What to look for room by room at your Pre-Delivery Inspection, so you use the walkthrough properly instead of just admiring it.
London, Ontario7 minute read
What to look for room by room at your Pre-Delivery Inspection, so you use the walkthrough properly instead of just admiring it.
What the PDI actually is
Your Pre-Delivery Inspection happens about a week before your closing date and it does two jobs. First, we teach you
how your home works, so nothing about it is a mystery once the keys are yours. Second, we document the condition of
the home together, in writing, before you take possession. That record is what your Tarion warranty milestones are
measured against, which makes it the single most useful hour of the whole process.
A separate Closing and PDI sign-off appointment is scheduled on your actual closing date, during business hours.
The Pre-Delivery Inspection is where you learn how your home works.
Who can be there
Only the purchasers named on the Agreement of Purchase and Sale may attend. No friends, family, children, realtors,
home inspectors or guests, which keeps the walkthrough focused on the two jobs above. If you cannot attend in person
you may assign a designate by completing the appropriate form in advance.
Bring these
Your photo ID and a copy of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale
This checklist, printed, with a pen
Your phone charged, for photographs and for the video of how systems are operated
A phone charger or small nightlight to test outlets
A tape measure, if you are ordering blinds or furniture
Keys are released on the closing date, after the sign-off appointment.
Room by room
Every room. Walls and ceilings under the light, at an angle. Paint coverage, drywall seams, nail pops.
Baseboard and casing joints. Floor for scratches, lifted seams and hollow spots. Every light switch and every
outlet. Windows: open, close, lock, screen present and intact.
Kitchen. Open and close every cabinet and drawer, checking alignment and soft-close. Counter edges and
seams. Sink for chips, and run it hot and cold. Under the sink for leaks and for the shut-offs. Every appliance
powered on. Range hood on every speed. Dishwasher through a short cycle if time allows.
Bathrooms. Run every tap and the shower, hot and cold, and check the pressure. Flush every toilet and
confirm it is snug to the floor. Tub and shower surround for chips and for grout and caulking gaps. Exhaust fan
running, and confirm it is vented outside. Drain speed. Mirror and valance lighting.
Laundry. Water shut-offs present and accessible. Dryer vent connected and sealed. Floor drain, if there is one.
Mechanical room. This is the education part, so take video. Furnace filter location and size, and how
often to change it. Humidifier setting and the seasonal switch. Thermostat programming. Water heater, and whether it
is owned or rented. Main water shut-off, and the electrical panel with the breakers labelled. HRV or ERV if the home
has one, and how to clean it.
Basement. Sump pump and how to test it. Floor and wall for moisture. Windows and window wells. Support
posts and beams.
Garage. Door opens and closes on the opener, and the auto-reverse safety works. Weather seal at the
bottom. Man door closes and latches. Outlets.
Outside. Grading away from the foundation. Driveway and walkway surface. Siding, brick and caulking.
Soffit, fascia and downspouts, and where they discharge. Exterior taps, and how to shut them off for winter.
Deck or porch, railings solid. Front door weather seal and deadbolt.
How to note something
Be specific and be locational. “Scratch on the floor” is hard to act on. “Roughly 30 cm scratch on
the main floor hardwood, two metres inside the front door, toward the kitchen” is unambiguous. Photograph
everything you note, in the same order as the list, and keep your copy of the signed form somewhere you will find it a
year from now.
After the PDI
Keep your signed PDI record with your closing documents
Create your MyHome account at myhome.tarion.com. Every warranty milestone is submitted there
Save the Ironstone Service Team contact and the 24-hour emergency line in your phone
Where this goes next
You do not have to work the rest of this out alone.
Everything in this guide is on our first-time buyer hub as well, alongside six calculators
that run the same numbers with yours plugged in. If you want a person instead of a page, that is what our
team is for.
This guide is general information for first-time buyers in Ontario, current as of August 2026.
It is not legal, tax or mortgage advice, and program amounts, rates and eligibility rules change. Confirm the
details that apply to you with your lender, your lawyer and the program itself before you rely on them.
Prices and availability referenced here are subject to change without notice. E.&O.E.
