How Much Will I Actually Make When I Sell My House?

This is the number I wish more homeowners asked about.

Not just:

"What can I sell my house for?"

But:

"How much money will actually be left for me?"

Because those are two very different numbers.

Your sale price is not your take-home amount

Let's make this simple.

Imagine your house sells for:

$400,000

That doesn't necessarily mean you walk away with $400,000.

You may have expenses connected to the sale, and if you have a mortgage, the remaining loan balance generally has to be paid off at closing.

So the basic idea is:

• $400,000 sale price
• − selling expenses
• − mortgage payoff
• = estimated money to you

That's your net proceeds.

Your mortgage balance matters

Let's say you bought your house years ago.

You may have paid down a significant portion of your loan.

That difference between what your house is worth and what you owe is your equity. For example:

• Home sells for $400,000
• You owe $220,000
• That gives you approximately: $180,000 in gross equity

Then you account for the costs of selling.

Your final amount would be lower.

Your home's value isn't the only number I want to know

When I sit down with a seller, I'm interested in the entire picture.

I want to know:

• What the home could realistically sell for
• What you owe
• What it may cost to sell
• Whether repairs make financial sense
• What your timeline looks like
• Where you're going next
• What you actually need from the sale

Because sometimes the highest possible sale price isn't the best overall strategy.

Here's an example

Let's say you have two options.

Option A

Sell as-is for $375,000.

You don't spend much preparing the house.

Option B

Spend $20,000 preparing the house and sell for $410,000.

At first glance, Option B looks better.

But it depends.

If the extra $35,000 in sale price comes with $20,000 in preparation costs plus additional selling expenses, the actual difference may be much smaller.

This is why I don't tell sellers to renovate just because something looks outdated. We look at the numbers first.

Your net proceeds can also affect your next move

• If you're selling because you're buying another house, your net proceeds may become part of your next down payment.
• If you're downsizing, you may want to know how much cash you'll have left.
• If you're relocating, you may need a certain amount to make the move work.
• If you're selling an inherited property, you may have a completely different situation.

The sale price is just one piece of the puzzle.

Let's figure out your number

I'm Kim Foreman with Dwelli.

I help homeowners throughout Coweta, Fayette, Spalding, Pike County and surrounding Georgia areas figure out what selling could actually look like financially.

Call or text me at (678) 326-4620.

I'll help you look at the numbers so you can make a decision based on reality, not a Zestimate, a neighbor's opinion or a guess.