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?

It is a last look at the property shortly before completion, to confirm the home is in substantially the condition it was in when you agreed to buy, that included items remain, and that nothing has been damaged during the seller's move.

Is a final walkthrough required in BC?

It is not automatic in the way an inspection is a negotiated condition. Whether you have a contractual right to a pre-completion viewing depends on your contract, so ask your agent and your conveyancer what your agreement provides.

When should it happen?

As close to completion as practical while still leaving time to raise anything you find. A walkthrough the afternoon before completion gives you more room than one an hour before keys change hands.

What should I check?

Included appliances and fixtures, that everything still works, walls and floors for damage from the move, that the home is empty of the seller's belongings and garbage, and that nothing has been swapped for a lesser version.

What counts as an included item?

Whatever your contract says is included. That is why you read the contract before the walkthrough rather than relying on memory of what you saw at the showing. Light fixtures, window coverings, and appliances are the common points of confusion.

What if something is wrong?

Tell your agent and your conveyancer immediately, before completion happens. Options depend on your contract and the seriousness of the issue. Once completion occurs, your position is considerably weaker.

Can I refuse to complete?

That is a legal question with serious consequences if you are wrong. Do not take that position without advice from your lawyer, and do not decide it in the moment while standing in the living room.

What about damage from the movers?

It happens, most often to walls, door frames, and stair corners. Photograph anything you find, with a timestamp, and raise it right away rather than after you have moved in.

Is the home supposed to be clean?

Standards vary and contracts sometimes address it. What is clearer is that the seller's belongings and garbage should be gone. A home left full of items the seller abandoned is a real issue rather than a cosmetic one.

Should I check the strata parking and storage too?

Yes. Confirm you are getting the parking stall and storage locker your contract specifies, since these are commonly confused and are sometimes limited common property assigned to a specific unit.

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.