Home Buying & Selling Timeline

Find a great Realtor

Read reviews, talk to and meet in person with a Realtor to decide if they are knowledgeable and the best fit for helping you achieve your goal of home ownership. Having representation is important and there’s no cost to you to have this help!

Get pre-approved

Assess your situation

Do you have money saved? What are you comfortable spending monthly on a payment? Make a list of needs/ wants in a home.

6 Months

Selling

Find a great Realtor

Don’t just hire someone who’s offering to sell your home for the highest price. Ask how many homes they sell. How many years have they been in real estate? How are they going to market your home? How will they communicate and how often? How long did it take to sell their last 10 listings?

It’s best to choose a local lender and get a pre-approval letter before starting to tour homes.

Have your Realtor set up an MLS Saved Search notification

Homes are entered on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) so they are available there first before any other site! Your Realtor can set up instant notifications so you see homes before anyone else.

Start Looking

In-home tours are the best way to preview and choose a home. Give your Realtor notification and have them set up tours of your favorites.

3 Months

Know where you’re going

If you sell before you buy, where will you go? If you are building, will you rent? Will you buy before you sell? Talk to your Realtor about goals and next steps to strategize together.

Look at the calendar

Work with your agent on a timeline for selling your home.

Make small repairs

Take the time and effort to fix small items.

Deep clean

Whether you do it or you hire a cleaning service–deep clean your home, including floors, grout, windows, kitchen, and bathrooms.

Make an offer

Stay strong

It’s a seller’s market. Buying can be competitive and stressful. Trust your Realtor and keep your goal in focus.

2 Months

1 Month

Under Contract

Once your offer is accepted, you are under contract and in the critical part of the process.

3 Weeks

Contract to Close

This is a 30-day process and includes earnest money being deposited, resubmitting paperwork to the lender, home inspection, shopping for insurance, choosing a home warranty, and wiring funds to the closing attorney.

Final walkthrough

The day before or day of closing you’ll walk through the home one more time making sure any repairs were done and the home is still in the expected condition.

Closing Day

Yay! Time to sign and buy your home. This will take place at an attorney’s office during business hours and will take about an hour. Make sure any money you were supposed to bring is at the attorney’s office and you have a non-expired driver’s license OR passport with you. Depending on the contract you should receive keys today or 1-2 days after closing.

Stage your home

This means declutter. Showcase your house, not your stuff. Make sure you have curb appeal.

Get professional photos taken

Great photos of your home generate more interest and showings, which generates more offers.

List your home on a Wed, Thurs, or Fri

On weekdays, real estate sites get 20% more traffic than on weekends. WedFri is the optimal time to list for the most activity on your home on the 1st weekend.

1 Week

Be receptive to feedback

Your agent will likely review feedback with you weekly. Take it constructively and keep your goal in focus.

Review offers

When an offer comes in, your agent will present it along with a net sheet showing your profit on the sale.

Closing day

Time to sign and sell your home. This will take place at an attorney’s office during business hours and will take about an hour. Once everyone has signed, you’ll receive a check or wire transfer of your money from the seller. Depending on the contract, you may be already moved out and provide keys. Otherwise, you will do this 1-2 days post-closing.

Contract to Close

This is when an experienced agent representing you can make a difference. Negotiations continue during this 30-45 day window.