These are the steps to follow when you’re under contract as a seller.
Today I’m discussing what happens when your house is under contract as a seller. There are a few things you should be prepared for, and I’m here to help you do that.
The first thing to do is prepare your home for an inspection. You’ll need to move some things out of the way so the inspector can see the basement walls, get into the attic, and have access to plumbing and all of the machinery in your house like your furnace, air conditioner, water heater, etc. The inspection can take anywhere from two to four hours, depending on how big the home is. When you come back, it’s always good to check and make sure that nothing was left unplugged. There are rare occasions when an inspector might unplug your refrigerator or freezer.
After the inspection, the buyer will come to you. This is where you’ll negotiate on repairs based on what they’re requesting. Most sellers will not replace things that aren’t broken just because they’re older, and I support that. However, we get to decide case by case what we might want to repair. The alternative would be to give them a credit towards their closing costs, and they can repair those things themselves once the negotiation is complete.
“Respond to what your buyer is doing.”
Next, an appraiser will come, and they usually take about 30 minutes. They’ll take pictures of the different elements of your home to determine its condition and value. They may agree with the value the buyer is paying, and they may not. This means that there could potentially be another negotiation.
Lastly, the buyer will do a final walk-through, and the house does not have to be empty for that. They’ll come through and look at any repairs that we made on their behalf as an inspection negotiation item. Then they won’t be in the home again until after closing.
When you move your things out, you are responsible for leaving the home in good condition and cleaning it. Make it presentable, don’t leave a bunch of personal property items, and clean up after yourself.
As you can see, this process isn’t as extensive for sellers. It’s a matter of responding to what the buyers are doing. If you have any questions or if you need help getting your house under contract, give me a call! I’d love to help you in any way that I can.
