The moment a seller accepts an offer is one of the best feelings in the whole process. You’ve done the hard work — prepared the home, navigated showings, reviewed offers — and now you have a signed contract in hand. It’s natural to feel like the finish line is right in front of you.
But here’s what I tell every seller I work with: getting under contract is not the finish line. It’s the starting line for a completely different phase of the transaction. The 30 to 45 days between contract and closing are filled with deadlines, decisions, and potential obstacles that catch unprepared sellers off guard. Some of those obstacles are minor. Some of them can threaten the deal entirely.
The good news is that when you know what’s coming, none of it is unmanageable. Here’s a straightforward walkthrough of what actually happens after you accept that offer.
The Due Diligence Period
In Georgia, most residential purchase contracts include a due diligence period — a window of time during which the buyer has the right to inspect the property and, if they choose, to walk away from the deal for any reason without losing their earnest money.
The length of this period is negotiable, but it typically runs anywhere from 7 to 14 days from the binding agreement date. During this time, the buyer will schedule inspections, review any disclosures you’ve provided, and decide whether they want to proceed with the purchase, request repairs or concessions, or terminate the contract.
For sellers, this period can feel uncomfortable. You’re under contract but not truly secure yet. The best way to navigate it is to have addressed known issues before listing — which removes a lot of the ammunition buyers might otherwise use — and to stay calm and responsive as inspection results come in. A buyer who asks for reasonable repairs is not trying to back out. They’re trying to get to closing.
The Home Inspection
Shortly after the contract is signed, the buyer will schedule a home inspection. A licensed inspector will spend two to three hours going through your home from top to bottom — roof, foundation, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, windows, doors, and everything in between. They will find things. Every inspection finds something. That is not a reason to panic.
As a seller, you typically won’t be present for the inspection, and you don’t need to be. Your job is to make sure the home is accessible — utilities on, all areas unlocked, pets secured or removed.
After the inspection, the buyer will review the report with their agent and decide what, if anything, they want to ask you to address. This comes in the form of a repair request or a request for a concession — typically either a price reduction or a closing cost credit in lieu of repairs.
Not every item on an inspection report is worth negotiating over. A good agent will help you distinguish between legitimate health and safety concerns that are reasonable to address and minor maintenance items that buyers are trying to turn into leverage. Your response to repair requests should be measured and strategic, not emotional.
The Appraisal
If the buyer is financing the purchase — which most buyers are — their lender will order an appraisal. A licensed appraiser will visit the home, evaluate its condition, and compare it to recent sales of similar homes in the area to determine its market value.
The appraisal matters because lenders will not loan more than a home appraises for. If the appraised value comes in below the contract price, you have a gap — and that gap has to be resolved before closing can happen.
There are a few ways it can be resolved. The buyer can make up the difference in cash. You can reduce the price to the appraised value. You can meet somewhere in the middle. Or, in some cases, you can dispute the appraisal with additional comparable sales data. None of these outcomes is automatic — they require negotiation.
The best way to avoid an appraisal problem is to price your home correctly from the beginning. A home that’s priced in line with what the market supports will almost always appraise at or near the contract price.
The Mortgage Process on the Buyer's Side
While inspections and appraisals are happening, the buyer’s lender is running its own parallel process — underwriting. The underwriter is reviewing the buyer’s financial picture in detail: income, employment, credit, assets, debt. They will often request additional documentation during this process, sometimes more than once.
As a seller, you have no direct involvement in the buyer’s mortgage process, but it affects your timeline significantly. Underwriting delays are one of the most common reasons closings get pushed back. It’s not usually a sign that the deal is in trouble — it’s just the nature of the mortgage process.
What you can do is stay in close communication with your agent, respond quickly to any requests that do involve you, and build a little flexibility into your own moving plans so that a one-week delay doesn’t create a crisis on your end.
Title Search and Clear Title
Once you’re under contract, a title company will conduct a title search on your property. The purpose of the title search is to confirm that you have the legal right to sell the home and that there are no outstanding claims, liens, or encumbrances on the property that would prevent a clean transfer of ownership.
Most title searches come back clean. But occasionally they surface issues — an old lien that was never properly released, an easement that wasn’t previously disclosed, an heir with a potential ownership claim from a prior estate. These are not always deal-killers, but they do need to be resolved before closing can happen, and resolving them takes time.
If you’re aware of anything in your property’s history that might complicate the title — a past bankruptcy, an estate sale, a divorce, unpaid HOA dues — it’s worth flagging to your agent early so there’s time to address it without jeopardizing your closing date.
The Final Walk-Through
In the day or two before closing, the buyer will conduct a final walk-through of the property. This is not a second inspection. It’s a verification — the buyer is confirming that the home is in the same condition it was when they made their offer, that any agreed-upon repairs have been completed, and that nothing has been damaged or removed that was supposed to stay with the home.
Common issues that come up at final walk-throughs: repairs that were promised but not completed, fixtures or appliances that were supposed to convey but are missing, and damage that occurred during the seller’s move-out. All of these are avoidable with a little attention.
Before the walk-through, make sure all agreed repairs are done and documented with receipts, all items that are supposed to stay are still in the home, and the property is in clean, broom-swept condition. A smooth final walk-through is one of the last things standing between you and a clean closing.
Closing Day
Closing day is, for most sellers, a relatively simple process. In Georgia, sellers often sign their closing documents in advance or separately from the buyer, so you may not even be in the same room. You’ll review and sign the settlement statement — which breaks down all the numbers, including your proceeds, any prorations, agent commissions, and closing costs — and once everything is signed and funds are wired, the deed transfers and the sale is complete.
What you need to bring: a valid government-issued photo ID, any keys, garage door openers, gate codes, and any other access items that convey with the home. Your proceeds will typically be wired to your bank account the same day or the following business day.
And that’s it. The home is sold.
Knowledge Makes the Process Less Stressful
I’ve walked through a lot of closings, and the sellers who handle the contract-to-close period most smoothly are the ones who went into it knowing what to expect. Surprises cause panic. Preparation creates confidence.
If you’re thinking about selling your home in Metro Atlanta and want to understand the full process before you’re in the middle of it, that’s exactly the kind of conversation I enjoy having. My free CMA Zoom call isn’t just about price — it’s about making sure you understand every step of what you’re walking into so there are no surprises along the way.
It’s 30 minutes, it’s virtual, and there’s no obligation.
Ken Mandich is a Realtor® and Listing Expert with Complete Realty Team, serving Metro Atlanta with a focus on Cobb and Cherokee County. You can reach him at 404-410-6465 or [email protected].
