You cleared out every cluttered nook of the house, ditched the bright yellow kitchen wall for a neutral hue, enhanced your curb appeal to perfection, and found a top real estate agent whose marketing plan worked its magic. Voila! A buyer made a great offer on your home and you wonder — OK I’ve come this far, but what’s next?

Don’t lose focus yet. Throughout closing, you’ll need to finalize logistics like your move-out date, prepare your home for the inspection and appraisal, and make hard decisions during final rounds of negotiations. This time period can range anywhere from 30-45 days, so it’s crucial you are attentive during each step to avoid delays.

We’ve consulted top real estate agents who have decades of experience to break down all the steps to closing on a house. We’ll point out where you can make decisions early, warn you of common issues that pop up and how to solve them, and let you know when it’s best for your agent to take the reins.

Here’s your list of steps, which we’ll break down individually below:

Step 1: Sign the purchase offer to set closing in motion

Step 2: Open escrow to hold crucial funds and documents

Step 3: Clear title on your home

Step 4: Open your home for the general inspection

Step 5: Accommodate any additional inspections

Step 6: Negotiate based on the inspection findings

Step 7: Confirm your home’s value with an appraisal

Step 8: Sign closing paperwork to seal the deal

Step 9: Collect your proceeds!

Step 1: Sign the purchase offer to set closing in motion

Your buyer submitted a purchase offer. What sweet relief. Someone wants to buy your home, and you’ve got it in writing!

But be warned: this document holds every detail about how your home will change hands, determines who keeps what down to the window treatments and refrigerator, and sets deadlines for each party that are legally binding. Review it with care.

At this point in time, you’ll work with your real estate agent to tweak items like:

• Any negotiations over the purchase price and conditions of payment
• The buyer’s earnest money deposit (timing for delivery and total amount)
• Rules around possession of the property and how long it’s yours
• Which fixtures, major appliances, and other items stay or go
• Expected time frames for the inspection and appraisal
• Closing and move-out dates

Depending on how fast you and the buyer come to an official agreement on the contract terms, you may go through a round or two of counter offers until everyone is happy. Once signed, the purchase offer becomes a purchase contract… and now you’re ready to start the process of closing.

Tips to manage the offer stages:

• Know what you plan to take with you and disclose it upfront. Specifics vary by state, but it’s generally assumed in a real estate contract anything that’s permanently attached to the house stays… even when you go to sell the property. So if you bought a 5-range Viking stove that you plan to take with you, talk to your agent about whether (and when) you’ll need to provide the proper disclosures.
• Over-communicate, and lean on your agent. An offer over list price that will require five extra projects and a cash offer under list price with no inspection can both be winning offers — just for different sellers. Share your priorities with your agent early and often so they know what to advocate for on your behalf.
• Use a net sheet to understand your bottom line. Keep tabs on your end-of-day proceeds with a net sheet, a document that estimates how much cash you can expect to take home after subtracting fees and expenses from the sale price. “The net sheet is so easy to do, and it builds confidence because the seller can really say [to their agent] that ‘OK, this is what I’m looking at, you’re committing to this’ and the answer’s always ‘yes,’” explains Diane Grove, top-selling real estate agent in Fort Worth, Texas.

Curious how much you’ll net on your home sale but haven’t found an agent yet? Try HomeLight’s Net Proceeds Calculator to get a first read on your payout in minutes.

Step 2: Open escrow to hold crucial funds and documents

The earnest money deposit is a small portion of your buyer’s down payment and is due a few days after you both agree on a price and sign the purchase contract. It’s a centuries-old gesture of good faith that balances the scales: As the seller, you’re no longer the only one with skin in this game.

“There’s some parts of the country where they want 1% of the purchase price for the earnest deposit, but in our area we see lots of $500 and $1,000 payments. $1,500 is the highest (deposit) money we see,” explains Kimberly Plourde, top-selling Portsmouth, Virginia agent with over 21 years of experience.

Your buyer will be responsible for opening an escrow account to temporarily hold the earnest money out of everyone’s hands. Remember, the sale usually isn’t final until inspections, appraisals, and any other items on the contract are complete.

During this waiting period, your escrow or closing officer, a third party professional, safeguards the money in a neutral account until the sale closes. They’ll also act as taskmaster, diligently checking off each line of the contract and making sure deadlines are met before releasing the funds.

Tips for setting up escrow:

Talk to your agent about an appropriate earnest money deposit. Would they advise a higher deposit of 1%-3% to reel in the most serious candidates, or is a more modest deposit in line with area customs?

Discover where escrow accounts are held in your region. It could be an escrow or title company, or attorney’s office. Then, ask your real estate agent which party (buyer or seller) usually picks the specific company in your market or if it’s negotiable. Your agent should have a short list of trusted closing officers they rely on for detailed, efficient closings — and buyers may be open to your suggestions if you have them.

Step 3: Clear title on your home

And no matter how squeaky clean you think your home’s record is, know that title issues take place in 25% of real estate transactions, according to the American Land Title Association. Even if you purchased a new construction home 10 years ago, for example, the land you purchased that new build on could have hidden heirs that weren’t discovered when you bought it.

Here are some of the main title issues to look out for:

• Paperwork errors while transferring the title to you or a previous owner
• Outstanding fees like HOA dues and property taxes
• Contractor liens that show you failed to pay for a service or repair
• Boundary disputes, like if your neighbor’s property survey shows that the edge of your back yard is actually theirs
• People who can stake a claim on your home and complicate your ability to freely sell, like ex-spouses of previous owners or hidden heirs

Tips for a faster title search:

Order a preliminary title report.Rather than wait for surprise title issues to come up during closing, you can order a preliminary title search to get a jump start on correcting issues like boundary disputes or deal with simple fixes like outstanding waste-collecting fees ahead of the game. “You’re better off knowing the error upfront then finding it out later because the title work doesn’t usually get done until the last-minute,” says Jennifer Murtland, a top-selling real estate agent in Cincinnati.

Locate your abstract of title. This is the document that shows the history of ownership and proves you cleared title when you bought the home. Can’t find it? You’ll likely be charged for a new one, so check one more time and then ask your lender or real estate attorney if they have a copy (they probably do). If title companies have a current abstract of title to work off of, they can often recertify it rather than starting from scratch.

Start organizing early. Pull out the entire stack of “house paperwork” from that neglected drawer. Use a filing system or binder to divy up the documents into categories like bills, warranties, receipts, and official documents. That way, you can proudly produce that kitchen backsplash installation receipt if your title company asks for it and eliminate any scrambling.

Step 4: Open your home for the general inspection

Let’s be honest: Buying a home without an inspection is a gamble. So, most buyers are going to get one. There’s only so much the untrained eye can uncover in a 30-minute showing.

If you are stuck with an inspection contingency, you’ll open your home for the buyer, buyer’s agent, and the professional inspector for anywhere from 2-4 hours (you should find an errand to run while they’re there).

This will give buyers the opportunity to make sure the systems in your home are in working order and that there are no major problems with the property. These are the big things an inspector will look for:

• Structural defects or malfunctions, like evidence of foundation damage.
• Problems in systems such as electrical or plumbing, often knob and tube wiring in older homes or water damage as a result of faulty pipes.
• External property issues like retaining walls, drainage, grading, or any plants that affect the home.

But also expect the inspection to give new meaning to the word thorough. “It’s typically conducted with the buyer and the buyer’s representative going through the entire property from top to bottom — every outlet, every toilet, every everything,” says Plourde.

The inspector will need about 3-4 days to compile their findings into a report. When your buyer and their agent get ahold of it, they’ll quickly huddle to decide whether to schedule specialty inspections based on the results or move into a final round of negotiations.

Tips for the home inspection:

Set strict deadlines for completion.A good window to aim for is no later than 5-10 days after going under contract. Buyers usually require the contingency to walk away with no repercussions if they don’t like the inspection results, meaning you’d have to start over and find a new buyer. Talk to your agent about steps they take to nudge buyers to be proactive about completing this step.

Make sure your home is accessible. The inspector will need to evaluate areas like the basement, attic, garage, and crawl space. If they can’t access a particular space during the inspection, they will have to mark it as “uninspectable” which could prolong the process.

Get a pre-listing inspection.Ward off any surprises in the buyer’s inspection by hiring an inspector to come through before your house hits the market. That will give you the opportunity to make any repairs upfront and also decide what you’re not willing to fix. Be aware if you do this though, you’ll likely need to disclose the results of your inspection to buyers upfront.