Selling costs don't arrive all at once. Some come before you list, some while the property sits on the market, and the largest at the closing table. Here's every line, in the order you'll actually pay it.
Selling costs usually total about 8% to 10% of the sale price, and you pay them in a sequence, not all at once: some before you list, some while the property is on the market, and the largest ones at closing. On an illustrative $400,000 sale that's roughly $32,000 to $40,000 all in — prep and repairs first, then carrying costs, then commission, taxes and fees at the closing table, and moving at the end.
1. Before you list
The first costs come before your property is ever on the market, to get it ready to compete:
- Repairs and pre-listing fixes — anything a buyer's inspector or lender would flag. A few hundred to several thousand dollars, more if something big is due.
- Cleaning, decluttering and minor updates — paint, landscaping and a deep clean; inexpensive and high-return.
- Staging and photography — optional but often worth it; professional photos in particular drive online interest.
- Pre-listing inspection — optional, a few hundred dollars, to avoid surprises later.
2. While it's on the market
Once listed, the meter keeps running. Every month the property is unsold, you keep paying the carrying costs — your mortgage, property taxes, insurance and utilities. In a fast market that's a few weeks; in a slow one it can be months. This is the cost most sellers forget to count, and the one a quick cash sale almost eliminates.
3. When you get an offer
At the negotiating table, a couple of costs can appear depending on the market. Buyer concessions — credits toward repairs or the buyer's closing costs — are common when buyers have leverage and can run 1–2% or more. Some sellers also offer a home warranty to reassure a buyer. Both are negotiable, and both come out of your proceeds.
4. At closing (the big ones)
Most of your total cost lands here, on closing day:
- Agent commission — the largest line, historically about 5–6% of the price, now more negotiable since the 2024 industry settlement.
- Transfer or conveyance tax — a state (and sometimes municipal) tax paid by the seller. It varies a lot: about 0.456% in Massachusetts, roughly 1–1.25% in Connecticut. Confirm the rate for your sale with your closing attorney.
- Attorney or settlement fees, title and recording — your closing attorney or escrow, owner's title (in many areas), and the fee to record the deed.
- Prorated property taxes and any HOA dues — your share up to the closing date.
- Mortgage payoff — not a cost exactly, but your remaining loan balance is paid from the proceeds here too.
5. After the sale
One last line that's easy to leave out of the budget: moving. A local move might run $1,000–$2,000, a long-distance one several thousand, plus deposits and any overlap or storage. It's the final cost, from the same pot of proceeds.
Add it up: what you actually keep
Run those lines in order and you'll usually land near 8–10% of the sale price, before your mortgage payoff. Subtract all of it, plus the payoff, and you have your net proceeds — the money that reaches you. For the same costs sorted by category and percentage, see our cost of selling a house breakdown; for the take-home math, our net proceeds guide.
Enter your address and PropVio estimates your property's value, then folds these costs into an estimated walk-away figure. You can explore a cash sale or a listing with a licensed local agent as separate journeys — choose one or look at both. A cash sale skips most of the early lines (prep, repairs, months of carrying costs), usually in exchange for a lower price. If you move forward, PropVio connects you with a local cash buyer or a licensed local agent.
Common questions
What are the costs of selling a house?
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In order: prep and repairs before you list, carrying costs while it's on the market, any buyer concessions at the offer, then commission, transfer or conveyance tax, attorney/title and recording fees at closing, and moving at the end. All in, usually about 8–10% of the price.
What is the biggest selling cost?
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Agent commission — historically about 5–6% of the sale price, though now more negotiable. It's usually larger than every other selling cost combined.
What costs do I pay before listing my house?
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Repairs and pre-listing fixes, cleaning and minor updates, and optionally staging, professional photography and a pre-listing inspection. These range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Do I pay costs while my house is on the market?
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Yes — carrying costs. You keep paying your mortgage, property taxes, insurance and utilities every month until it closes. The longer it takes to sell, the more they add up, which is why time-to-sell is a real cost.
How much does it cost to sell a house in total?
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Usually 8–10% of the sale price all in, sometimes more with prep and moving — roughly $32,000 to $40,000 on an illustrative $400,000 sale, most of it commission. A cash sale removes many of these costs, usually at a lower price.
How do I figure out what I'll actually keep?
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Add every cost above, then subtract them and your remaining mortgage from the sale price. What's left is your net proceeds — a home sale calculator estimates it in a couple of minutes.
Most appraisals land at or above the price a buyer agreed to pay. The ones that don't tend to surface in the final weeks, when options are thinnest. Here's what actually moves an appraised value, and the preparation that reduces your risk before you accept an offer.
On a $400,000 property, total selling costs routinely run $30,000 to $40,000 once every line item is counted. Here's every common seller expense, the net proceeds math, and where you can negotiate.
You can sell without a listing agent by handling the sale yourself or selling directly to a cash buyer. The important question is what you keep after costs—not just the commission you avoid.
Selling a house usually costs about 8% to 10% of the sale price. On a $400,000 home, that's roughly $32,000 to $40,000, most of it agent commission, plus closing costs, prep, concessions and moving on top.
Home value estimators are usually accurate within a few percent for homes currently listed for sale, but the error is much larger for off-market homes, commonly around 7% or more. They're a useful starting point, not a final answer.
Listing with a realtor usually nets you more money if your home is in good shape and you can wait a couple of months for the sale to close. A cash offer almost always looks lower on paper, but once you subtract agent commission, repairs, closing costs and the months of carrying costs a listed home racks up, the gap narrows.
Market value is what a buyer will actually pay for your home in today's market. An appraisal is a licensed appraiser's professional opinion of that value, usually ordered by the buyer's lender to make sure the loan isn't larger than the home is worth.
Location, size and layout, age and condition, updates, the local market and recent comparable sales are what move your home's value. Location is the biggest factor and the one you can't change; condition and updates are the ones you can.
Seller closing costs are the fees paid to complete a home sale, and they usually run about 1% to 3% of the sale price, or roughly 6% to 10% once agent commission is included.
The cost of selling a house is usually about 8% to 10% of the sale price, and can pass 10% once you add prep, repairs and moving. Here is every category, line by line.
Your net proceeds are the money you actually keep after selling costs and your mortgage payoff. Here is the formula, a sample seller net sheet, and a faster way to estimate yours.
