A pre closing home inspection checklist is not about trying to make a house look brand-new. It is about confirming that the property you agreed to buy is the property you will receive at closing, that agreed repairs are complete, and that no material condition has changed while the transaction moved through escrow.
For buyers in Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Pahrump, that final review deserves real attention. Extreme heat can expose air-conditioning problems quickly. Irrigation leaks can hide beneath desert landscaping. A vacant home can develop issues between the original inspection and the day you receive the keys. This is your opportunity to slow down, document what you see, and ask direct questions before the deal is final.
Start With Your Original Inspection Report
Your original inspection report is the foundation of your pre-closing review. Do not rely on memory or a quick conversation about what was supposed to be fixed. Pull up the report, photos, videos, repair addendum, invoices, and any seller disclosures. Focus first on material findings: safety concerns, active leaks, electrical defects, HVAC performance issues, roof concerns, plumbing problems, and damaged structural components.
Separate findings into three categories: repairs the seller agreed to complete, conditions you accepted as-is, and future maintenance or improvement projects. The final walkthrough should concentrate on the first category, while also confirming that the home remains in substantially the same condition.
A receipt alone does not prove a repair was completed correctly. A contractor may have addressed the visible symptom without resolving the cause. If a leaking drain was repaired, run water through it. If an electrical issue was corrected, test the affected outlet or switch. If a damaged ceiling was painted, look for staining, softness, or signs that moisture is still present.
Your Pre Closing Home Inspection Checklist
Bring a flashlight, phone charger, outlet tester if you have one, your documents, and a way to take photos and notes. Plan enough time to move through the house carefully. A rushed 15-minute walk-through is rarely enough for a property with repair requests, a pool, a large lot, or multiple HVAC systems.
1. Verify every negotiated repair
Compare the completed work to the exact wording in the repair agreement. Check that the work matches the affected location and issue, not just a similar problem elsewhere in the home. Ask for invoices, warranties, permits, or contractor information when applicable, especially for major electrical, plumbing, roofing, HVAC, or pool repairs.
Look for workmanship concerns such as loose fixtures, incomplete patching, unpainted drywall, new water stains, missing caulk, exposed wiring, or debris left behind. Cosmetic imperfections may not delay closing, but incomplete or questionable work deserves clarification before you sign.
2. Test the air conditioning and heating
In Southern Nevada, air conditioning is not a minor convenience. Turn on each thermostat zone and allow the system time to run. Confirm that cool air is coming from supply registers, that the thermostat responds, and that no unusual banging, grinding, or strong odors occur during operation.
If the original report identified an HVAC concern, verify that the stated repair addresses it. A recently serviced system may still have an aging component or limited remaining service life. The goal is not to demand a new unit where none was negotiated. It is to make sure the system is operating as represented and that you understand any remaining risk.
3. Run water at every fixture
Turn on faucets, flush toilets, operate showers, and check the kitchen sink. Look beneath sinks for moisture, active drips, loose drain connections, corrosion, or cabinet damage. Run hot and cold water separately to confirm that both are available and that fixtures drain reasonably well.
Pay attention to changes since the inspection. A home that has been vacant may reveal a slow leak only after water is used again. Check the water heater area for puddles, rust, discharge pipe issues, or signs of recent leakage. If the home has a water softener, filtration equipment, or recirculation system, confirm that it is present and functioning as expected.
4. Check electrical operation and safety
Operate lights, ceiling fans, exhaust fans, switches, and garage-door openers. Test a representative number of outlets, with extra attention to kitchens, bathrooms, garages, exterior areas, and locations identified in the inspection report. Ground-fault circuit interrupter outlets should reset properly where required.
Open the electrical panel only if you are comfortable doing so and it is safe to access. You are looking for obvious changes, missing covers, labels that no longer make sense, or work that appears incomplete. Do not attempt repairs or touch exposed conductors during the walk-through.
5. Inspect ceilings, walls, floors, and windows
Look for new cracking, water stains, bubbling paint, soft drywall, or damaged flooring. Fresh paint can be perfectly normal after a repair, but it should not be used to hide an unresolved moisture problem. Open and close accessible windows and exterior doors. Confirm locks work, screens are present where expected, and doors do not bind severely.
In desert properties, minor settlement cracks are common and not every crack is structural. What matters is whether cracking is new, widening, accompanied by sticking doors or sloping floors, or connected to a previously reported concern. When in doubt, document it and seek guidance before closing.
6. Recheck the roof line, exterior, and drainage
You typically will not walk the roof during a final walkthrough, and you should not climb ladders to do so. From the ground, look for missing or displaced roofing material, damaged fascia, loose gutters, new stains at eaves, or debris from recent work. Confirm that exterior repairs are complete and that gates, fences, exterior lights, and hose bibs operate.
Check the yard for standing water, broken irrigation heads, leaking valves, or soil that appears unusually wet. In Las Vegas-area homes, irrigation systems can cause costly foundation-adjacent moisture problems and wasted water if leaks go unnoticed.
7. Confirm appliances and included equipment
Verify that included appliances remain in the home and are the same units contemplated by the contract. Turn on the dishwasher, range, oven, microwave, garbage disposal, refrigerator if included, and laundry equipment when possible. Open the garage door and check remotes, wall controls, and safety reversal operation.
For a home with a pool or spa, confirm that listed equipment is present and operating. Pool systems deserve careful review because pumps, heaters, controls, and leaks can create substantial post-closing expenses. If a pool issue was noted in the inspection, a specialized pool evaluation may be warranted rather than relying only on a walkthrough.
8. Look in the attic, garage, and storage areas
Accessible spaces often reveal what a staged living room does not. In the garage, check for water staining, exposed wiring, damaged fire separation, missing remotes, and belongings that should have been removed. Look around the water heater, HVAC equipment, and electrical panel.
If the attic is safely accessible and was part of the original inspection, compare it to the report. You are watching for new roof leaks, disturbed insulation, disconnected ducts, or signs that a repair created another problem. Do not enter an attic that is unsafe, blocked, or outside the normal scope of a final walkthrough.
9. Make sure the property is actually vacant
The contract controls what remains, but personal property, trash, construction debris, and abandoned chemicals can become your problem after closing. Check cabinets, closets, sheds, the garage, attic access areas, and the yard. Confirm that seller belongings have been removed unless they were specifically included.
Also verify that keys, mailbox keys, garage remotes, gate fobs, alarm information, and community access devices are accounted for. These details can feel small until you are standing outside your new home without access.
10. Review permits and specialist findings when needed
Some repairs call for more than a visual confirmation. If work involved a roof replacement, electrical panel, gas line, water heater, structural component, or major HVAC repair, ask whether permits and final approvals were required. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and the nature of the work.
A general home inspection identifies visible conditions and material concerns, but it does not replace every specialty evaluation. Sewer lines, pools, structural movement, mold, and complex HVAC faults may need a qualified specialist. The right next step depends on the risk, the repair agreement, and how close you are to closing.
11. Document concerns immediately
Take clear, dated photos and short videos of anything that appears incomplete, damaged, or different from the original condition. Note the room, location, and what you observed. Share the information promptly with your real estate agent so there is time to request clarification, additional repair, a credit, an escrow holdback, or another solution allowed by your contract.
Do not wait until after signing to raise a concern that was visible before closing. Your options are usually stronger while the transaction is still open.
12. Know when to call your inspector back
A final walkthrough is not a replacement for the pre-purchase inspection, and it is not always practical to reinspect every component. However, a reinspection can be a smart investment when significant repairs were negotiated, documentation is unclear, or the work does not look complete.
Kelleher Home Inspections can help buyers interpret reported findings and understand whether repair documentation and visible results address the original concern. A detailed report with photos and video also gives you a reliable reference point rather than asking you to remember every condition from inspection day.
Closing on a home should feel informed, not rushed. Bring the report, test what you can safely test, and speak up when the property or completed repairs do not match the agreement. A careful final review protects the confidence you worked hard to earn before you take ownership.
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