What Does It Actually Cost to Sell a House? Every Fee Explained

Most sellers focus on the sale price and forget about what comes out before they see a dime. The real number that matters is net proceeds, not list price.

You find a buyer. You agree on $250,000. You start planning what to do with the money. Then the closing statement arrives and the number looks nothing like what you expected.

This happens to sellers every day. The gap between the sale price and what you actually walk away with — what the industry calls your net proceeds — can easily be $30,000 to $50,000 on a median-priced home once you account for every fee in a traditional sale.

The Full List of Costs When Selling a House

Here is every fee a seller typically encounters in a traditional sale. Some are always present. Some depend on your state, your buyer, and how your negotiation goes.

Fee	Typical Range	Notes
Agent commission	5%–6% of sale price	Split between listing and buyer’s agent
Title insurance	$500–$1,500	Seller typically pays owner’s policy
Transfer taxes	0.1%–2%	Varies by state and county
Attorney fees	$500–$1,500	Not always required
Prorated property taxes	Varies	Owed through your closing date
Pre-sale repairs	$1,000–$15,000+	Depends heavily on home condition
Staging costs	$1,500–$5,000	Higher for vacant homes
Seller concessions	1%–3%	Inspection credits, closing cost help
Home warranty	$300–$600	Sometimes offered to attract buyers
Carrying costs	$1,000–$3,000/month	Every month the home sits on market

That list is long because the costs are real, layered, and often surprising. Here is a closer look at the biggest categories.

How Much Is the Realtor Commission?

The real estate agent commission is the largest single fee for most sellers.

Historically, the standard commission was 5% to 6% of the sale price, split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. On a $200,000 home, that is $10,000 to $12,000 gone before anything else. The seller paid both sides — your listing agent got roughly half and the buyer’s agent got the other half.

That model was challenged in a landmark antitrust lawsuit settled in 2024. The NAR agreed to change its rules around buyer’s agent compensation, meaning buyers and their agents are now expected to negotiate their own fee separately. In practice, this is still settling out. Many sellers continue offering buyer’s agent compensation to attract offers, and buyers who need their agent covered may simply offer less on the purchase price — so the cost often finds its way back to the seller one way or another.

Bottom line: budget 5% to 6% of the total sale price for commission in a traditional transaction unless you have specifically negotiated something different upfront. On a $200,000 home at 6%, that single line item is $12,000.

What Are Seller Closing Costs?

Beyond commission, sellers pay a separate set of closing costs — the fees that cover the legal and administrative work of transferring property ownership.

Title insurance (owner’s policy): In most Midwest markets, the seller pays for the owner’s title insurance policy. In Indiana and Ohio, expect $600 to $1,200 depending on the sale price.

Transfer taxes: Indiana charges roughly $0.50 per $500 of value (about 0.1%). Ohio’s rates vary by county but often run $1 to $4 per $1,000 of value. On a $200,000 Indiana sale, this is around $200. In Ohio it can reach $400 to $800.

Attorney fees: Neither Indiana nor Ohio requires an attorney at closing, but if you use one, budget $500 to $1,000.

Prorated property taxes: Indiana pays taxes in arrears, meaning you will likely owe a credit to the buyer covering the portion of the year before you close.

Recording and settlement fees: Typically $50 to $150 to file documents with the county, plus $300 to $600 for the title company’s closing fee.

Adding these up, seller closing costs in Indiana and Ohio — not counting commission — typically run 1% to 2% of the sale price. On a $200,000 home, that is another $2,000 to $4,000 out the door. Combined with commission, total seller costs can reach 7% to 9% of the sale price. That is the real number to plan around.

The Hidden Costs Most Sellers Do Not Think About

Commission and closing costs are the obvious line items. These are the ones that blindside sellers.

Pre-sale repairs: Your agent will likely walk the home and give you a list. Buyers in a traditional sale expect a home that is move-in ready, or they will negotiate hard if it is not. Common requests include roof patches, HVAC servicing, water heater replacement, fresh paint, flooring repair, and cosmetic updates. A light refresh might cost $3,000 to $5,000. A neglected home can require $15,000 or more before it is competitive on the MLS.

Inspection negotiation credits: Even after pre-sale repairs, buyers almost always request a professional inspection — and inspectors find things. It is common for sellers to give $1,000 to $5,000 in concessions at this stage, either as a price reduction or as a credit toward the buyer’s closing costs.

Staging costs: Full professional staging can cost $1,500 to $5,000 depending on the size of the home and how much furniture needs to be rented. Vacant homes cost more to stage than occupied ones. Many agents will tell you staging pays for itself in a higher sale price — and they are often right — but it is still money out of pocket before you see any return.

Carrying costs: Every month your home sits on the market costs you money. Mortgage, property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, utilities, and lawn maintenance do not stop because you listed. On a typical Midwest home, carrying costs run $1,000 to $3,000 per month. The average Indiana home sat on the market for 30 to 60 days in recent years — one to two months of costs on top of everything else.

Deal fall-through risk: Roughly 5% to 10% of home sale contracts fall through before closing. When that happens, you go back to market, restart the process, absorb another month of carrying costs, and start the inspection cycle over. This is not a fee you can put a number on in advance, but the risk is real.

How Much Will You Actually Walk Away With?

Here is a worked example comparing a $200,000 Indiana home sold through a traditional agent versus sold to a cash buyer.

Traditional listing:

Cost	Amount
Sale price	$200,000
Agent commission (6%)	−$12,000
Closing costs (1.5%)	−$3,000
Pre-sale repairs	−$5,000
Staging	−$2,000
Carrying costs (2 months)	−$3,000
Inspection concessions	−$2,000
Estimated net proceeds	~$173,000

Cash sale:

Cost	Amount
Cash offer (ARV-based)	~$112,000–$125,000
Fees	$0
Repairs	$0
Carrying costs	$0
Net proceeds	= offer amount

The actual gap between a traditional sale and a cash sale is often much smaller than it appears when you only compare list price to offer price. When you factor in all the fees, the net difference can be a few thousand dollars — not tens of thousands.

For some sellers, getting top retail dollar is the priority and a traditional listing is the right move. For others — especially those who cannot afford repairs, cannot wait 60 days, or need certainty over optimism — the math often points in a different direction.

Get Your Free Cash Offer at skiptheagent.llc

How a Cash Sale Changes the Math Completely

When you sell to a cash buyer like Skip The Agent, almost every line item above disappears.

There is no agent commission because there are no agents. There are no seller closing costs because we cover them. There are no repairs because we buy homes as-is. There is no staging, no showings, no open houses. And because we can close in as few as seven days, carrying costs shrink to almost nothing.

Our offers are below retail market value — that is our model and we explain it openly. We renovate or hold the homes we buy, and the discount we receive is the trade we make for giving you speed, certainty, and simplicity.

The sellers who benefit most from a cash sale are not always in crisis. Sometimes they are people who did the math — like you are doing right now — and realized that after subtracting every fee, the traditional listing route and the cash route land surprisingly close to the same place. Except one takes weeks of stress and one takes a phone call.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage does a realtor charge to sell a house? The standard commission has historically been 5% to 6% of the sale price, split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. After the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer’s agent compensation is more negotiable, but many sellers still offer it to attract buyers. Your listing agent’s portion alone is typically 2.5% to 3%.

Who pays closing costs when selling a house? In most transactions, the seller pays the majority of closing costs — including agent commission, owner’s title insurance, transfer taxes, and prorated property taxes. Buyers pay their own set of costs, though sellers sometimes offer to cover buyer closing costs as a negotiating tactic, which effectively reduces your net proceeds.

What is the average cost to sell a house? When you include agent commission, closing fees, repairs, staging, and carrying costs, the average cost of a traditional sale typically runs 8% to 12% of the sale price. On a $200,000 home, that is $16,000 to $24,000 in total costs before you pocket a dollar.

Can I sell my house without paying commission? Yes. Selling to a cash buyer like Skip The Agent involves zero agent commission because there are no agents involved. You can also attempt a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) listing, though you may still end up offering a buyer’s agent commission to attract represented buyers. FSBO homes also tend to sell for less and sit longer, which can offset the savings.

Do I have to pay closing costs if I sell for cash? Not with Skip The Agent. We cover closing costs as part of our offer. The seller pays no closing fees, no commission, and receives a net check equal to the agreed offer price. Some cash buyers do ask sellers to cover costs, so always ask explicitly before signing anything.

What is the cheapest way to sell a house? A cash sale to a direct buyer is typically the cheapest in terms of out-of-pocket fees — no commission, no repairs, no closing costs paid by the seller. The trade-off is accepting a below-market offer price. FSBO is another low-cost option but requires significant time and expertise, and financed buyers add deal-fall-through risk.

How do I calculate my net proceeds from a home sale? Start with your expected sale price. Subtract agent commission (5–6%), closing costs (1–2%), any repairs or credits you expect to give, and your carrying costs while the home is listed. A rough rule of thumb: budget 8% to 10% of the sale price in total costs for a traditional sale. Anything above that is yours to keep.

What fees are negotiable when selling a house? More than most sellers realize. Agent commission is negotiable — especially your listing agent’s portion. Buyer concessions are negotiable. Inspection repair credits are negotiable. Title company fees are sometimes negotiable. What is harder to negotiate are transfer taxes, recording fees, and prorated taxes — those are set by the state or county and do not move.

Does the seller pay for a home warranty? A home warranty is not required but is commonly offered as a selling incentive, especially in slower markets or when a home has older systems. The cost is typically $300 to $600 for a one-year policy. In competitive markets, sellers rarely need to offer one. In softer markets or for homes with older mechanicals, it can reduce buyer hesitation and help close the deal.