Key West Final Walk-Through Checklist: What to Check Before Closing

The final walk-through is your opportunity to compare the Key West home you are about to buy with the condition and items addressed in your agreement. Bring the paperwork, allow enough time and record anything that needs an answer before closing.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends a final walk-through before signing closing papers. Its guidance emphasizes checking agreed repairs and the items the seller agreed to leave. I would turn that into a property-specific checklist rather than relying on memory from a showing several weeks earlier.

Start with the agreement, not a generic checklist

Before the appointment, collect the signed purchase agreement, relevant addenda, written repair arrangements and any agreed inventory. Include the earlier inspection report and photographs that will help you compare an area or item.

Make a short list of the points that actually apply to this purchase. A furnished residence needs a different inventory review from an unfurnished home. A condo with assigned storage needs a different handover conversation from a single-family property with several outbuildings.

Do not add expectations at the walk-through simply because they seem customary. If an item matters, locate the relevant agreement or ask your agent to clarify its status. The purpose is to identify discrepancies accurately.

Confirm access and a realistic appointment

Coordinate access through your agent. Ask whether the seller has moved out, whether utilities will be available and whether contractors still need to attend. The answer should shape the appointment, not become a surprise when you arrive.

Leave enough time to move through the full property and raise questions. If you are buying from outside Key West, decide in advance who will attend and how observations will be documented. A rushed video call from the driveway is not a useful substitute for a planned review.

If any area will be unavailable, list it explicitly. Ask how that area will be checked before you are expected to complete the transaction. Do not let an inaccessible room disappear from the checklist.

Compare agreed repairs with the written scope

Take each agreed repair one at a time. Ask for available invoices, permits or other documentation relevant to that work, and compare what you see with the agreement.

A buyer should not have to diagnose technical work during the final walk-through. Where a repair needs professional confirmation, arrange that review with an appropriate specialist. A receipt can help document that someone was paid; it does not by itself establish that the work satisfies every requirement.

Record any discrepancy specifically. “The agreed repair to the rear door has not been completed” is more useful than “repairs look unfinished.” Photographs and a clear location help the parties address the same issue.

Check the included items carefully

Use the agreed inventory for appliances, furnishings and other items included in the purchase. Pay attention to equipment that may be easy to overlook, such as remotes, controls or accessories identified in the agreement.

For a furnished Key West home, move room by room rather than trying to compare the entire property at once. Mark items as present, missing or needing clarification. Avoid assuming that a decorative item in listing photography was necessarily included.

For outdoor areas, check the items actually covered by the sale agreement. Pool accessories, patio furnishings and equipment can be particularly easy to misunderstand when conversations have been informal. Bring those questions back to the written terms.

Look for changes since the earlier inspection

Walk through the spaces already inspected and note apparent changes. Look for visible damage, signs of a recent leak or an area that was previously hidden behind furniture. Ask about anything that does not match the earlier condition.

This is an observation checklist, not a replacement home inspection. If something raises a technical concern, ask the appropriate professional to assess it rather than improvising an explanation.

A simple room-by-room record works well: location, observation, photograph and next question. Keep the language factual. The goal is to make an issue understandable to the seller, agents and closing professionals without exaggerating or minimizing it.

Plan the handover separately

Prepare a second list for the practical transfer of possession: keys, remotes, access devices, equipment manuals and relevant service information. Confirm when and how these will be delivered under the agreement.

For a condo or managed community, ask about the established process for obtaining any building access items. For a part-time residence, decide who will check the property after closing and who will receive service-provider messages.

Use secure methods for any access information. You do not need to place sensitive entry instructions in a widely circulated walk-through photo album. Keep the property-condition record and the access handover appropriately separated.

Raise problems before treating the review as complete

Send a concise list of unresolved items to your agent promptly. Identify which part of the agreement or earlier record each issue relates to. Ask who will resolve it and what documentation is needed.

The CFPB advises buyers to ask questions when closing documents do not match their expectations. Any proposed change to repair arrangements, credits or timing should be handled through the proper transaction process, not an informal promise made while everyone is preparing to sign.

Your attorney and closing professionals can explain the contractual and financing implications. Do not assume you can delay, cancel or deduct money unilaterally. The signed agreement and the facts of the transaction matter.

Frequently asked questions

Is the final walk-through the same as a home inspection?

No. Use the walk-through to compare the property with agreed conditions and items. Technical issues should go back to a qualified professional, and it does not replace the earlier inspection.

What should I bring?

Bring the relevant agreement, repair addenda, inventory and earlier photographs or reports. A short property-specific checklist keeps the appointment focused.

What if an included item is missing?

Document the item and the agreement covering it, then notify your agent promptly. Ask the transaction team how it will be addressed before completing the purchase.

Can I do the walk-through remotely?

Discuss a specific arrangement with your agent in advance. Identify who will attend, what they will review and how you will receive photographs, video and answers to unresolved questions.

Finish with a clear record

A good final walk-through leaves you with a clear list of what was checked and what still requires attention. It should reduce uncertainty at closing rather than introduce another pile of unexplained photographs.

For earlier stages of the search, see our Key West open-house checklist. If you are preparing to buy, contact Scott Forman at Royal Palms Realty to organize a property-specific plan.

General buyer education only. This checklist does not replace professional inspections, legal advice or the requirements of your purchase agreement.

Cover image is an illustration, not an actual property listing.