How Much Does It Cost To Sell A House By Owner?

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  Written by Ashley Sweren

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  Edited by Bailey Peterson

FSBO vs. realtor | FSBO costs | Commission fees | Home prep costs | Moving expenses | Concession costs | Closing costs 

The cost to sell an average house by owner is $26,514. Selling a home by owner typically runs about 7.5% of the sale price. 

In comparison, the cost to sell a house with a traditional realtor is about 10% of the home sale price. So, you’ll save about 2.5% by selling for sale by owner (FSBO).

Wondering what selling your home FSBO will cost? Enter the estimated value in our calculator below. 

If you’re considering selling FSBO, check out our friends at Clever Real Estate. Clever eliminates all the hassles and headaches of FSBO while helping you pay less than you would for a traditional realtor.

Clever agents provide full-service support and list your home for $3,000 (or 1.5% for homes that sell for more than $350,000). The average Clever seller saves $7,000 on their home sale!

💰 Find out how much you can save with Clever 💰

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The estimated costs listed in this article were informed by HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guides and supplemental pricing research. All expenses were calculated assuming a 2,300-square-foot home valued at $347,500 (the average home size and value in August 2021).

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The cost of FSBO vs. a traditional agented sale

Since the average FSBO sale costs $26,514 (7.5% of the home price) and the average sale with a traditional agent costs $35,534 (10% of the home price), you can save $9,020 by selling FSBO.

Though selling FSBO cuts out the listing agent’s fee, you’ll need to budget for other expenses your agent would usually absorb. These add up to $1,405 on a typical home sale, and include the following:

You’ll pay for certain things (like title insurance and escrow fees) no matter how you sell your home. These standard home sale expenses add up to $25,109 on the average home.

FSBO-specific costs

Selling FSBO comes with unique expenses. Traditional home sellers usually don’t arrange or pay for these services directly because their agent handles it — that’s what their commission is for. These extra expenses include:

Other potential FSBO considerations

Land survey: $504
Some states require a land survey at the time of sale, others don’t. States have varying rules on who pays for this. If your state doesn’t have a specific requirement, the buyer will pay if they want one conducted. 

Additional marketing: Varies
You decide how extensively to market your home. For this piece, we assumed the following:

• Craigslist post: Free
• Four weeks of a newspaper classified ad: $200
• Yard sign: $15
• 200 glossy printed info sheets: $85

You may choose to market your home sale for free on sites like Facebook, or you may decide to spend thousands on a billboard. You’re in control of your marketing budget with a FSBO sale.

Standard home selling costs: Commission fees

Most FSBO sellers opt to sell without a realtor to save money on commission.

Traditional sellers who work with an agent pay both the listing agent’s and the buyer’s agent’s commissions. This typically equals 5–6% of the home sale price, with half going to each agent. 

Since FSBO sellers don’t use a listing agent, they generally only have to pay about 2.5–3% commission to the buyer’s agent. Here’s how that works out on the sale of an average-priced home.

💡 Learn more: How Much Do Realtor Fees REALLY Cost? 

If you want to save money on commission, FSBO isn’t the only way. Our friends at Clever connect you with top-rated local agents who provide full-service support for your sale for just 1.5%.

In the example above, you can sell your home for $13,900 in commission fees — You’ll get the same service as you would from a traditional agent for $6,950 less!

Standard home selling costs: Prep

Before you put your home on the market, budget a little less than 1% of your home’s estimated value towards preparing the house to sell. It’s important that your home is looking its best before you put it on the market, otherwise you might not get the maximum potential sale price.

The following are common expenses you’ll likely incur whether you sell your house on your own or with a realtor:

Other potential home preparation costs

Additional cleaning: $200
Depending on the condition of your home, you may need to budget for extra cleaning expenses, like hiring someone to shampoo the carpet (about $177) or bringing in a junk removal service ($233).

Additional interior improvements: $400–1,600
The extent to which you need to improve the inside of your home varies and may include things like grout and tile cleaning ($458) or floor waxing ($0.75/square foot).

Additional landscape updates: $300–900
If you haven’t maintained your yard, you may need to shell out for services like tree trimming ($863) or stump removal ($328).

Exterior paint: $3,046
If your exterior paint is too far gone for power washing, you may want to consider repainting.

Additional inspections: $200–700
If you opt for a pre-sale inspection, it may flag the need for specialty inspections like a roof inspection ($216) or a sewer line inspection ($696).

Major repairs: $2,000–10,000+
If your home requires major repairs, you’ll have to make a decision: You can disclose this and lower the price so the buyer can handle the repair, or you can take care of it proactively. 

Major repairs include things like a new roof ($8,377) or fixing a sewer line ($2,556).

💡 Learn more: How To Get Your House Ready To Sell 

Not sure what you should invest in to prep your home for sale? An agent can help advise you. Clever will introduce you to a knowledgeable realtor in your area to guide you in the right direction. 

⭐ Talk to a top-rated local real estate agent today ⭐

Standard home selling costs: Moving expenses

Moving costs are something you’ll need to pay whether you’re selling FSBO or with an agent. Here’s a breakdown of what costs look like for a typical move:

Other potential moving costs

Extra moving services: $2,000–8,000
The farther away you’re moving, the more expensive. Hiring movers to take your things cross-country costs $2,200–5,700. If you want movers to pack for you, that costs an additional $1,000. 

Moving a large object, like a piano, will also incur additional expenses. Transporting a car costs about $1,000.

Lodging: Varies
If you need somewhere to stay between vacating your home for sale and moving into your new place, build the costs into your budget. A hotel room costs an average $90.92 per night. Or you may opt to stay with family and friends for free or get a short-term rental. 

Standard home selling costs: Concessions

When you negotiate your home sale with the buyer, you’ll likely make some concessions to ensure a successful sale. This happens whether you sell FSBO or with a listing agent.

One of the most popular concessions is a home warranty — a sort of insurance plan that covers repairs on appliances and other home systems for a year.

Other potential concessions

Minor repairs: $200–500
Your buyer might ask you to conduct repairs if a home inspection flags anything. Obviously, costs vary based on the repair. These could include things like fixing a leaky toilet ($250) or replacing a wobbly stair railing ($375). 

Appliances: $2,000–10,000
Some buyers request that the seller leave the appliances in the home. This means you’ll have to budget for a replacement in your new home. It costs around $2,645 to replace a washer and dryer. A new refrigerator costs about $1,500. 

Buyer’s closing costs: $6,255–$15,637
Another common concession is paying the buyer’s closing costs. These range 2–5% of their mortgage amount. Assuming the buyer puts 10% down on a $347,500 home, their closing costs average $10,946.

💡 Learn more: How Much Are Closing Costs? (What Buyers & Sellers Typically Pay) 

Standard home selling costs: Closing costs

Closing costs are fees you pay at closing (when the sale is finalized). Depending on your location and unique situation, you may need to budget for the following:

Other potential closing costs

Homeowners association (HOA) transfer fees: $250
If you live in a community with an HOA, you’ll need to pay administrative fees to transfer ownership. You can negotiate whether the buyer or seller pays for these if it isn’t specified in your HOA contract. Often, the buyer and seller split this fee. 

Attorney fees: $257
Some states require a real estate attorney to be present at closing. 

Outstanding mortgage balance: Variable
If you still owe on your mortgage, you’ll need to pay that to your lender when you sell. You’ll keep whatever’s left as proceeds.

Capital gains taxes: Variable
If you sell your primary residence, you are exempt from paying taxes on proceeds less than $250,000 (or $500,000 if you’re married and file taxes jointly). But if you’ve sold another home for a profit less than 2 years ago, you’ll have to pay capital gains tax.

Capital gains tax rates vary depending on things like your income and tax bracket.

💡 Learn more about capital gains: How Do I Avoid Capital Gains Tax When Selling A House?

Bottom line: How much does it cost to sell a house by owner?

It costs about 7.5% of the home price to sell a house by owner, which comes out to $26,514 on an average home.

It costs about 10% of the home price to sell a house with a realtor, which comes out to $35,534 on an average home. 

Selling FSBO saves you about 2.5%, or $9,020 on an average home sale.

Of course, these numbers may be higher or lower depending on the repairs, concessions, and other expenses unique to your home.

If you want to save money on commission, there’s another way. Our friends at Clever offer the same full service and support of a traditional listing agent at a reduced commission rate. 

With Clever, you can sell your home for about 8% of the home price. You’ll get the same service as you would from a traditional agent for about $7,000 less!

Is it worth your time and sanity to save just 0.5% with FSBO? We don’t think so! Call Clever and get connected with an agent today!

FAQs

Related reading 

How To Sell Your House Without A Realtor: What You NEED To Know!: The ultimate guide to selling FSBO.

Do I Need A Real Estate Agent? Learn The TRUTH: Thinking about selling without a realtor? We break down exactly what agents do to earn their commissions. 

How Much Do Realtor Fees REALLY Cost?: A thorough primer on commissions, how they work, and how realtors are paid.

The True Costs to Sell a House Revealed: We break down the full costs of selling a home, including realtor commission, closing costs, and other fees.