Walkthrough, possession, and the first year

Take possession without surprises, and leave with an ownership plan rather than an empty feeling.

The idea

The final walkthrough is a verification, not an inspection. Usually shortly before possession, often the same morning. You aren't looking for new problems in the way an inspector would — you're confirming that the house you're buying is still the house you agreed to buy.

Five things: everything that was supposed to stay is still here. The systems work. Any repairs the seller agreed to have been done. Nothing has been damaged in the move-out. And the property is in the condition the contract requires.

Your included-goods list from Week 8 is your checklist. This is why you wrote it down. Appliances, window coverings, the shed, the garage heater, the mounted TV bracket — each one, present or not. Missing items are much easier to resolve before possession than after, when your leverage is a phone call and goodwill.

If something's wrong, raise it immediately — through your agent and your lawyer, before possession completes. There are mechanisms for holding back funds or resolving a shortfall at closing, and they only work while the money is still moving. After possession, you're negotiating with someone who has already got what they wanted.

Possession day mechanics. The part that surprises everyone: possession is often later in the day than people expect, because a chain of things has to happen first. Your lender sends money to your lawyer. Your lawyer sends it to the seller's lawyer. Registration goes through. Only then are keys released. Any delay anywhere pushes the whole thing back, and none of it is under your control.

The first 48 hours. Before the boxes:

Change the locks, or rekey them. You have no idea how many keys exist. Find the water shut-off and make sure it turns. If a pipe goes at 2am, this is the only thing that matters. Find and map the electrical panel. Label the breakers — it takes an hour with a helper and you'll be grateful for years. Test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace the batteries regardless. Photograph the meter readings on your first day, in case a billing dispute arises. Change the furnace filter, because you don't know when it was last done. Check the water heater temperature.

Then the part nobody plans: the first year. Two things make the difference between owning a house comfortably and being ambushed by it.

The maintenance reserve you calculated in Week 7 becomes a real transfer to a real account, monthly, automatically. It's the same money either way — this version just means the furnace isn't a crisis.

A seasonal calendar, so maintenance happens on a schedule rather than in response to a failure. Most of it is fifteen minutes and none of it is difficult.

Also worth recording now, while you're paying attention: your mortgage renewal date — it arrives faster than you expect and it's a negotiation, not a formality — and, if you used the Home Buyers' Plan, when repayment begins.

Edmonton specifics

A first-year seasonal calendar for this climate:

Late summer / early fall — furnace serviced before you need it, in September rather than in the first cold snap when every technician is booked. Eavestroughs cleared after the leaves drop. Grading and downspouts checked so meltwater runs away from the foundation.

Before the first hard freeze — outdoor taps shut off from inside and drained, hoses disconnected and stored. Skipping this is how people get a burst pipe in a wall.

Winter — sidewalk snow clearing is your obligation as the occupant, not the City's. The bylaw requires the adjacent sidewalk be cleared of snow and ice as quickly as possible and deliberately sets no fixed number of hours, so "I had 48 hours" isn't a defence — that 48-hour figure is only about when a neighbour's complaint becomes actionable. Watch for ice damming at the roof edge, and keep furnace vents and the gas meter clear of snow.

Spring — test the sump pump before you need it, which in a clay-soil city with a melt season is the single highest-value fifteen minutes of the year. Check the roof and shingles after winter. Re-check grading after the ground settles.

Anytime — your annual property assessment notice arrives early in the new year with a review period that closes in the spring. If you think the assessed value is wrong, the complaint deadline is the deadline printed on your assessment notice — it changes each year, it can't be reopened, and it's a complaint about the value, not about the tax bill. Your taxes stay payable either way while it's outstanding.

If you bought new construction, your home carries warranty coverage under the New Home Buyer Protection Act: 1 year on labour and materials, 2 years on delivery and distribution systems, 5 years on the building envelope, and 10 years on major structural components. Put all four dates in your calendar now. Warranty claims have deadlines, the coverage steps down as each one passes, and it's exactly the sort of thing people discover a month too late.

Property tax. If you're not paying through your mortgage, get set up with the the Property Tax Monthly Payment Plan rather than facing the annual bill.

The worksheet

A. Final walkthrough

- Included goods — automatically listed from your Week 8 offer. Tick each one present. - Systems — appliances run · furnace on and producing heat · hot water at the tap · toilets flush and drain · water pressure normal · lights and outlets work in each room - Condition — no new damage · agreed repairs completed · property clean and empty · nothing left behind that shouldn't be - Access — house keys, garage remotes, mailbox key, fobs, alarm codes. Count them. - Meter readings — record and photograph - issues_found — Anything wrong? Be specific and photograph it. - issue_raised_with — Who did you tell, and when? Agent, lawyer, both. Before possession completes.

B. First 48 hours — the safety list above, as a tick list. Do it before you unpack.

C. First-year plan

- maintenance_reserve_monthly — Prefilled from Week 7. Set up the automatic transfer this week, while you're still thinking about it. - tax_payment_method — Through your mortgage, the monthly City plan, or the annual bill? - mortgage_renewal_date — Note it now. Start shopping several months out — it's a negotiation, and staying put by default is what your lender is counting on. - hbp_repayment_start — If you used the Home Buyers' Plan, repayment runs over 15 years beginning the fifth year after the year of a first withdrawal. - home_projects — What do you want to do to this house? Project, estimated cost, target date, and honestly whether it's a must-do or a nice-to-have. Getting the ambitious version out of your head and onto a list is how the roof stays ahead of the kitchen. - seasonal_calendar — Pre-filled with the Edmonton calendar above. Edit it, then export it to your calendar as annual reminders.

What this unlocks

You're home owner ready. Ninety days ago this was a question about whether you could. You've worked out what you can afford and what you're comfortable with, got mortgage-ready, defined what you wanted, searched with a system, seen homes properly, compared them honestly, made an offer with a walk-away number, done real due diligence, and closed with no cash surprises.

Download the full personalized guide — every worksheet, your numbers, your scorecards, your walkthrough record, and your first-year plan, in one document. The condition removal record and the walkthrough notes are worth keeping somewhere permanent.

Talk to a professional

For the first week: a locksmith, if you're rekeying rather than replacing.

For the first year: a furnace technician before the season, and — worth finding before you need one at 2am — a plumber and an electrician you'd call again.

Padster may receive a referral fee or other benefit if you choose certain providers. You are free to use any provider, and we won't share your contact information without your permission.

🎉 You're home owner ready

The information in this course is general education, not financial, mortgage, legal, tax, insurance or real estate advice. Rules, costs and eligibility change and vary by situation. Talk to a qualified professional about your own circumstances.