You’ve found your dream home, come to terms with the seller and are inching toward the closing table. While there’s a lot to consider during this time, moving forward one step at a time will keep you on the right track.

As you prepare to close on your new home, lean on your real estate agent for guidance. They may not be able to help you with everything, but they can always get you in touch with someone who can.

Here are some basic steps you’ll want to take as you prepare to close on your home:

• Home inspection: Even if everything looks good on the surface, you never know if there are hidden issues until you hire an inspector to take a closer look. From a cracked foundation to mold to a leaky roof, you want to have a clear understanding of anything that’s wrong with the property.
• Secure a loan: Even if you received a preapproval from a lender, you’re not at the end of the road just yet. You still need to receive a final approval for financing, and that calls for you to complete quite a bit of paperwork and provide the lender with plenty of documentation. From income statements to bank account statements to insurance details, there’s no shortage of documents to collect.
• Final walk-through: Typically, this occurs within 24 to 48 hours of closing on your home. It’s at this point that you can take one final look at the property to ensure that everything is the way it should be. For example, if the seller is supposed to leave the appliances, be sure that they’re all in the home. If you come across anything that raises a red flag, find a solution before you close. Waiting until afterwards takes away all your leverage.

While these aren’t the only steps you’ll take as you prepare to close on a new home, they’re among the most important. Once you know what to expect and how to proceed, it’s much easier to stay current with your checklist to ensure yourself of making sound decisions that help protect your legal rights.