Approximately one to two days before you attend your mortgage closing, you should schedule a final walkthrough of the house you are purchasing. The final walkthrough gives you one last chance to look at the house you are about to purchase, and it offers a time for you to make sure the house is being turned over to you in the condition to which you and the seller agreed. As you complete this step of the home-buying process, here are some of the main things you should check:

Every electrical switch and outlet

There are a lot of things to check during a final walkthrough, so you should plan to be there for at least an hour or two. The first thing you could do is check the electrical switches and outlets. To do this, test every light switch to make sure it works, and plug something into each outlet to make sure all of them are working.

Every plumbing fixture

Next, check the plumbing fixtures in the house by running water with each faucet. As you do this, make sure the hot and cold water works on all the faucets, and you should also make sure each of the drains in the sinks drains properly.

Every door in the house

It's also a good idea to test all the doors, including both the interior and exterior doors; the purpose of this is to make sure each one opens and closes properly. You may also want to test all the windows by opening and closing them, too.

The appliances and home systems

During your final walkthrough, you should also examine the appliances as well as all the systems in the home. As you look at the appliances, make sure they are clean and in good working condition. You could also turn on the AC system and the furnace to ensure they are functioning properly. Testing hot water in the sinks is a good way to know if the hot water heater is working, and you should test any other systems the home might have.

The items in the house that are supposed to be there

Finally, check over every room in the house to see that the seller left all the things he or she agreed to; this may include area rugs, curtains, and shower curtain bars.

These are the main things you should check while you are completing the final walkthrough of your new house. If you have problems during this process, make sure you tell your realtor as soon as possible.