What Happens After You Accept an Offer in Columbia SC
What happens after you accept an offer on your home in Columbia, SC?
Once you sign and ratify a buyer's offer in Greater Columbia, Lexington, or Lake Murray, a specific chain of deadlines kicks off immediately. The buyer delivers earnest money within a few days, a due diligence period (10 business days) opens for inspections and due diligence for any needs the buyers have, the lender orders an appraisal, a South Carolina real estate attorney works through title and closing documents behind the scenes, and the whole process typically wraps at the closing table 30–45 days from the day you signed.
Key Takeaways
Ratification starts the clock: due diligence, earnest money, financing deadlines, and your closing date all start the day after both parties sign.
South Carolina law requires a licensed real estate attorney to handle the closing.
Due diligence periods in Greater Columbia contracts commonly run 10–21 days; during that window the buyer can inspect, investigate, and renegotiate or walk away.
Recent local market data shows a July 2026 median sale price of $285,000 for Greater Columbia and a median of $331,060 for Lexington (CMLS Area 11), with Lexington homes averaging 30 days on market, context that shapes how much negotiating leverage buyers carry into repair discussions.
Financed deals in the Columbia area typically close in roughly 30–45 days from acceptance; Lake Murray waterfront properties often run longer given higher price points and more thorough buyer due diligence.
What does the first week after acceptance actually look like?
The moment you sign that offer, the contract is ratified, and that word matters. Every deadline in your contract counts from ratification day. Your agent will confirm those dates with you right away, and you'll want to have them in writing.
Here's what's happening in the first few days:
Earnest money delivery (Days 1–3)
The buyer is required to deliver earnest money to the agreed holder, usually the closing attorney or a brokerage trust account, within the timeframe written into the contract, typically one to three days after ratification. This is the buyer's skin in the game, and it's one of the first signals of whether they're serious and organized.
I always tell my sellers: if earnest money is late, that's a conversation we need to have immediately. It is to be followed as agreed to in the contract.
The attorney opens the file (Days 1–3)
South Carolina is an attorney-closing state, which means a licensed South Carolina real estate attorney, not a title company, handles your closing. The moment the signed contract lands in the attorney's office, they open a file and order a title search on your property.
That title search pulls recorded documents at the county level (Richland, Lexington, Newberry, or wherever your property sits) to identify any existing mortgages, liens, easements, judgments, or restrictions that need to be resolved before closing. This work starts immediately and runs quietly in the background while you're focused on inspections.
To help the attorney move efficiently, be ready to provide: answers to any title questions they may have, a recent survey if you have one, HOA contact information and governing documents, and payoff and contact information for your current mortgage. The sooner that information flows, the smoother the title work goes.
How does the due diligence period work in South Carolina?
The due diligence period is the buyer's window to investigate the property, and it's broader than a simple inspection contingency. During this time, the buyer can order any inspections they want, review HOA documents and covenants, and decide whether to proceed, renegotiate, or terminate. According to Buyer's South Carolina selling guide, this period runs for 10 business days from ratification in CCRA contracts, though the exact window is negotiated and written into your specific contract.
In practice, buyers in this market commonly order:
A general home inspection
A termite and wood-destroying insect (CL100) inspection
Septic or well checks, more common in outer Lexington, Chapin, and Lake Murray rural areas
Pool and dock inspections for Lake Murray waterfront properties
Specialized inspections for foundation, HVAC, or other systems flagged in the general inspection
What happens when the inspection report comes back?
After inspections, the buyer will typically submit a repair request or amendment. This is the most common point of re-negotiation in a South Carolina deal, and how you handle it matters.
You are not legally required to agree to every repair the buyer asks for. But the market context matters here. The most recent CMLS data from July 2026 shows Lexington's sale-to-list ratio sitting near 98.7% with inventory up more than 20% year-over-year, buyers have more choices than they did two or three years ago. Refusing reasonable repair requests outright carries more risk of cancellation today than it did at the peak of the seller's market.
My approach with clients is to triage repair requests into three buckets: safety or structural items worth addressing, cosmetic or minor items worth countering, and items that are genuinely the buyer's problem to solve after closing. That framework keeps negotiations from going sideways.
Can the buyer still walk away after inspections?
Yes, within the due diligence period, the buyer generally retains the right to terminate. What happens to earnest money if they do depends on your specific contract language and whether a due diligence fee was negotiated. After the due diligence period closes, the buyer's ability to exit without consequence narrows significantly and is tied to remaining contingencies like financing.
What are the lender and attorney doing from week two through closing?
Once inspections are resolved, the transaction shifts into financing and closing prep, and most of this happens without you doing much at all. Here's what's running in parallel:
Appraisal and loan approval (roughly weeks 2–4)
The buyer's lender orders an appraisal once the contract is in place and initial documentation is submitted. The appraiser schedules access to your home, usually a brief visit, and delivers a report to the lender. If the appraisal comes in at or above the purchase price, the lender moves toward full loan approval. If it comes in low, you'll likely hear from the buyer about a price adjustment, seller concessions, or re-negotiated terms. Whether you have to accept any of that depends on what appraisal language is written into your contract.
Per South Carolina closing process guides, full loan approval typically happens two to five weeks after ratification, fitting into the standard 30–45 day closing window for financed deals.
If the buyer's financing falls through before the financing deadline and they properly invoke the contingency, they may be able to exit without being in default. Whether you keep the earnest money depends entirely on the contingency language in your contract, not a general rule. This is a conversation to have with your agent and attorney before you're in the situation.
Attorney closing prep (weeks 2–4)
While the lender is working through underwriting, the closing attorney is doing several things simultaneously:
Clearing any title issues found in the search (old liens, unreleased mortgages, estate matters)
Obtaining payoff statements from your lender and any lienholders
Requesting an HOA estoppel letter if your property is in a homeowners association
Reviewing the contract and lender instructions, then drafting the deed and closing documents
Running a final title update close to closing to confirm no new liens have appeared
Coordinating wire instructions and closing package timing with the lender
This is one of the biggest advantages of South Carolina's attorney-closing model, you have a licensed attorney whose job is specifically to protect the integrity of the transaction and the title chain. The South Carolina Bar has resources explaining why attorney involvement at closing matters for both buyers and sellers.
The final week: walkthrough and closing day
One to three days before closing, the buyer will typically do a final walkthrough to confirm the property is in substantially the same condition as when they went under contract and that any agreed repairs are complete. Have documentation of completed repairs ready, receipts, contractor invoices, photos. Don't leave that to memory.
The attorney's office will schedule a specific closing appointment. On closing day, the attorney walks both parties through the documents, oversees signatures, confirms your mortgage payoff and any other liens are satisfied, and disburses funds. After closing, the attorney records the deed and any new mortgage at the appropriate county office, in Richland County, Lexington County, or wherever the property sits.
Your keys transfer. The transaction is complete.
How does timing differ across the Columbia area?
Not every market in the Midlands moves at the same pace. Here's a snapshot of recent area-level data (trailing 90 days, as of September 2026) to put timing in context:
Area Median Sale Price Median Days on Market
Lexington- $299,000 | 24
Columbia- $229,750 | 16
Blythewood- $334,400 | 57
West Columbia- $227,000 | 56
Gilbert- $379,745 | 51
Columbia and Lexington proper are moving faster than outer areas. Lake Murray waterfront is a different story entirely, mid-2026 data shows an average of roughly 102 days on market for waterfront listings, with higher price points and buyers who conduct more extensive due diligence (dock inspections, shoreline regulation reviews, lake level checks). If you're selling on the lake, your under-contract period may run longer than the standard 30–45 day window, and that's normal for that submarket.
The National Association of REALTORS® tracks national closing timelines, and the Columbia-area experience generally tracks with the national norm for financed transactions, but local contract structure and attorney scheduling do affect the pace. The Consolidated MLS (CMLS) is the regional data source for Greater Columbia market statistics.
Every situation is different, and the only way to know what your specific timeline looks like is to run through it with someone who knows this market. That's exactly what I do with every seller before we go under contract, map out the dates, flag the pressure points, and make sure there are no surprises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once I sign the buyer's offer on my Lexington home, what are the next steps day by day until closing?
Ratification triggers everything: the buyer delivers earnest money within one to three days, the closing attorney opens the file and orders a title search, and the due diligence period begins immediately. Inspections typically happen in the first one to two weeks, repair negotiations follow, and the lender moves through appraisal and underwriting in parallel, with closing usually targeted 30–45 days from the day you signed. Your agent should map out every deadline date the moment the contract is ratified so nothing catches you off guard. accepting an offer in Columbia, SC
How long is the due diligence period in South Carolina, and what can the buyer do during that time?
Due diligence periods in Greater Columbia area contracts commonly run 10 business days from ratification, though the exact window is negotiated and written into your contract. During that time, the buyer can order any inspections they choose, general home, termite, septic, pool, dock, foundation, HVAC, and review HOA documents and property disclosures. Within the due diligence window, the buyer generally retains the right to terminate or renegotiate; after it closes, their ability to exit without consequence is much more limited.
What does the closing attorney actually do behind the scenes after we go under contract?
The closing attorney opens a file the moment the signed contract arrives, orders a title search, and begins clearing any liens, easements, judgments, or title issues on the property. They obtain payoff statements for your mortgage, request HOA estoppel letters if applicable, draft the deed and closing documents, coordinate with the lender on timing and wire instructions, run a final title update close to closing, and then oversee the signing, fund disbursement, and county recording on closing day. In South Carolina, this is required by law, a licensed attorney handles this, not a title company or escrow agent.
If the buyer's financing falls through in South Carolina, when can they back out and what happens to earnest money?
If a buyer cannot obtain financing by the deadline stated in the contract and properly invokes the financing contingency, they may be able to exit without being in default. What happens to the earnest money depends entirely on the specific contingency language written into your contract, there is no universal rule. This is one of the most important things to understand before you're in the situation, and your agent and closing attorney can walk you through exactly how your contract reads.
How long does it usually take to close on a home around Lake Murray once the offer is accepted?
Standard financed deals in the Columbia area typically close in 30–45 days from acceptance, but Lake Murray waterfront properties often run longer. Mid-2026 data shows an average of roughly 102 days on market for Lake Murray waterfront listings, and buyers at higher price points tend to conduct more thorough due diligence, dock inspections, shoreline regulation reviews, water access checks. Sellers in that submarket should plan for a more extended under-contract period and make sure the property is accessible for multiple rounds of inspections.
During due diligence, what kinds of repairs do buyers in the Columbia area usually ask for, and do I have to say yes?
The most common repair requests in Greater Columbia and Lexington involve roofing, HVAC systems, electrical panels, plumbing, moisture or drainage issues, and any safety items flagged in the general inspection. You are not legally required to agree to every request, but with Lexington inventory up more than 20% year-over-year as of July 2026 and buyers having more choices, refusing reasonable repairs outright carries more risk of cancellation than it did a few years ago. The right move is to triage requests with your agent: address safety and structural items, counter on cosmetic ones, and push back where warranted.
The period between accepted offer and closing day has more moving parts than most sellers expect, and the decisions you make during due diligence and repair negotiations can meaningfully affect your final outcome. I walk every seller I work with through this timeline before we ever list, so there are no surprises once we're under contract.
If you're getting ready to list or you've just accepted an offer and want to make sure you're set up right, schedule a consultation with me here and we'll map out your specific timeline together.
About Courtney McCullough
Courtney McCullough is a Broker Associate with the Pawmetto Homes Team at Tzedi Co Realty, serving families across Greater Columbia, Lexington, and Lake Murray. She helps couples navigate the middle chapter of life, kids heading off, parents getting older, and the moves that come with it, with sharp negotiation and a long-game plan. She lives in the Midlands with her own crew, four-legged members included.
Tzedi Co Realty · 803-307-7788
Equal Housing Opportunity. Courtney McCullough, Broker Associate, licensed in South Carolina (South Carolina Real Estate Commission). This article is general information only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your specific numbers, contract terms, and transaction details with your real estate attorney, tax advisor, or lender.
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