What Should I Budget for if I Sell My House on My Own in Omaha
You’ve decided you want to sell your house fast in Omaha on your own, and you realize there will be some costs involved. So, wisely, you’re now asking: “What should I budget for if I sell my house on my own in Omaha?”
The answer may surprise you.
It is true that home prices are rising in quite a few markets nationwide. It may also be the case that your home has appreciated considerably over the years. But before you count your profits, you’ll need to factor in these obvious and not-so-obvious costs of selling your house.
What Should I Budget for if I Sell My House on My Own in Omaha
Commission Fees
Let’s get this one out of the way right off the bat. A lot of sellers think that in a hot market they can sell a house themselves and thus avoid the standard commission fees. But the truth is otherwise. Even if you sell your house on your own, you still have to pay the buyer’s agent’s brokerage fees. Real Estate commission fees can be as high as 7 percent. If you are selling a $200,000 dollar house you could be paying $14,000. And that is just the start.
Repairs
Most buyers aren’t interested in a house that has problems – and most houses have some kind of issues. Most of the time, most sellers have to do some repairs before they put their house on the market. And if the maintenance has been allowed to lapse, these repair costs can be fairly substantial. A new roof, for example, can set you back by as much as $20,000. Your repairs could also add up to thousands of dollars.
Landscaping
First impressions are the number one concern when selling your house. Curb appeal is of utmost importance: it’s what gets potential buyers to stop and then come in the door. And landscaping is the number-one improvement that most enhances curb appeal. The cost of a thorough, full-blown landscaping job performed by a professional landscaping service runs, on average, just a little over $3,000. Landscaping could add up to an additional expense costing thousands of dollars. Are you starting to get the picture of what selling a house could cost?
Staging and Photography
Many people – when asking, “What should I budget for if I sell my house on my own in Omaha?” – often neglect to factor in this expense. But if you don’t want your house to sit on the market for months on end, you probably shouldn’t neglect staging and professional photography.
Staging involves setting up and arranging your home so that it appears as appealing and inviting as possible. And then to display the staging in online listings, which is where a large percentage of buyers begin their search, you will likely need some professional photos, ranging in cost from $500 to $1,000. Another expense that can add up quickly to selling your house.
Utilities
If you plan to move out of your current house into a new home, you can’t just shut the utilities off in the home you vacate and intend to sell. Buyers absolutely do not want to walk through a cold (or sweltering) and dark house. (Also keep in mind that if you turn off the electricity and air conditioning during the summer, you run a high risk of developing a mold problem.) So, at the least, you will need to keep the electricity on and probably the gas as well in the wintertime. If the house is one you’ve been living in, then you already know what it will cost you to keep the utilities on. Day to day costs adds up very quickly for a house that sits on the market for months.
Holding Costs
You will also have additional holding costs for the length of time that your house is sitting on the market. Some of the holding costs would be taxes, insurance and any day to day expenzes that could arise. Maintenance becomes an issue for a house that is sitting on the market. Possibel HVAC reparis costs, plumbing, electrical etc expenses could arise. Just another expense that could add up quite substantial the longer the house sits on the market.
Capital Gains Taxes
And then there are capital gains taxes. If your house has appreciated quite a bit, you may have to pay this tax (which is based on the difference between purchase and sale prices, minus the cost of documented improvements). There are, however, some pretty generous exemptions, but just bear in mind that Uncle Sam may take a cut.
Adding up commissions, closing costs, repairs, landscaping, staging, photography, utilities, taxes, insurance and capital gains and your still you’re wondering, “What should I budget for if I sell my house on my own in Omaha?” Now you know the answer is . . . Quite a lot, actually.
