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From Offer to Keys: A Step-by-Step Guide for Home Buyers

Writer: Sean Struckmeyer
Sean Struckmeyer
15 hours ago
10 min read

Buying a home packs a lot of big decisions into a few short weeks. Once your offer’s accepted, the clock starts. There’s an inspection to schedule, a report to work through, repairs to negotiate, and a closing date that we're sure you'd like to meet, all while your lender, agent, and title company keep asking you for things.

Here in St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin, Warren, and Lincoln counties, most of the buyers we inspect for have about 10 to 15 days to get their inspection done and decide what to ask the seller for. Your contract may give you more time or less, but either way, it's not much time, and it’s easy to end up making big decisions on the fly, without really thinking them through.


That’s why we created the Home Buyer’s Toolkit. It’s a set of fill-in tools for every stage of buying a home, available as a printable download or a paperback workbook. It helps you decide what would make you walk away before you start touring, sort your inspection findings by priority, keep track of what you asked the seller for, and check everything before you sign.


Buying a home usually moves through six stages: planning, touring homes, making an offer, the home inspection, negotiating repairs, and closing. The inspection and negotiation stretch tends to be the tightest, because your purchase contract usually gives you a set number of days to inspect the home and ask the seller for repairs, a credit, or a lower price. Below, we’ll walk through each stage and what you can do to stay ahead of your deadlines. At the end, you’ll find a closer look at what’s inside the toolkit.


Before you shop: set your budget and your limits

Before you look at a single house, get a few things lined up. Figure out what you can spend and how much you want left in savings after closing. Get pre-approved so sellers take your offer seriously. And find a buyer's agent who knows your area, and ask how they handle repair negotiations.

This is also a good time to build the rest of your team: a loan officer, a home inspector, a title company, and an insurance agent. Write down their names and numbers now, because you'll be calling them a lot. It's smart to get insurance quotes early, too, since things like roof age, location, and past claims can change the price.

Then do the part a lot of buyers skip: decide what would make you walk away. Nearly every repair can be fixed, even structural problems. The real question is whether you want to take it on. It usually comes down to four questions:

  • How much can I afford to spend on repairs out of pocket?

  • Who pays? Am I expecting the seller to cover some of it?

  • Who does the work? Do I want the seller to handle repairs, or would I rather hire my own contractor?

  • How long? Am I OK delaying closing for repairs, or doing some of the work after I move in?

Write your answers down before you tour, and talk them over with anyone you're buying with and with your agent.


A long inspection report doesn't automatically mean you should walk away. It depends on what's in it and what you're willing to take on, and that's a lot easier to figure out before you fall in love with a house.

Touring homes: bring your list

Take your walk-away list to every showing and hold each house up against it. It's easy to get swept up in a great kitchen and forget the things you said mattered.

While you're there, try to find out how old the roof, furnace, air conditioner, and water heater are. The listing, the seller's disclosure (if there is one), or the labels on the equipment can help. Those are big-ticket items, and knowing their ages up front gives you a better idea of what you might be budgeting for in the next few years.

You don't need to inspect the house yourself during a showing. That's what the inspection is for. Just jot down what you notice and what you'd like to ask about.


Making an offer and going under contract

Once you find the one, your agent writes up the offer and sends it to the seller. You'll work with your agent to set the price and the length of your inspection period. That period usually starts when the contract is signed or accepted, so check your contract for the exact date your clock starts.

As soon as you're under contract, book your home inspection. Don't wait a few days to see how things go. Inspectors, specialists, and contractors all need time on the calendar, and every day you wait is a day you don't get back.

You'll also send your earnest money around this time. Your contract spells out who holds it, which is often a title or escrow company. Before you wire a dime, confirm the wiring instructions by calling your title company or agent at a number you already know is real. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns that scammers send fake emails with last-minute changes to wiring instructions, and it recommends never following wiring instructions from an email or using phone numbers or links from one (CFPB).

Last, send a copy of your signed contract to your lender so they can keep your loan moving.


The home inspection: what to expect

A home inspection is a look at the home's condition, systems, and components on the day it's done. InterNACHI's Standards of Practice describe it as a non-invasive, visual examination of the accessible areas of the home, based on what the inspector can observe that day. It won't find every issue that exists, and it won't uncover problems hidden inside walls or under finishes (InterNACHI). Some states set their own standards, so ask your inspector which ones they follow.

Here's how to prepare for a home inspection as a buyer:

  • Book it as soon as you're under contract, and tell your inspector when your inspection period ends.

  • Ask how long they expect it to take. It depends on the size, age, and condition of the home.

  • Ask about add-on inspections that make sense for the property, like a sewer scope, radon test, or termite (WDO) inspection.

  • Plan to attend if you can. If you can't be there the whole time, try to make it for the end, when your inspector can walk you through what they found and answer questions.

If your report recommends further evaluation by a specialist, like a structural engineer, roofer, or HVAC contractor, schedule that right away. Those visits take time to book, and you'll want their answers before your inspection period ends. Pre-planning on who you might call or even if you have the budget to hire an engineer can really help you in this step.


After the inspection: sort the report

When your report comes in, it can feel like a lot. A long list of findings doesn't automatically mean the house is a bad buy, though. What matters is what's on the list and how it lines up with the limits you set before you started touring.

Start by reading each finding and making sure you understand what's wrong, why it matters, and what the inspector recommends. If something isn't clear, call your inspector and ask. That's what we're there for, and it's a lot better than guessing.


Then sort your findings by priority. Here's the order we suggest, from most urgent to least:

  1. Anything that could hurt someone, or that's flagged as structural or a material defect

  2. Water getting somewhere it shouldn't, like an active roof leak, plumbing leak, or water in the basement

  3. Things that don't work, are broken, or are missing

  4. Systems that still work but are near the end of their expected life, like an older roof, furnace, or water heater

  5. Upkeep and maintenance items, like caulking, weatherstripping, and paint

  6. Cosmetic stuff that looks rough but works fine

For each finding, decide on a next step. You might ask the seller for a credit or a repair, get a contractor quote, call in a specialist, plan to handle it yourself after closing, or let it go. Keep your agent in the loop the whole way. They'll help you weigh your options and handle the back-and-forth with the seller.



Negotiating repairs

Get quotes for the items at the top of your list, and get them early. A real number from a contractor gives you something solid to stand on, and your deadline won't wait for a callback.

You've generally got three ways to ask the seller to address what was found:

  • Ask the seller to make the repair before closing.

  • Ask for a credit at closing.

  • Ask for a lower price.

Each one has trade-offs. A seller repair means you don't pick the contractor or control how the work gets done. A credit or price reduction puts that control back in your hands, but the work happens after you move in. Before you ask for a credit, check with your lender, since loan programs can have rules about seller credits and what they can be used for.

Your agent sends the request to the seller, and there may be a round or two of back-and-forth. Whatever you agree to, get it in writing, and keep track of what you asked for, what the seller said yes to, and your final number. You'll need that list again at the final walk-through.


Before closing: check the numbers and the house

Once the negotiating's done, your focus shifts to your loan, your insurance, and the house itself. Your lender will handle the appraisal and final loan approval, and your title company will run the title search. On your end, buy homeowners insurance and send proof to your lender, and set up your utilities for move-in day.

For most mortgages, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says you must receive your Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. It recommends checking with your lender or closing agent about a week ahead to find out how it'll be sent, then comparing it line by line with your Loan Estimate (CFPB). If something doesn't match what you expected, ask before you sign.

Then there's the final walk-through, your last look at the house before it's yours. Bring your inspection report and the list of repairs the seller agreed to. While you're there:

  • Check that every agreed repair was done, and collect receipts and any contractor warranties.

  • Run every faucet and shower, and look under each sink.

  • Flush every toilet.

  • Run the heat and the AC (skip the AC if it's below 65°F outside).

  • Turn on every light and ceiling fan, and run the dishwasher, disposal, and range.

  • Look for new water stains, leaks, or damage that wasn't there before.

  • Make sure included appliances and fixtures are still there, and the seller's belongings are gone.

If something's not right, call your agent before you sign. Once you close, it's much harder to fix. On closing day, bring a photo ID for everyone signing and your wire confirmation or cashier's check.


After you move in

Congratulations, you made it. A few things are worth doing in your first week:

  • Change the locks. You don't know who else has a key.

  • Find your shutoffs: the main water shutoff, the gas shutoff, and the electrical panel. You don't want to be hunting for them during a leak.

  • Start a maintenance record. Log repairs and upkeep as they happen, and keep invoices, warranties, and contractor contacts together.

Hang on to your inspection report, too. Anything you sorted into "later" during negotiations makes a good starting list for your first year of home projects.


Keep it all in one place with the Home Buyer's Toolkit

There's a lot to keep track of, especially with a deadline running. We put together the Home Buyer's Toolkit to help buyers stay organized from the first plan to the first year in the home. It's a printable PDF with a tool for each stage covered above.

Inside, you'll find:

  • The Non-Negotiables Workbook, to decide what would make you walk away before you tour

  • The Inspection Report Triage Workbook, with an 8-question decision tree that gives each finding a priority number, a triage worksheet with room for 30 findings, Now, Next, and Later activity logs, and a contractor and quote log

  • A six-phase home buying roadmap and a phase-by-phase action checklist

  • A worksheet to compare home inspection quotes

  • A negotiation log to track what you asked for and what the seller agreed to

  • A final walk-through worksheet and a countdown-to-closing checklist

  • A maintenance register for after you move in


It's an instant download, so you can print it and start using it right away. Just know it's general education to help you stay organized. It isn't a home inspection, and it doesn't replace advice from your agent, lender, or inspector.

If you're buying in St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin, Warren, or Lincoln counties and still need an inspector, we'd be glad to help.


Frequently asked questions

When should I schedule my home inspection?

As soon as you're under contract. The CFPB recommends scheduling it as soon as possible so you have time to sort out problems and get any additional inspections done (CFPB). You'll need part of your inspection period for quotes and negotiating, too.

How long does a home inspection take?

It depends on the size, age, and condition of the home, plus any add-on inspections like a sewer scope or radon test. Ask your inspector for an estimate when you book.

Should I attend my home inspection?

If you can, yes. The CFPB notes that being there makes it easier to understand the report and gives you a chance to ask questions (CFPB).

What's the difference between a home inspection and an appraisal?

A home inspection looks at the home's condition for you, the buyer. An appraisal estimates the home's value, and when you're borrowing money, your lender generally requires one. The CFPB says you generally need both (CFPB).

Does a long inspection report mean I should walk away?

Not necessarily. What's on the list matters more than how long it is. A few safety or structural items can carry more weight than a page of maintenance and cosmetic notes. Compare the findings to the limits you set before you started touring, and talk it through with your agent.

What should I bring to the final walk-through?

Your inspection report and the list of repairs the seller agreed to. Check that the work was done, collect receipts and warranties, and test the major systems before you sign anything.

Additional Resources

Sources

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