Selling your house can be a long and complicated venture, especially if you’re preparing to sell in Eastern North Carolina cities like Jacksonville, Swansboro, Richlands, or New Bern. At the beginning of the process, you may feel like the end will never be in sight. You have to prepare your house, find a realtor, evaluate offers, negotiate with buyers, prepare for closing, and more.
The timeline for selling a home may feel daunting, but breaking it down month by month or week by week can help. Here’s the ultimate timeline for what you should expect from the beginning to the end of the process if you’re selling in Onslow, Pender, Carteret, or Craven County, NC.
2-3 Months Before Listing: Begin Repairs and Upgrades
It’s never too early to start preparing your home for the real estate market. Most sellers in areas like Surf City, Cape Carteret, or Havelock start actively preparing their property two to three months before listing. If your house needs a lot of work, you might need more time to make repairs and upgrades.
Here are some projects to get ready to list your house:
- Interior painting
- Patch the walls
- Power-wash the driveway
- Upgrade lighting fixtures or hardware
- Fix chipped bathroom or kitchen tiles
- Recaulk the bathtub
- Replace torn window screens
1-2 Months Before Listing: Hire a Real Estate Agent
Start looking for a real estate agent as soon as you decide to sell your house. If you’re unsure which repairs or upgrades are necessary, working with an agent early can be a huge help.
In military-focused areas like Camp Lejeune or MCAS Cherry Point, finding an agent who understands PCS timelines and VA loan benefits can be a game changer. You should be partnered with an agent no less than three or four weeks before listing.
1-2 Weeks Before Listing: Stage and Take Photos
A couple of weeks before listing, your home should be ready for the market. Staging in places like Emerald Isle or Sneads Ferry might involve removing beach gear, decluttering, deep cleaning, and simplifying your decor. Consider renting a storage unit to keep extra belongings.
Your agent may work with a professional photographer or handle the photos themselves. Either way, your listing needs to show off your home in its best light.
1-4 Weeks After Listing: Hold Showings
Most sellers hold an open house the first weekend after listing. Your agent will also schedule private showings. During this time, keep your home in show-ready condition and be prepared to leave during tours.
In locations like Stella or Hubert, buyers may be active duty military working under tight timelines, so flexibility in showings can help get quicker offers.
1 to 2 Months After Listing: Accept an Offer
In 2025, homes in Eastern NC, particularly near base, tend to go under contract in one to two months. However, some markets like Hampstead or Surf City can move faster due to high demand.
If you haven’t received offers after 30 days, you and your agent may discuss price and/or marketing adjustments.
Offer Accepted
Once you’ve accepted an offer on your home, the countdown to closing begins. The purchase agreement will set a closing date, but keep in mind that the closing could get postponed. There are many tasks that various parties need to complete before closing, and any delays on these tasks could result in closing being pushed back.
1 Week After Accepting an Offer: Prepare for the Home Inspection
The home inspection usually occurs within a week of the property going under contract. The buyer and buyer’s agent will schedule the inspection, so you don’t need to do anything but wait at this point.
Based on the results of the inspection, the buyer will either proceed with the sale as planned or renegotiate the deal. Your agent will work with the buyer’s agent to come to an agreement that satisfies everyone.
2 to 3 Weeks After Accepting an Offer: Complete the Appraisal
The home appraisal is ordered by the buyer’s mortgage lender and paid for by the buyer. Just like with the inspection, all you have to do at this time is wait.
Once the lender orders the appraisal, the appraiser will contact you to schedule a visit. They’ll observe the exterior and interior of your home to assess its value, which usually takes less than an hour. Then, they’ll complete their analysis and create an appraisal report within about two weeks.
If your house is appraised for less than the buyer’s mortgage amount, you’ll have to renegotiate with the buyer. You could challenge the appraisal, lower the sale price, or ask the buyer to make a larger down payment to reduce their loan amount. Unfortunately, these negotiations can delay your closing date significantly.
1 to 2 Days Before Closing: Final Walk-Through
The final walk-through usually happens one or two days before closing. Sometimes, buyers schedule the walk-through on closing day.
Sellers don’t usually attend the final walk-through. However, if you feel a need to be there, you could request to attend or request that your agent be present.
Closing Day
Your real estate journey ends here. In NC, the closing typically takes place with a real estate attorney. You sign paperwork, hand over the keys, and the buyer officially becomes the new owner once the deed is recorded.
From preparing your home to closing, selling can take around three months at minimum. In some cases, it can take longer. Stay flexible, stay focused, and work with a local real estate agent who knows the ins and outs of selling in Jacksonville, Swansboro, New Bern, and the surrounding military markets.