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With home prices steadily rising over the past few years, selling your Washington home might be tempting, but don't forget it's not free to sell your house.
In fact, it can be downright expensive. The average home seller in Washington spends about 11.23% of their home's sale price in the process of getting it prepped, listing it, and closing.
While you may not be able to avoid many home selling costs, there is one way to save big when you sell in Washington.
A low commission company like Clever Real Estate can help you save big on realtor fees. With Clever, you'll work with a full-service agent from a top broker, but pay only 1% or $3,000 to list your home. That could save you $10,248 if you sold your Washington home for $613,674, which is the state average value.
Average cost to sell a house in Washington
How much does it cost to sell a house in Washington? Well, it depends! While your total out-of-pocket costs will vary based on your situation, you should expect for 11.23% or more of your home’s final sale price to go towards selling costs. If you sell your home for $613,674, you'll likely spend about $68,896.
To know for sure what your specific home might cost to sell, check out our home sale calculator below.
Common expenses for home sellers in Washington
The chart below breaks down some of the most common expenses for home sellers in Washington to help you prepare for the most (and least) costly aspects of selling your home.
Keep in mind these costs are highly variable — particularly the home prep and relocation expenses. Talk to your realtor for a more accurate and tailored estimate of your costs versus final sale price.
Common expenses | Estimated cost* |
|---|---|
$200 to $8,236 | |
🏘️ Realtor fees | $27,615 to $37,373 |
$11,039 to $25,612 | |
$588 to $4,823 | |
Total | $39,442 to $76,044 |
*Based on a $613,674 home — a typical home value in Washington, (Zillow Research data, August 31, 2022) | |
While repairs, closings costs, and relocation expenses may be out of your control, you can still save money on realtor fees by either selling for sale by owner (FSBO) or hiring a discount real estate broker.
But your best option is to work with a company like Clever that negotiates lower commissions with full service, local agents on your behalf. That way you can save money while getting the same level of service as someone who pays full price!
How much will I make selling my Washington house?
How much money you keep in your pocket after selling your house will depend on several factors, including closing costs, taxes, mortgage balance, and more.
If you don't have a mortgage, you'll get the entire sale price minus the cost of selling your home. On average, selling costs are 11.23% of the total cost. So, you could take home $544,778 if you sell your home for the state median home value of $613,674.
But you may owe money on the property — the average Washington homeowner still owes $278,851! If you do, your remaining mortgage balance will come out of your proceeds, cutting into the amount that will finally land in your bank account.
» MORE: See what other factors affect your home sale profit
Cost of selling a house calculator
Use this home sale calculator to get a better idea of how much you'll have to spend to sell your home — and how much you'll take home after!
Home selling costs in Washington: An in-depth breakdown
Preparing your home for sale
Unless you’re planning to sell your Washington house “as-is” or to an iBuyer, you’ll need to spend some money to get your home market-ready to attract qualified buyers. If a cash offer sounds more appealing to you, fill out the form below to compare offers from top cash buyers today.
Prepping your home can be as simple as deep cleaning and mowing the lawn, or it could involve more substantial work like painting or making repairs to get the best sale price.
We recommend you discuss which preparation costs will pay off the most with your realtor before spending too much money on improvements that you may not get back when you sell.
» MORE: Specific costs of prepping your home
🌟Ask an expert
Staging is often overlooked as an unnecessary expense by a seller versus a great return on investment. Staged homes have been proven to sell quicker and for a higher amount than a cold, vacant, and unstaged home. The typical staging cost is between $500 and $2,500 depending on how much staging is needed, size of home, etc. 70% of the time, my staff stager can repurpose my sellers' own furniture to keep the cost down.
Jeff Dickinson, eXp Realty, Seattle, WA
Realtor fees in Washington
One of the biggest fees for selling a house in Washington will be realtor commission. In a standard real estate transaction — one involving two traditional, full-price agents — you will likely be on the hook for covering the full commission fee for both agents.
Realtor fees in Washington | % of sale price | Cost* |
|---|---|---|
Listing fee | 2.67% | $16,385 |
Buyer's agent fee | 2.63% | $16,140 |
Total | 5.30% | $32,525 |
*Based on a $613,674 home — a typical home value in Washington, (Zillow Research data, August 31, 2022) | ||
» LEARN: How realtor commission is split in a home sale
On average, paying full commission to sell your house in Washington costs about $32,525 — that could be more than half of your total home selling expenses!
But you don't have to pay that much. Clever negotiates discounts with top listing agents that can save you thousands of dollars when you sell your home!
🌟Ask an expert
The biggest variable in determining the cost to sell a house is the commission rate, and Clever does a great job reducing the commission rate, saving sellers thousands. The other selling costs are usually fixed and typically indexed by selling price.
Jeff Dickinson, eXp Realty, Seattle, WA
Closing costs
Closing costs are a blanket term for the various fees and expenses both buyers and sellers pay at the close of a real estate transaction. Closing costs don't include realtor commissions.
Common closing costs in Washington | Typical % of sale price | Estimated total* |
|---|---|---|
Title insurance (owner's policy) | N/A | Typically paid by buyer |
Title insurance (lender's policy) | N/A | Typically paid by buyer |
Transfer tax | 1.28% | $7,855 |
Title fees | 0.21% | $1,283 |
Recording fee | 0.01% | $50 |
Buyer incentives | 2% | $12,273 |
Total | 3.80% | $23,312 |
*Based on a $613,674 home — a typical home value in Washington, (Zillow Research data, August 31, 2022) | ||
Depending on your market and how much interest there is in your home, you could negotiate for the buyer to cover closing costs, but you shouldn't assume this will be the case.
If you're in a seller's market, you may be able to list your home and sell it "as is." But, if the market cools down or you have a property that's harder than average to sell, you may need to consider offering incentives or making concessions. This could mean chipping in for closing costs, offering repair credits, or paying for a home warranty.
Keep in mind, Washington's excise tax is based on the sale price of the home. Most sellers fall in the 1.28% range (homes priced $500,000 to $1.5 million), but you could pay as low as 1.1% or as high as 3% depending on your home value.
» MORE: How much are seller closing costs in Washington?
Moving expenses
If you're selling your own home, don't forget to account for moving and transition costs. Even if you're moving locally, you may need to rent a truck or storage unit. If the timing doesn't line up perfectly, you'll also probably have to pay utilities and mortgages on your new and your old house.
In Washington, the average moving costs are $588 locally and $4,823 for 1,000 miles or more — which accounts for packing supplies, movers, and carrying costs.
» MORE: See how much the average seller spends on moving expenses
How to avoid losing money on your Washington home sale
Whether you’re selling a single family home in Spokane, a condo in downtown Seattle, or a duplex in Tacoma, these tips will help you maximize your profits from your Washington home sale!
1. List with a low commission real estate agent
The majority of your expenses are taken up by real estate agent commissions, so cutting those down is a great way to minimize the cost to sell your home — and Clever can help!
Clever matches you with local full-service agents from well-known brokerages like RE/MAX, Keller Williams, and Century 21. But, instead of paying the typical 2.67% listing fee, you'll only pay 1% or $3,000 (for homes under $350,000)! On average, sellers save over $10,248 on realtor fees!
With Clever, you can compare multiple Washington agents to find the one that best fits your needs. Even better, finding an agent through Clever won't cost you a dime, and there's no obligation to move forward until you find the perfect agent.
Clever negotiates discounted listing fees with top agents to help you save money when selling your home!
2. Time your sale to get top dollar for your Washington home
In Washington, the ideal time to sell your home is May. Homes sell around 12 days faster and for about $19,000 more than the average home sold in other months.
» MORE: When is the best time to sell a house in Washington?
However, sellers can have a successful sale even outside the busiest months!
We recommend working with a top local agent who knows the area and trends in the market. They can help you implement a strategy that attracts the highest offers in the shortest amount of time.
3. Negotiate like a pro
Negotiating is a delicate balance between getting as much money as you can for your home and keeping the buyer happy and interested.
Depending on the house and the state of the market, buyers may request that you pay for repairs, closing costs, a home warranty, or the title search, among other things. These fees can add up quickly and eat into your profits.
Using a top-rated real estate agent can be an invaluable resource when it comes to negotiating, as they'll do most of the back-and-forth for you.
» MORE: Negotiate so both the seller and buyer get something they want
If you can't get out of paying for repairs, we recommend letting HomeAdvisor connect you with top local professionals so you can compare quotes and get the best possible price.
4. Save on repairs and upgrades
You can lower the cost of new appliances for your property by using companies like Whirlpool that give you 10% off when you buy two or more full-priced items.
You can also cut down on labor costs by using services like TaskRabbit. Whether it be cleaning, landscaping, installing appliances, or moving, TaskRabbit can connect you with people in your area who will help for less than a full-time professional would charge.
FAQs about costs to sell in Washington
Closing costs in Washington are usually about 3.80% of the sale price, or $23,312, on average. That said, this doesn't include realtor commissions, which make up the largest portion of your expenses and run about 5.30% of your sale price.
The average home seller in Washington spends about $68,896, or 11.23% of the sale price. This can vary widely depending on the state of the market and condition of your home, but working with an agent who offers a discounted rate will be a great help in keeping this cost down.
In 2021, the average Washington home seller made about $544,778 on their home sale before paying off their existing mortgage, if they had one. For a more specific idea of what you can expect to walk away with, check out our home sale proceeds calculator.