The Final Walkthrough Before Completion in BC

Buyers often treat the last look at a home before completion as a formality or, at the other extreme, as a second home inspection. It is neither. It has a narrow job, and doing that job well takes about twenty minutes.

What it is actually for

The final walkthrough confirms three things.

That the property is in substantially the condition it was in when you agreed to buy it. That the items your contract includes are still present. And that nothing was damaged during the seller's move out.

It is not the moment to reconsider the roof, renegotiate on the furnace, or discover things your home inspection already reported. Those conversations belonged to the subject period, which has closed.

Whether you have a right to one

This varies, and it is worth asking rather than assuming.

A pre-completion viewing is not automatic in the way that a negotiated inspection condition is. Whether you have a contractual right to access before completion depends on your agreement. Ask your agent and your conveyancer what your contract provides, ideally well before the week of completion.

In practice, most sellers accommodate a reasonable request. Knowing where you stand contractually matters if one does not.

Read the contract first

This is the step buyers skip, and it causes most of the disagreements.

Before you walk through, read what your contract says is included. Not your memory of the showing, and not what felt implied. The written terms.

Light fixtures, window coverings, and appliances are where confusion concentrates. A distinctive pendant light over the dining table is exactly the sort of thing a seller may have intended to keep and a buyer assumed was included.

Also watch for substitutions. A fixture replaced with a cheaper version of the same thing is harder to notice than one that is simply gone, and it is the same issue.

The walkthrough itself

Move through the home systematically.

Confirm included appliances are present and run them briefly. Check taps, toilets, and the heating. Open and close windows and doors, including the ones nobody uses.

Look at walls, door frames, corners, and stair edges for moving damage. This is the most commonly found issue and the easiest to miss, because you are looking at an empty home rather than the one you remember with furniture in it.

Check that the seller's belongings and garbage are gone. A garage or crawlspace left full of items the seller abandoned is a genuine problem, because disposal costs money and takes time you were going to spend moving in.

Look at floors now that they are uncovered. Rugs and furniture hide things.

Photograph anything you find, and keep the timestamps.

In a strata, check the parking and storage

Confirm you are getting the specific parking stall and storage locker your contract identifies.

These are confused surprisingly often, partly because they are sometimes limited common property assigned to a unit rather than part of the strata lot itself. Our guide to parkade versus surface parking covers what to know about the stall you are getting.

Walk to the actual stall and the actual locker. Numbers on paper and numbers on the wall do not always agree.

Timing

Schedule it as close to completion as practical while still leaving room to act.

The afternoon before completion is a good target. Your agent and conveyancer can still do something with what you find.

An hour before keys change hands is worse, because you have discovered a problem at a moment when everyone involved has already committed to a schedule. Our week-by-week closing timeline shows where this fits, and closing day in BC covers the mechanics of the day itself.

If something is wrong

Tell your agent and your conveyancer immediately, before completion occurs. That sequencing matters more than anything else in this article.

Once completion happens and title transfers, your position is considerably weaker. Before it happens, there are options. After it happens, there are fewer.

Whether you can refuse to complete is a legal question with serious consequences if you get it wrong, and it is not one to decide while standing in an empty living room feeling upset. Our guide on notary versus lawyer covers when a matter needs a lawyer, and this is one of them.

In many cases the practical resolution is a holdback or an adjustment arranged through the conveyancers rather than a dramatic refusal. That is a conversation your professionals can have quickly if you raise it in time.

New construction is different

If you are completing on a new build, the equivalent exercise is the deficiency walkthrough, which is more detailed and connects to your new home warranty.

That process expects to find things, documents them formally, and feeds into warranty coverage. A resale final walkthrough has a narrower purpose.

The short version

The final walkthrough confirms condition, included items, and moving damage. Read the contract before you go, check systematically, photograph anything you find, and confirm parking and storage in a strata.

Do it the afternoon before completion rather than an hour before. If something is wrong, raise it with your agent and conveyancer immediately, and take legal advice before taking any position on completing.

We are agents rather than lawyers, and none of this is legal advice about your contract. Your conveyancer is the right person to advise on options if something has changed.

Key takeaways

• The walkthrough confirms condition, included items, and damage from the move, rather than serving as a second inspection.
• Read your contract's inclusion list before you walk through, since fixtures and appliances cause most disputes.
• Moving damage to walls, door frames, and stair corners is the most commonly found issue.
• In a strata, physically confirm the parking stall and storage locker match the contract.
• Raise any problem with your agent and conveyancer before completion, because your position weakens once title transfers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a final walkthrough?

A final walkthrough is a last look at the property shortly before completion, to confirm the home is in the same condition it was in when you agreed to buy, that the items your contract includes are still present, and that nothing has been damaged during the seller's move out. It is not a second home inspection and is not the moment to reconsider the roof or renegotiate on the furnace, since those conversations belonged to the subject period. Doing the walkthrough well takes about twenty minutes.

Is a final walkthrough required in BC?

A pre-completion viewing is not automatic in the way a negotiated inspection condition is written into most contracts. Whether you have a contractual right to a final walkthrough depends on your specific agreement, so ask your agent and your conveyancer what your contract provides, ideally well before the week of completion rather than assuming. In practice most sellers accommodate a reasonable request even without an explicit clause, but knowing where you stand contractually matters if one does not.

When should it happen?

Schedule your final walkthrough as close to completion as practical while still leaving time to act on anything you find. The afternoon before completion is a good target, since your agent and conveyancer can still do something with a problem at that point. An hour before keys change hands is worse, because you have discovered an issue at a moment when everyone involved has already committed to a fixed schedule and has little room to respond.

What should I check?

At your final walkthrough, confirm the included appliances and fixtures your contract specifies are present and running, check walls, floors, door frames, and stair corners for damage from the seller's move, and confirm the home is empty of the seller's belongings and garbage. Also watch for substitutions, a fixture replaced with a cheaper version of the same thing is harder to notice than one that is simply gone. In a strata, physically confirm your parking stall and storage locker match the contract.

What counts as an included item?

An included item is whatever your contract says is included, not what you remember seeing at the showing or what felt implied at the time. That is why you read the written contract before the walkthrough rather than relying on memory. Light fixtures, window coverings, and appliances are the common points of confusion, since a distinctive pendant light a seller intended to keep is exactly the sort of thing a buyer assumes was part of the sale. When in doubt, the written terms decide it, not either party's recollection.

What if something is wrong?

Tell your agent and your conveyancer immediately, before completion happens, since that sequencing matters more than anything else about a final walkthrough. Your options depend on your specific contract and the seriousness of the issue, and in many cases the practical resolution is a holdback or an adjustment arranged through the conveyancers rather than a dramatic refusal to complete. Once completion occurs and title transfers, your position weakens a great deal, so raise it the same day you find it rather than after moving in.

Can I refuse to complete?

Whether you can refuse to complete after a final walkthrough is a legal question with serious consequences if you get it wrong, so get advice from your lawyer or notary before taking that position. Make that decision later with their advice, away from the empty house and the stress of the moment. In many cases a holdback or an adjustment arranged through the conveyancers solves the problem more practically than refusing to complete, so raise the issue and let your professionals set out the options.

What about damage from the movers?

Moving damage happens regularly, most often to walls, door frames, and stair corners, and it is the most commonly found issue at a final walkthrough. It is also easy to miss, because you are looking at an empty home rather than the one you remember with furniture in it. Photograph anything you find, with a timestamp, and raise it with your agent and conveyancer right away rather than after you have moved in, since your position weakens a great deal once completion occurs.

Is the home supposed to be clean?

Cleanliness standards vary and some contracts address the expectation directly, so check your own agreement rather than assuming a default. What is clearer at a final walkthrough is that the seller's belongings and garbage should be gone by completion. A garage or crawlspace left full of items the seller abandoned is a real issue rather than a cosmetic one, because disposal costs money and takes time you were planning to spend moving in instead.

Should I check the strata parking and storage too?

Yes. At your final walkthrough, confirm you are getting the exact parking stall and storage locker your contract specifies, since these are confused surprisingly often between buyer and seller. Part of the reason is that they are sometimes limited common property assigned to a unit rather than part of the strata lot itself, which numbers on paper do not always make obvious. Walk to the actual stall and the actual locker rather than trusting the numbers alone, since paper and reality do not always agree.

Sources

• Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia
• BC Financial Services Authority

Verified September 1, 2026. General information only, not legal advice. Rights before completion depend on your contract. Consult your BC notary or lawyer about your specific transaction.

Related FRIVE guides

• Closing day in BC, the mechanics of completion
• First-time buyer closing timeline, where the walkthrough fits
• Deficiency walkthrough on a new home, the new construction equivalent
• Limited common property, confirming parking and storage
• Notary or lawyer for your BC closing, who advises if something is wrong

Next Steps: Work with FRIVE

We attend final walkthroughs with our buyers, and the two things we find most often are moving damage nobody would have photographed and a light fixture that quietly left with the seller.

If you are approaching completion in the Fraser Valley and want someone walking the property with you, start a conversation with the FRIVE team or browse current Fraser Valley listings.