Walk-through Inspection

During a walk-through inspection, the house is thoroughly inspected by a professional surveyor, and any technical and construction problems or defects are noted. This is important because it allows you to determine any issues with the house before buying it and if any negotiations should happen at the last minute with the seller.

As a buyer, you walk along with the surveyor during this walk-through inspection, and you can ask questions on the spot. So it is very informative, and also, you fulfill your legal obligation to investigate the house. Together with the surveyor, you look for defects and points of attention. Unlike a building inspection with a final report, here you get all the findings verbally, and no report is drawn up. A walk-through inspection is, therefore, lower priced than a full inspection with a report.

What is the difference between a walk-through inspection and a building inspection?

There is an essential difference between a walk-through inspection and a building inspection. A walk-through inspection is an inspection of a home that is performed before it is purchased and is done to identify any problems or defects that may affect the value and quality of the home.

A building inspection, on the other hand, is an inspection of the house that focuses specifically on the structural condition of the house. This includes looking at the stability of the roof and the shape of the walls and floors, among other things. This inspection aims to determine the house's structural condition and identify any structural problems.

In short, while a walk-through inspection focuses on the general condition of the house, a building inspection focuses explicitly on the structural condition of the house.

Walk-through inspection before signing the preliminary sales agreement

Because no report needs to be drawn up, the main conclusions regarding the structural condition are quickly clear. This saves time in your buying process.

The results of a building inspection with a report are normally included as a resolutive clause in the preliminary sales agreement. Provided the direct costs do not exceed, say, €5,000, the sale can go through. If the direct costs are higher, the buyer has the cards in their hand. They can abandon the purchase or renegotiate.

With a walk-through inspection, you also have the opportunity to renegotiate. Still, it should preferably be about defects that the seller did not know about (and thus had not taken into account when he agreed to the final price.

What to do after a walk-through inspection?

At the end of the inspection, you receive a verbal report. Sometimes this comes in a summarized form via email. This makes up a nice maintenance list for the coming years. Of course, there are always a few things that could be improved. In the worst case, things come up that are dramatic and serious. Yet because you are still within the three-day reflection period after signing the preliminary purchase agreement, you are free to abandon the purchase or to break open the negotiations. The sellers, in turn, are free to deal with this on their end. They can go along with the story or pave the way for other buyers.