How the days are counted
Day 1 is the day after your Binding Agreement Date, the day the contract became final. Every calendar day counts, weekends and holidays included. The period ends at 11:59 p.m. Georgia time on the last day, unless your contract sets an earlier time.
A deadline that lands on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday does not move. Only the closing date does: a closing that falls on a weekend or federal holiday moves to the next business day.
To walk away, your notice has to reach the seller the way your contract's notice section says, before the period ends. Sent at the last minute, or in a way the contract doesn't allow, it may not count. Special stipulations in your contract can change any of these rules, so read yours.
Signed Wednesday, October 28, with 10 days: the window closes at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, November 7. Plan to have your decision in by Friday, when everyone is still at work.
What to do, day by day
- Day 1Book the inspector the day you sign.Good inspectors fill up. Add a radon test and a sewer scope if the home is older or has a basement: a standard inspection doesn't include them.
- Days 2–4Go to the inspection.Walk the house with the inspector and ask what they'd fix first. Get the seller's disclosure now if you don't have it.
- Days 4–6Read the report and the disclosure side by side.Where they disagree, that's a question for the seller. Get quotes for anything big: roof, foundation, heating and cooling, water.
- Days 6–7Send your request.Ask for a credit at closing for specific items, backed by the quotes. Leave the seller time to answer. See Step 7.
- Last two daysAgree in writing, or walk away in writing.If you need more time, both sides must sign an amendment extending the period before it ends. Talking about it doesn't stop the clock.
Dos and don'ts
check_circleDo
- checkPut the exact deadline in your calendar the day you sign.
- checkBe at the inspection, start to finish.
- checkGet written quotes for anything major.
- checkAsk for a credit at closing, not repairs.
- checkSend every notice in writing, early, the way your contract says.
cancelDon't
- closeAssume a weekend deadline moves to Monday.
- closeStart negotiating on the last day.
- closeRead a blank disclosure answer as "no".
- closeRely on the general inspection alone for an older home.
- closeStop at the summary page of the report.
Questions to ask
Your inspector
- If this were your house, what would you fix first?
- Which items need a specialist to look at?
- What is close to the end of its life?
The seller, through your agent
- Can you answer the questions left blank on the disclosure?
- Have you made insurance claims on the home?
- What was repaired recently, and do you have the receipts?
What it costs
You pay for the inspection and any tests up front, even if you walk away. A general home inspection often runs about $300 to $600 depending on the home's size and age. A radon test and a sewer scope are separate, each usually a few hundred dollars or less. It is the cheapest insurance in the whole purchase: one missed problem with the roof or the sewer line costs far more.
See it on a real home
Our sample report is the founder's own home in Marietta, Georgia. Here is what this step looks like, read for you:
Sample report
Terms on this page
infoGeneral information based on the standard Georgia REALTORS® purchase contract and public guidance. Your own contract decides: read it, and ask your agent or closing attorney about anything that matters. Not legal or financial advice.