Selling a Home in Houston, Step by Step

Selling a home in Houston takes 11 steps, and once a buyer's financed contract is signed, closing usually follows in about 30 to 45 days. You price with a market analysis, prepare the home, complete the seller's disclosure notice, list and show it, negotiate offers and repair requests, then handle the appraisal, title, survey, closing and move-out.

What sellers pay. Your costs are closing costs, the owner's title policy, any repairs you agree to and any concessions you negotiate, all negotiable in the contract.

The timeline at a glance

Step	Usually takes
1. Price with a market analysis	After our walk-through
2. Prepare and repair	Finish before photos
3. Seller's disclosure notice	Before listing
4. List and market	Photos first, then the MLS
5. Showings	The first 1 to 2 weeks
6. Offers and negotiation	As offers arrive
7. Option period and repair requests	Commonly 7 to 10 days
8. Appraisal	Weeks 2 to 4
9. Title and survey	First 2 to 3 weeks
10. Closing and move-out	About 30 to 45 days after the effective date
11. After closing	Same day to a few weeks

The 11 steps, with timing, tasks, documents and costs

Step 1. Price your home with a market analysis

How long: We deliver the analysis after our walk-through of the home; you decide when to list.
What you do: Review our two price recommendations and decide. Gather your mortgage payoff estimate and HOA contact details.
What we do: Prepare a written analysis of active listings, recent price cuts and sales from the last 60 days, adjusted for size, updates and location, plus an estimated net sheet. You choose the price.
Documents: Pricing analysis, net sheet, payoff estimate.
Costs: Our home valuation is free and carries no obligation.

Go deeper: free home valuation.

Step 2. Prepare the home and decide on repairs

How long: Finish before photos; the time depends on the work.
What you do: Usually worth doing: neutral paint, lighting, deep cleaning, the front yard and items an inspector would call out. Usually not: a kitchen or bath remodel.
What we do: Walk the home with you and sort what pays for itself from what to skip, drawing on Evan Compean's investor and builder background. We add virtual staging when it helps.
Documents: Receipts and warranties for the roof, HVAC, foundation, termite treatment and plumbing; your existing survey.
Costs: On a stucco home, an invasive stucco inspection before listing usually costs $1,000 to $1,500 and lets you fix problems or price for them.

Go deeper: what selling with Compean Group includes.

Step 3. Complete the seller's disclosure notice

How long: Before you list. Texas requires delivery on or before the effective date of the contract.
What you do: Answer from what you know and mark "unknown" when you do not. List written inspection reports received in the last four years, and answer the flood questions: past flooding, flood insurance claims, FEMA assistance and mapped floodplains.
What we do: Go through the notice with you before the listing goes live, line up the MUD (municipal utility district) notice, PID (public improvement district) notice and HOA documents if they apply, and give you FEMA and Harris County Flood Control District map links.
Documents: Seller's Disclosure Notice (TREC form 55-1 or TXR 1406); MUD notice, PID notice and HOA resale certificate where they apply.
Costs: None for the notice; Texas law caps the HOA resale certificate fee at $375.

Go deeper: the Texas seller's disclosure notice, explained.

Step 4. List and market the home

How long: Photos first. Then the listing goes live in the Houston Association of REALTORS (HAR) MLS and syndicates to Zillow, Realtor.com and Homes.com.
What you do: Sign the listing agreement, prepare the home for photos and approve the listing.
What we do: Order professional HDR photos, a 3D tour and a floor plan, add virtual staging when it helps, and run paid ads, including premium placement on Homes.com and Zillow.
Documents: Listing agreement, MLS listing.
Costs: Photography, the 3D tour, listing advertising and the showing service are part of our service.

Go deeper: why sell with Compean Group.

Step 5. Show the home

How long: The first one to two weeks tell you the most about price and presentation.
What you do: Keep the home show-ready and step out during showings.
What we do: A showing service books visits. You get an email after every showing with the buyer agent's feedback, and a written update every Monday: showings, online activity, buyer comments and our recommendation.
Documents: Feedback emails, Monday update.

Go deeper: client results.

Step 6. Compare offers and negotiate

How long: Offers arrive on the buyers' schedule. Contract deadlines count from the effective date.
What you do: Review each offer with us side by side, then accept, counter or decline.
What we do: Compare net proceeds, financing strength, option period, closing date and requested credits. Evan Compean's loan officer license helps him read a buyer's pre-approval letter. With several offers we may counter more than one buyer and keep backups.
Documents: TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), financing addendum, pre-approval letter, counteroffers.
Costs: Concessions you negotiate, such as a credit toward the buyer's closing costs (lenders cap them).

Go deeper: closing costs and seller credits.

Step 7. Handle the option period and repair requests

How long: Commonly 7 to 10 days from the effective date.
What you do: Keep power, water and gas on for inspectors. Wait for the buyer's written request, then accept, counter or decline. Selling as-is does not stop inspections or requests.
What we do: Price each item with our contractors and compare repairs, a credit and a price change on your net sheet. For bigger problems we usually recommend a credit; small, clear fixes are often cheaper to repair.
Documents: Buyer's inspection reports, repair amendment, invoices, warranties.
Costs: Repairs or credits you agree to. On our recent as-is sales, follow-up requests ranged from $1,000 to $5,000.

Go deeper: the option period in Texas.

Step 8. Prepare for the appraisal

How long: Usually weeks 2 to 4, if the buyer is financing.
What you do: Give the appraiser access and a dated list of updates with costs.
What we do: Give the appraiser comparable sales and your update list, which is how a 1910 Near Northside bungalow appraised at its $435,000 contract price. If the value is short: a reconsideration of value through the buyer's lender, meet in the middle, or adjust the price.
Documents: Appraisal, comparable sales, update list. On FHA and VA loans the appraiser can require repairs.
Costs: The appraisal is a lender charge on the buyer's side.

Go deeper: how the buyer's financing and appraisal work.

Step 9. Clear title and the survey

How long: The title commitment usually arrives in the first 2 to 3 weeks; the contract sets when you deliver the survey.
What you do: Find your existing survey, and sign the T-47 or T-47.1 only if nothing has changed since it was drawn: no additions, fences or pools. Request your HOA resale certificate and a payoff letter from your lender.
What we do: Coordinate with the title company, send the survey with the T-47 and the disclosure notice, and explain your options if an old survey is rejected.
Documents: Existing survey, T-47 or T-47.1, HOA resale certificate, payoff letter, title commitment.
Costs: The owner's title policy, which sellers customarily pay in Houston at a state-set premium. A new survey, if required, costs a few hundred dollars; the contract says who pays.

Go deeper: surveys and the T-47.

Step 10. Close and move out

How long: A financed sale closes about 30 to 45 days after the contract is signed, a cash sale in about two weeks. Signing takes 15 to 30 minutes.
What you do: Finish agreed repairs and keep invoices. Leave the appliances that stay and every key, garage remote and mailbox key. Keep power, water and gas on until the day after funding.
What we do: Go through your settlement statement with you and coordinate the buyer's final walkthrough.
Documents: Settlement statement, payoff letter, deed, keys and remotes.
Costs: Closing costs, the owner's title policy, any repairs you agree to and any concessions you negotiate. Texas has no transfer tax.

Go deeper: closing costs in Texas.

Step 11. After closing

How long: Once the buyer's lender funds, the title company sends your proceeds, usually by wire the same day or the next business day.
What you do: Schedule final meter readings and shut-offs with each utility for the day after funding, and give each provider your forwarding address. Keep your closing documents, and ask a tax professional what you need for your return.
What we do: Answer questions about your settlement statement and closing documents.
Documents: Settlement statement, final utility bills, escrow refund from your lender.
Costs: Texas property taxes are paid after the year ends. At closing you credit the buyer for January 1 to the closing date; the buyer pays the bill. Your lender refunds your escrow balance after payoff.

Go deeper: prorations and escrow in Texas closings.

Selling a home in Houston: FAQ

How long does it take to sell a house in Houston?

It depends on price, condition and area. A quiet first week is not unusual, and many homes take a few months. Once you are under contract, a financed sale typically closes in about 30 to 45 days.

How do you decide on my list price?

We study the homes buyers will compare yours to: active listings, recent price cuts and sales from the last 60 days, adjusted for size, updates and location. We give you two pricing recommendations, and you decide. We set a showing target so we can adjust quickly if buyers disagree.

Do I need to make repairs before I list?

Usually not everything. We point out the fixes that pay for themselves, such as paint, lighting or an item an inspector would call out, and which to skip.

Can I sell my Houston home as-is?

Yes, but as-is does not stop inspections. Texas buyers typically still inspect during the option period and can ask for credits or walk away. On our recent as-is sales, follow-up requests ranged from $1,000 to $5,000.

What is the seller's disclosure notice, and what if I leave something out?

Texas Property Code 5.008 requires you to give the buyer a written notice about the home's condition on or before the effective date. Answer from what you know and mark the rest unknown. Knowingly hiding a defect can let the buyer terminate or sue.

Should I give the buyer a credit or make the repairs myself?

For bigger problems we usually recommend a credit. It keeps your closing date on track and avoids disputes over workmanship. Small, clear-cut fixes can be cheaper to repair. We compare both on your net sheet.

What if the buyer's appraisal comes in low?

We prepare the appraiser with comparable sales and a list of updates. If the value is still short, the buyer's lender can submit a reconsideration of value (the review usually takes a few business days), or you can meet in the middle or adjust the price.

What does a seller pay at closing in Houston?

Closing costs, the owner's title policy, any repairs you agree to and any concessions you negotiate. By Houston custom, your settlement statement also shows half of the title company's escrow fee, a property tax proration from January 1 to closing, the HOA resale certificate and your loan payoff.

When do I get my money after closing?

Once the buyer's lender funds the sale, the title company sends your proceeds, usually by wire the same day or the next business day.

Can I sell my Houston home if I live out of state or overseas?

Yes, we do it regularly. The title company reviews any power of attorney before the first offer, we handle access and vendors in Houston, and closing is by mail-away or remote signing.

Sources

Texas Real Estate Commission, Seller's Disclosure Notice, form 55-1, effective May 28, 2026, and resale contract, form 20-19. Checked October 30, 2026.
Texas Property Code Section 5.008 and Section 207.003, as cited in our disclosure and closing guides, updated October 29, 2026.
Our Houston guides, updated October 29, 2026. Typical durations, repair requests and costs reflect our Houston transactions and are negotiated in every contract. This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice; confirm details with an attorney, tax professional or lender.

What's my home worth?

Call or text (832) 777-3904, email evan@thecompeangroup.com or use the contact page. We work in English and Spanish. The team has sold 1,000+ homes in 15 years. Buying your next home? See Buying a Home in Houston, Step by Step.

Updated October 30, 2026.