How much does it really cost to sell a house?

Most sources quote 8 to 9 percent. Once you count the months of mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and utilities you keep paying while the house sits on the market, plus buyer concessions and the price cut it takes to actually sell, the true cost is frequently 14 to 15 percent of the home's value.

Is my mortgage balance the same as my payoff?

No. Your payoff is your principal balance plus any past-due payments, late fees, lender attorney or foreclosure costs, per-diem interest, and any second mortgage, HELOC, tax lien or judgment. Ask your lender for a written payoff statement. It is free and it is the only number that counts.

Can I sell a house that needs major repairs?

You can, but condition is a financing question, not a price question. A dead HVAC, an end-of-life roof, an old electrical panel, an active leak, structural movement or unpermitted work will stop an insurer from writing a policy and a lender from funding the loan. That means buyers who need a mortgage cannot close on the house at any price, whether the listing says as-is or not.

How long does it take to sell a house?

Plan on 110 to 140 days from the day you decide to the day you get money: two to four weeks of prep, a national median of roughly 66 days on market in 2026, and another 30 to 45 days to close. You pay to own the house for every one of those days.

The Closing Table

What you'd actually
walk away with

The settlement statement you should see before you sign the listing agreement, not on closing day.

Fill in what you know. It estimates the money that lands in your pocket after your loan payoff, selling costs and the months you keep paying while it’s listed. Every number is a starting assumption you can change.

Built by Robert T. Szigeti, a Palm Coast investor. I buy houses, and this tool will still tell you when listing with an agent nets you more.

A The property

Start with what an agent would put on the sign.

Your ZIP code

Optional. Shows what sellers in your market are actually giving up right now.

Typical time to sell,

Homes here close at,

Sellers giving the buyer a concession,

Market data: Redfin

Likely list price

Total cost to hold it, per month

Your full mortgage payment, plus utilities, HOA, lawn, and taxes and insurance if they aren’t already in your mortgage payment. Everything you pay while it sits.

How long until it sells?

Days on the market66 days

Enter your ZIP above and this snaps to your market’s real pace. Drag it to test a faster or slower sale.

Waiting before you list?

Days before you list0 days

Extra time before you start getting ready to list, on top of the prep time, the days on the market and about 40 days under contract. Thinking about listing in the spring? Add the time until you’d list. It adds what you’d pay to hold the house while you wait. It can’t predict what prices or rates will do by then, so change the list price above too if you want to test a different price.

B What you actually owe

This is the part sellers get wrong. Your balance is not your payoff.

Current mortgage balance

Your monthly mortgage payment

The number on your statement. Your statement also shows the principal and interest part on its own.

Taxes & insurance in that payment (optional)

Your statement shows the escrow part. It separates principal and interest from taxes and insurance.

Interest rate on your loan (optional)

A 0% loan counts as a rate. With your rate and the principal and interest part of your payment, the estimate can count the principal you pay down while it sells, and keep missed payments from being counted twice. Without them, it uses today’s balance and says so.

Payments if you are behind

Count every month you've missed. Late fees and lender attorney costs are estimated from this.

I'm still not making the paymentsMissed payments keep adding up until closing

Other liens (2nd, HELOC, tax, judgment)

Don't guess any of this. Call your lender and ask for a written payoff statement. It's free and it's the only number that counts.

C Condition

Condition isn't a price question. It's a financing question.

Roof at end of life or leakingInsurers often won't write it, which can block a mortgage HVAC dead or not workingOften fails the appraisal Old panel, fuses, FPE, Zinsco, knob & tubeInsurers often won't write it, which can block a mortgage Active leak, mold or water damageLenders usually require the repair before funding Foundation or structural movementLenders usually require the repair before funding Additions or work done without permitsCan cloud title and the appraisal Dated kitchen or bathCosts you price, not financing Paint, flooring, landscapingCosts you price, not financing

Estimated cost to fix it all

Rough contractor number. Used only if you choose "fix it first" below.

D Adjust the details

Every number here is a starting guess you can change. Nothing is hidden from you.

Total commission5.5%

Always negotiable. There is no standard rate.

Closing costs, title, escrow2.0%

Buyer concessions / credits2.5%

46.2% of sellers paid a concession in May 2026, a record. Worth assuming you might.

Price cut before it sells3.0%

34.2% of sellers cut their list price in Feb 2026, also a record.

As-is / cash-buyer discount0%

Applies only when condition rules out financed buyers.

Your estimated settlement statement

Updates as you type. Flip the switch to compare the two assumptions.

Where your sale price goes

Loan payoff

Selling costs

Cash at closing

Loan payoff$0 Selling costs$0 Cash at closing$0

Estimated sale priceAfter the price cut you set below$0

The market's cut$0

Commission?What you pay the real estate agents out of the sale. Often around 5–6% total, but it’s always negotiable, there is no fixed rate.$0

Closing costs, title, escrow?The paperwork costs of transferring the home, title search, title insurance, and the neutral third party (escrow) that holds the money until everything is signed. Usually 1–2% of the price.$0

Buyer concessions?Money you agree to give back to the buyer, toward their closing costs or repairs, to get the deal done. Nearly half of sellers are paying these right now.$0

Payoff at closing?What it takes to close out your loan on the day you sell. Your lender’s written payoff statement is the real number. It usually adds a few weeks of interest and small release fees that this estimate leaves out.$0

Mortgage balance today$0

Principal you pay down before closing$0

Missed payments$0

Late fees + lender attorney costs$0

Other liens$0

Estimated cash at closing

Sale price, minus selling costs and payoff. This is the check you’d receive, or the amount you’d bring.

Paid before closing, out of your pocket$0

Repairs before listing$0

Holding costs?Everything you keep paying while the home sits unsold. The longer it takes to sell, the more this grows. This is the cost most calculators ignore.while it's on the market$0

Estimated overall, after what you paid before closing

Each figure is rounded on its own, so totals can differ by $1.

Estimated days until you see money

Estimated true cost to sell

These are careful estimates, not a guarantee, built so you know what the closing table looks like before anyone walks you through it. Your exact payoff, taxes, and fees come from your lender, your title company, and a real estate attorney. Confirm the real numbers there before you decide anything.

So what are your actual options?

You can usually name the price or the terms, but rarely both.

The real lever isn't the interest rate. It's how much cash you need on the day you hand over the keys. The more you need up front, the less a buyer can usually pay. Move the slider to your honest answer.

Just need out cleanEnough to moveMax cash today

cash you say you need at closing

List it on the market

An agent lists it, a buyer (usually with a loan) makes an offer, you wait, and you pay the selling costs at closing.

Estimated sale price$0

Selling costs and payoff$0

Estimated cash at closing$0

Paid before closing$0

Estimated overall$0

Take a cash offer

Usually sells as is, with no commission, concessions or months of holding, and can often close in about two weeks. The trade is a lower price.

Assumed cash offer78% of your list price, less repairs$0

− your payoff, about two weeks outafter any waiting days you set$0

Estimated cash at closing$0

Sell on terms

A buyer takes over the payments and catches up any arrears, or you carry the note. Usually no commission or repairs, and less waiting. You’re paid over time instead of all at once.

Ceiling, if they paid full asking$0

− payoff they cover$0

Best case, not a quote$0

Why there's no payment number here. Because I'd have to guess, and guessing is how sellers get hurt. What the payments look like depends on your payoff, your arrears, your timeline and what you need to walk out with. This tool's job is to show which options these numbers leave open. The number behind the door is a conversation, not a calculator.

And the honest catch: money later is worth less than money today. That's not a trick, it's the entire reason a terms deal can pay full price and a cash deal can't. You're choosing which one is worth more to you. The risks depend on which structure you're actually in. If a buyer takes over an existing mortgage, a subject-to, that loan has a due-on-sale clause, and the loan stays in your name. If instead you own the house outright and carry the note yourself, there's no lender and no due-on-sale clause at all, but you become the bank, with the default risk that comes with it, and Dodd-Frank and SAFE Act rules apply when you finance an owner-occupant. Different structures, different dangers. All of them need a real estate attorney, not a website.

Do these three things before you sign anything

Call your lender and ask for a written payoff statement. Not your balance. The payoff, good through a date. It's free, it takes one phone call, and it's the only number in this entire tool that isn't an estimate.
Ask your agent what the last three homes in your condition actually closed for: not what they listed for. List price is an opinion. Closed price is a fact.
Get one written repair bid on anything flagged red above. If a lender won't fund the house, most of the buyers a listing reaches can't close on it.

Keep your numbers

Print them or save them as a PDF to show your agent, your lender or your family. Nothing is sent anywhere, and you don’t need to give an email.

“Email them to myself” opens your own email app with your results filled in. You choose where it goes.

Robert T. Szigeti buys houses in Palm Coast and Flagler County. Questions about your numbers? 386-307-3179 · robert@therobertszigeti.com

Est. cash at closing $0 see full breakdown ↓

Estimates only, not a guarantee or an offer. Confirm your payoff with your lender and costs with your title company and a real estate attorney. Calculator by Robert T. Szigeti, therobertszigeti.com/sell. Robert buys houses in Palm Coast and Flagler County.