Accessible from Silver Star Drive  to Belgreen, the trail goes down town and over to Woodcroft and Herndon Park. Even more exciting is that Durham plans to complete a pedestrian Bridge soon for part of the trail. 

We are also close to Solite Park and Pineywood Park. I can count four grocery stores and at least four gas stations that are within minutes from my home. If I need something while cooking, I am covered. In fact, I once took a bike ride up to the Kroger on Martin Luther King Boulevard, partly via the Trail. My son's school is also right behind our neighborhood which is perfect for dropping in to have lunch with him.

My husband works at UNC and it only takes us around 20 minutes to get there. But I've been told it only takes about 11 or 12 minutes to get to Duke Hospital. This tidbit came from quite a few medical residents living in Lochside.

I could go on and on about why this place has truly been our dream home, but that would be a book. I can't begin to guess your own story or what pieces about this home make the puzzle complete for you, but I hope you find the right home for you. If this is the one, then Welcome Home! 

Ok, now that I have finished my letter, it's is probably longer than most people have the time to read. But I hope you get the idea. You can write a story of the history of your home, or a simple list of amenities, restaurants, and attractions nearby that buyers will want to know. However you angle your letter, good luck. You will stand out from other sellers because most people don't take 15 minutes to write one.