The New Home Walkthrough
You’ve bought your first pre-sale condo home and it’s now complete and ready for you to take possession. Before you can move in though, there is one final step to complete – the “deficiency” or “new home walkthrough”.
The walkthrough serves two main purposes; it is your opportunity to:
- Review your contract and ensure your new home includes the correct options and upgrades
- Inspect your home for any deficiencies that may have occurred during the building process
It may be a few years since you first visited the presentation centre and purchased your home so take the time to review your disclosure statements and contract before your walkthrough appointment. During your walkthrough you will want to confirm that the options you decided upon are correct. For instance, if you choose the “light” colour scheme, double check that this is what was built.
To help you prepare, you can also download the “Residential Construction Performance Guide” from the Homeowner Protection Office website. The guide gives you specific examples of what to look for and what building standards you should expect. For instance, where cabinets come into contact with walls, minor gaps up to 5 mm are acceptable however, you should make note of this and ask to have them filled with suitable caulking material.
The hardest part will be staying focused on the task at hand while you are excited to see your new home for the first time.So now it’s time to do your walk through. The hardest part will be staying focused on the task at hand while you are excited to see your new home for the first time. Before getting started, ask your customer service representative to let you have a few minutes to walk around. Enjoy it all and soak it in but remember this is your only chance to stand in the finished home and ensure that everything is as it should be. The appliances all work. The water turns on and heats up. The drywall is flat and solidly painted and so on.
If there is a problem your customer service representative will note the necessary repairs in the walkthrough document for the developer’s contractor. Some items may not be fixed until after you move in and that’s okay. An example of this would be replacing a damaged counter. These simply take time to order, but don’t worry your developer will attempt to get everything complete in a timely manner.
The key to the walkthrough is to be thorough. Another helpful hint … don’t bring your entire family. You and one other person will be all you need.
This is the last step in the home ownership process. So enjoy it and get ready for your house warming with family and friends!
