The Home Selling Process in Alabama, Step by Step

Selling a home is a project with a lot of moving parts, and most of the important decisions happen before the sign goes in the yard. I’m Srianil Peddi, Qualifying Broker at AKS Realty Group. Here is the path I follow with sellers across Hoover, Pelham, Vestavia Hills and Greater Birmingham, so you know what to expect and where your input matters most.

What are the steps to selling a home in Alabama?

Most sales follow eight steps: a home valuation, preparing the home, setting the list price, listing and marketing on the MLS, showings, reviewing and negotiating offers, handling the buyer’s inspection and repair requests, and closing with the closing attorney. Pricing and preparation have the biggest effect on the result.

Step 1: Get a home valuation

Start with what your home is likely to sell for today. I review comparable sold homes, along with your home’s location and condition, and send you a free written recommended price range within 12 to 24 hours. Then we meet in person to go over it. This is also the right time to ask a bigger question: should you sell, or keep the home and rent it out? I list homes for sale and AKS Realty Group manages rentals, so I can show you both sides. See sell or rent your home for how to compare.

At this first meeting, Alabama law requires me to give you the state’s Real Estate Brokerage Services Disclosure (RECAD) form, which explains the types of brokerage relationships available, and I walk you through it. A written listing agreement is required before a licensee lists your property.

Step 2: Prepare the home

A well-presented home sells faster and for more. Preparation usually means:

• Fixing small things buyers notice: dripping faucets, sticking doors, burned-out bulbs, damaged screens
• Deep cleaning and decluttering so rooms look their real size
• Fresh paint where walls are scuffed or bold
• Tidying the yard, front door and entry, since that is the first impression
• Pulling together records: roof age, HVAC service, warranties, termite bond and any permits

I walk the home with you and recommend which updates are worth doing and which are not.

Step 3: Set the list price

Pricing is the most important step in a sale. Set too low and you leave money on the table; set too high and the home may sit and not sell. I recommend a list price from comparable sold homes, adjusted for location and condition, and explain the reasoning so the decision is yours.

Step 4: List and market the home

Your home goes on the MLS so buyers’ Realtors & brokers across the area can find it, and many home search websites display MLS listings. I also promote your home on AKS Realty Group’s social media channels to reach more buyers. Good photos and an accurate, complete description matter, because most buyers see your home online before they see it in person.

Step 5: Showings

Buyers’ Realtors & brokers schedule showings with their clients. Keep the home clean and ready, put away valuables and medications, and plan to be away during showings so buyers feel comfortable. I share feedback with you as it comes in.

Step 6: Review and negotiate offers

An offer is more than a price. I compare offers on:

• Price and any requests for the seller to pay closing costs
• How the buyer is paying, and the strength of their pre-approval
• Earnest money
• Contingencies, such as financing, appraisal and inspection
• The closing date and possession

If you receive several offers, I help you weigh them before you decide. You can accept, reject or counter.

Step 7: Inspection, repairs and appraisal

Most buyers schedule a home inspection and, if financing, the lender orders an appraisal and commonly an official Alabama wood infestation (termite) report. Alabama generally follows caveat emptor for previously owned homes, but sellers still must answer buyers’ specific questions truthfully and disclose known health or safety defects that buyers cannot readily see. If your home was built before 1978, federal law also requires a lead-based paint disclosure. When in doubt, talk to your attorney and disclose.

If the buyer asks for repairs, you can agree, offer a credit or price change, or negotiate a middle ground. If the appraisal comes in below the contract price, the price or terms may need to be renegotiated. I guide you through each response.

Step 8: Closing

Before closing, the buyer does a final walk-through. Make sure agreed repairs are done and keep the receipts. At closing, the closing attorney handles the documents and payoff of your mortgage, and you hand over the keys. I explain your closing costs ahead of time and coordinate with the buyer’s agent, lender and closing attorney, as your contract terms require, through the finish.

Ready to find out what your home is worth?

Get a free home valuation or see how I sell homes. Call 205-821-9683.

Sources

• Alabama Real Estate Commission: Real Estate Brokerage Services Disclosure (RECAD) form
• Alabama REALTORS® Legal Helpdesk: Caveat Emptor for the Seller’s Agent
• Alabama Administrative Code 80-10-9-.18: Official Alabama Wood Infestation Inspection Report
• U.S. EPA: Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards

This article is general information, not legal advice. Talk to your attorney about disclosure questions for your home.