The final walkthrough Hampton Roads buyers do is the last shot you get to catch problems before the keys change hands. I’ve watched buyers skip it because they were tired, or because the seller said “everything’s fine,” and I’ve watched a few of them regret it inside the first week. This is the part of the process where the boring 30 minutes you spend in an empty house can save you a $4,000 fight after closing.
I’m Sean Hudgins, a Navy SWO veteran and full-time Realtor based in Chesapeake. I run buyer transactions across Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, and Hampton, and I do the final walkthrough alongside every client I represent. Here’s exactly how I run it in 2026, what I look for, and what to do when something doesn’t pass muster.
In This Article
What the Final Walkthrough Hampton Roads Buyers Need to Know
The final walkthrough is not a re-inspection. It’s a confirmation visit, usually done within 24 to 48 hours of closing, where you verify three things: the property is in the same condition as when you signed the contract, all agreed-upon repairs are complete, and any items meant to convey are still there. That’s it. That’s the whole job.
In Hampton Roads, our market is moving steady but not slow. According to the latest data from Redfin, the median sale price in Chesapeake sits at $399,000 with homes going under contract in 39 days, while Virginia Beach is at $657,000 with 45 days on market. Sellers are still getting close to ask — Chesapeake sale-to-list ratios hit 99.8%. That tightness means sellers and their agents are moving fast, and rushed move-outs are where walkthrough problems show up.
When to Schedule the Walkthrough
I schedule walkthroughs for the morning of closing or the night before. Closer is better. If you do it three days out, the seller still has 72 hours to scratch a wall while moving the couch or leave a faucet dripping. The standard Virginia purchase contract gives you the right to a final walkthrough — exercise it.
For my military clients on tight PCS timelines, I sometimes coordinate a virtual walkthrough by FaceTime if the buyer is still in San Diego or Yokosuka. It works, but I’d rather have boots on the ground if at all possible. A second set of eyes — yours, your spouse’s, a friend’s — catches things a phone camera misses.
My Walkthrough Checklist — Room by Room
I work the house in the same order every time, starting outside and ending in the basement or crawlspace. Plan on 30 to 45 minutes. Bring your phone for photos and a flashlight.
Outside
- Walk the perimeter. Check siding, gutters, and the roof line for damage that wasn’t there at inspection.
- Confirm the HVAC condenser is on its pad and connected. I’ve seen sellers take the unit assuming it was personal property.
- Look at the yard. Is the fence still standing? Did the storage shed leave with the seller?
- Test exterior outlets and the garage door opener — both directions, with the remote and the wall button.
Inside
- Run every faucet — hot and cold. Confirm water pressure and check for leaks under each sink.
- Flush every toilet. Listen for the fill cycle.
- Flip every light switch. Pull on every ceiling fan.
- Open and close every window. Some sellers paint windows shut accidentally.
- Run the dishwasher one cycle, the disposal, the oven, every burner, the microwave, and the washer/dryer if they convey.
- Set the thermostat low and high to confirm both heat and AC kick on.
- Check that all keys, garage remotes, mailbox keys, pool keys, and gate codes are accounted for.
Repairs From the Inspection Addendum
Pull out your inspection addendum. Every item the seller agreed to fix needs to be verified. Get the receipts — we ask for licensed contractor invoices on anything that touched plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or the roof. If the addendum says “replace garbage disposal,” I want to see the new disposal in place and run it. “Repair” language is fuzzier and where most disputes start.
Hampton Roads Market Snapshot — Spring 2026
Knowing the market matters because it affects your bargaining position at the walkthrough. In a hot seller’s market, walking from a deal over a $300 issue is harder. In our current market, here’s where each major city stands:
| City | Median Sale Price | Days on Market | Sale-to-List |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | $657,000 | 45 | 99.2% |
| Norfolk | $342,000 | 45 | 99.4% |
| Chesapeake | $399,000 | 39 | 99.8% |
| Suffolk | $357,000 | 72 | 98.9% |
| Newport News | $305,000 | 51 | 98.7% |
| Hampton | $288,000 | 40 | 100.1% |
Mortgage rates also shape what walkthrough fights are worth your time. The Federal Reserve Economic Data shows the 30-year fixed at 6.38% as of late March 2026. With rates that high, restarting your loan over a small post-closing repair almost never pencils out. You want it fixed before the wire goes through, or you want a credit at closing — not a do-over a week later.
Military Buyers — Special Considerations
If you’re using a VA loan, the appraisal already screened for the basics — peeling lead paint on pre-1978 homes, working systems, no major safety hazards. But the VA appraisal isn’t a substitute for a walkthrough. Lender-required repairs from the appraisal are different from negotiated repairs in the inspection addendum, and both need to be verified.
For PCS buyers, I keep our walkthrough scheduled the same morning as closing so you only need to be in town once. If your spouse hasn’t seen the home in person, the walkthrough is also their first real visit — give yourselves an extra 20 minutes for that conversation. I’ve watched plenty of sailors and their families fall in love with a house at the walkthrough that they’d only seen on a screen.
What to Do If Something’s Wrong
You have three real options when a walkthrough turns up an issue. Pick the one that fits the size of the problem.
- Closing credit. Best for small-to-medium issues you can fix on your own timeline. Get a written quote, request that amount as a seller credit at closing, and the lender approves it. Most title companies in Hampton Roads can adjust a settlement statement same-day.
- Hold-back at closing. The title company holds funds until the repair is verified done by a contractor. Useful when the seller wants to be done with the deal but the work is bigger than a quick fix.
- Delay closing. Reserved for serious issues — undisclosed water damage, a broken HVAC system, a hole that wasn’t there before. Closing can usually be pushed 24 to 72 hours without major fallout if everyone agrees in writing.
What you don’t do is sign and trust. Once you fund and record, your bargaining power drops to zero. The seller has their money. You have a house and a phone number that doesn’t get returned.
Documentation — Your Insurance Policy
Photograph and video everything during the walkthrough. Time-stamped photos from a phone are admissible if a dispute escalates to small claims. I take roughly 40 to 60 photos per walkthrough — every appliance, every system the seller agreed to repair, every room from two angles, the meter readings on the water heater and HVAC.
For VA loan buyers, I also screenshot the appraisal repair list and check those items. The VA appraiser doesn’t come back, so it’s on you and your agent to verify. The VA Home Loans program has more on what’s required of a VA-eligible property if you want the full picture.
Final Thoughts
The final walkthrough Hampton Roads buyers complete with their agent is the difference between catching a problem on Monday and discovering it on Saturday with no recourse. It’s not glamorous work. You’ll spend 45 minutes flushing toilets and pulling on ceiling fans. You’ll feel a little silly. And then one day a faucet won’t run, or the dishwasher leaks the first time you load it, or the seller’s garage shelving stays nailed to the wall after you were told it would come down. That’s when you’ll be glad you took the time.
If you’re getting close to closing on a Hampton Roads home and you’d like to walk through together — or you want a Realtor who actually shows up to the final walkthrough — let’s talk. You can also read more about how I work at Tier One Coastal Realty or search Hampton Roads homes if you’re earlier in the process.