Closing on a new home:
costs and walkthrough.

The last few weeks of a Parterre purchase are where a good build-to-order or quick move-in experience either finishes cleanly or gets muddy. Two things decide which: whether you understand the closing costs before the closing disclosure arrives, and whether you treat the final walkthrough as a working inspection instead of a ceremony.

This guide covers what buyers typically pay at closing on new construction in Thornton, what a builder may contribute, and how to run the walkthrough so that anything wrong ends up on a written list with a date attached.

What you will actually pay at closing

Closing costs on a new build look like the costs on a resale, with a few differences. As a working rule of thumb, buyers often budget a few percent of the purchase price for closing costs and prepaids combined. That is an estimate, not a quote. Your loan estimate and the builder's settlement figures are the only numbers that count.

Lender and appraisal charges

Origination or underwriting fees, the appraisal, credit reporting, and any discount points you chose to buy. If you are using a builder-funded rate buydown, the structure matters; we walk through it in how rate buydowns work at Parterre.

Title and settlement

Title insurance, settlement or closing fees, and recording charges. On new construction the title company also confirms that the lot is properly platted and that no contractor liens remain open on the home you are about to own.

Prepaids and escrow reserves

Homeowners insurance for the first year, prepaid interest, and an initial deposit into your tax and insurance escrow. Because Parterre is in a metro district, your escrow should be built on the real levy for your homesite. Our property tax and metro district guide explains why.

HOA and community charges

Many Colorado communities collect a one-time capital or transfer contribution plus prepaid dues at closing. Ask for the exact amounts for your homesite in writing. The ongoing side of this is covered in the Parterre HOA guide.

The weeks before the walkthrough

Most surprises at the walkthrough could have been caught earlier. Before the date is set:

Confirm your options list. Pull your signed selections and design center paperwork and keep them with you. If you chose upgrades, our design center upgrade guide is a good reminder of what you should be looking for in finish and fixture.

Schedule your own inspector first. An independent inspection, ideally a few days ahead of the builder's walkthrough, gives you findings to put on the punch list. We cover the reasoning in Do You Need an Inspector at Parterre?

Reread your contract's completion language. Know what the builder has agreed to finish before closing, what can be handled after, and whether any holdback applies. The builder contract questions we use with buyers include the ones to settle early.

Running the final walkthrough like an inspection

Allow two hours, not thirty minutes. Bring a flashlight, a phone charger to test outlets, painter's tape for marking spots, and a notes app or paper checklist. Move room by room, and do the same pass every time.

Inside

Run every faucet and flush every toilet. Open and close every window and door, and check locks. Test the garage door and its safety reverse. Turn on the furnace and air conditioning and confirm air actually moves from every vent. Test each appliance. Look at paint, trim, flooring seams, tile grout, cabinet doors, and countertop edges under angled light, which shows flaws that overhead light hides.

Outside

Walk the whole lot. Look at grading and drainage away from the foundation, the condition of the driveway and sidewalk, siding and trim, and any landscaping your contract includes. Note where water would pool.

Mark everything, even small things

Put a piece of painter's tape on each issue and write it on the builder's punch list with the room and a short description. Ask for a copy before you leave, and ask when each item will be completed. A small scuff and a leaking fixture both belong on the list. You decide later which matter.

What if the home isn't ready

It is common for a new build to close with a short list of open items. It is not common to want a long one. If the open items are cosmetic and the builder commits to dates, closing on schedule is usually reasonable. If systems do not work, or the list is long, ask your agent about moving the date or negotiating a holdback before you sign closing documents. Once you take possession, your leverage changes and the warranty process takes over (see your Parterre builder warranty, explained).

This is also where timing choices made earlier show up. A quick move-in home is closer to finished by definition, while a build-to-order home tends to have a longer last-mile list. The trade-offs are laid out in quick move-in vs. build-to-order.

Why this matters

By closing day you have made the big decisions. What remains is verifying that you are paying what you were told and receiving the home you selected. A buyer who has seen the closing figures in advance and walked the house with a written checklist closes with fewer regrets and a clearer path to repairs. A buyer who treats it as a formality inherits the problems.