How much does it cost to sell a house?

When sellers say they cleared X, they usually mean the sale price. The number that actually matters is the wire that hits the bank the day of close. Between those two numbers is a stack of line items nobody warns you about until you are signing them. Here is the whole stack.

The seven costs, in order of size

1. Real estate commission (4.5 to 6 percent)

The largest line item on almost every sale. Historically split between the listing agent and the buyer's agent. After the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately and is increasingly the seller's choice, not an obligation. Assume 2 to 3 percent to your side, and decide what you will offer the buyer's side based on your market.

2. Buyer concessions (0 to 3 percent)

Cash toward the buyer's closing costs or rate buy-down. In a hot market this is zero. In a soft one with high mortgage rates, expect 1 to 3 percent. Show up prepared for the ask.

3. Seller closing costs (1 to 2 percent)

Title insurance for the buyer, escrow fees, county transfer tax, recording, prorated property tax and HOA. Varies by state; California and New York are on the high end.

4. Repairs and credits after inspection (0.5 to 3 percent)

Almost every inspection turns up something. You will either fix it, credit it, or lose the deal. Roofs, HVAC, water heaters, foundation, and sewer lines drive the biggest asks.

5. Prep, staging, and photography (0.1 to 3 percent)

Paint, deep clean, storage, staging, and a good listing photographer. A few thousand dollars on the front end reliably returns multiples on the back end. Skipping this is the most expensive way to save money on a home sale.

6. Carrying cost while on market (variable)

Mortgage payment, property tax, insurance, HOA, utilities. If the home is vacant, add security. Every month on market subtracts from what you keep. Model this against a realistic days-on-market for your neighborhood.

7. Moving and the next place (variable, and personal)

Not technically a seller cost, but it is money leaving on the same day. Movers, deposits, overlap on the next mortgage. Build it into the plan or it eats your surprise.

A quick estimate you can trust

For a typical single-family sale in a normal U.S. market, expect total costs to run 8 to 12 percent of the sale price. A 500,000 dollar home clears roughly 440,000 to 460,000 in your bank account, before the moving truck.

The three levers you actually control

1. Commission. Negotiate the listing side. Decide deliberately what to offer the buyer's side.
2. Days on market. Priced right, prepped right, and photographed right. Every week you avoid is money kept.
3. Prep. A calibrated 1 percent of sale price spent up front usually returns 3 to 5 percent in list price.