You’re Ready to Sell Your House, 7 Costs That Can Shrink the Check You Walk Away With

A home’s sale price is only the beginning because commissions, closing costs, mortgage payoff, repairs, concessions, moving expenses and taxes can all reduce the final amount a seller keeps – Shutterstock

Selling a house can make the listing price look wonderfully enormous right up until the bills start nibbling at it. A home that sells for $400,000 does not necessarily put anything close to $400,000 into the seller’s bank account, because several costs can come out before the final check arrives.

That does not make selling a bad deal. It simply means the asking price and the amount of money a seller actually pockets live in two very different neighborhoods. Knowing where those dollars can go makes it much easier to set a realistic selling price, evaluate offers, and avoid celebrating a big sale before doing the math.