If the repairs the seller agreed to are not finished at your final walkthrough, do not sign closing documents on a promise. In many cases your options are to delay closing until the work is done, negotiate a credit or a holdback, or, in some situations, ask for a price adjustment; which one fits depends on your purchase agreement, your lender and how much time you have left.
I have stood in a lot of empty kitchens at 10 a.m. on closing week, looking at a repair that was supposed to be finished and was not. The buyer is usually the one who feels pressure: movers are booked, the rate lock is ticking, and the seller is already mentally gone. Here is how I walk clients through it.
What is the final walkthrough actually for?
The walkthrough is your chance to confirm three things before you sign: the home is in the same condition as when you wrote the offer, the repairs the seller agreed to were completed, and anything that was supposed to stay or go did. It is not a second inspection and it is not the place to renegotiate things you already accepted. Most walkthroughs happen within a day or two of closing, which is exactly why problems feel so urgent.
What should I check at the walkthrough?
Bring your repair addendum and any inspection response paperwork and go line by line. Here is the short version I give buyers:
- Every agreed repair item, one by one, against the signed paperwork.
- Receipts or invoices from the licensed contractor for any work the seller said was completed.
- Run every faucet, toilet, appliance, garage door and the AC. Let the AC run long enough to feel real cold air at the vents.
- Look for new damage from moving: scratched floors, dents in walls, missing fixtures.
- Confirm included items (appliances, window coverings, anything named in the agreement) are still there.
- Look under sinks and at ceilings for any sign of a fresh leak.
What if the agreed repairs are not done?
You generally have four paths. None of them is automatically right, and your agent should help you pick based on your actual contract language and timeline.
| Option | How it works | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Delay closing | Sign a written extension so the seller can finish and you can re-check. | Rate lock expiration, movers, your own lease end date. |
| Credit at closing | Seller credits you an agreed amount and you handle the repair after you own the home. | Your lender may limit or have to approve credits, and you carry the risk of repair costs coming in higher. |
| Holdback or escrow of funds | Part of the seller’s proceeds is held until the work is finished and verified. | Needs written agreement from all parties, and your lender and title/escrow company must be comfortable with it. |
| Close as-is and sort it out later | You sign and pursue the seller afterward. | You give up most of your leverage the minute you sign. I rarely recommend this. |
Can I refuse to close because repairs were not completed?
That depends on your contract, and I am not an attorney, so have your agent and, if needed, a real estate attorney read the exact wording before you act. Refusing to close without following the contract’s notice and cure steps can put your earnest money at risk. The safer move is usually to put your concerns in writing right away, through your agent, and propose a specific fix and a date.
How does my lender fit into this?
Lenders care about the condition of the property, especially on FHA and VA loans, and some require certain repairs to be completed before funding. Your lender must also deliver your Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing under federal rules (see the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), so any change to credits or closing costs can ripple into your timeline. Call your loan officer the same day you find a problem, not the day before closing.
How can I avoid this before it happens?
Get the repair list clear and specific at the negotiation stage, who does the work, to what standard, and by what date. I covered how to structure that in negotiating repair credits after inspection, and if the property has HOA problems on top of repairs, read buying with an active HOA violation or lien. Also ask for the seller’s invoices before the walkthrough, not at it. Your timeline depends on the condition of the home, the contract wording and your lender, so none of this is a guarantee of any particular result.
Want a second set of eyes on your walkthrough?
If you are in escrow and something does not look right, call me. I will review the paperwork with you and help you decide what to ask for before closing day.
Geoff Zahler | Broker/Owner, Zahler Properties