What Is the Cost to Sell a House in North Carolina?

What are common expenses for home sellers in North Carolina?

In this section, we’ll share a list of expected (and possibly unexpected) expenses that North Carolina home sellers should be prepared to manage. It starts with the cost of preparing your home to attract buyers.

A combination of factors influences the cost of preparing your home for sale, including the home’s size, age, and level of wear and tear. The following prices are a guide to assist you in preparing to sell your North Carolina home.

1. Preparing your North Carolina house for sale

Based on averages, preparing your North Carolina home for sale can cost between $5,550 and $11,100, or 1.5% and 3% of your home’s final sale price.

• Depending on the year the home was built, common repairs can run between $4,500 and $5,400, including but not limited to:
  • Exterior replacement improvements
  • Flooring repairs or replacement
  • Insulation
  • Kitchen and bath remodels
  • Outside attachments
  • Outside property and disaster repairs
• Staging the house for buyers and photos: $839-$2,933
• Professional cleaning services: $118-$236, depending on home size
• Paint for interior areas: $966-$3,071 
• Paint for a home’s exterior: $1,811-$4,533
• Landscaping and yard work: $1,251-$6,068
• Pre-listing home inspection: $250-$500. (if desired or needed)

Before jumping into any large renovation projects or repairs, consult with your Realtor. An experienced North Carolina agent will know what needs to be fixed and what repairs you can skip.

2. Realtor fees in North Carolina

Real estate agent commissions are among the largest selling costs in a home sale transaction. In North Carolina, Realtor fees historically have averaged between 5% and 6%. However, these averages are changing due to the landmark settlement terms of a recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) lawsuit, which took effect in mid-August 2024. Buyers are now expected to pay their own agent’s commission (2.5%-3%), which traditionally was paid by the seller.

Limited data exists to provide concrete post-settlement commission averages for the state. In addition, some sellers are still offering to pay the buyer’s agent fees to incentivize a sale. So, our examples below will show estimates for both the traditional commission model and the new commission model.

Some North Carolina homeowners may be considering a low-commission or discount agent service, but Davis, who sells homes 40% quicker than average Raleigh agents, provides these insights:

“As with anything, you often get what you pay for. If you pay for discount service, you’re going to get discount-level service and frankly discount advice,” she cautions. “In fact, an extremely experienced agent with a well-executed plan and a higher commission can very likely make a seller more [proceeds]. At the end of the day, you’re ultimately going to have more money in your pocket after all is said and done.”

Homelight data underscores Davis’ recommendation. Transaction numbers show that the top 5% of agents across the country sell homes for as much as 10% more than the average real estate agent.

To illustrate, let’s look again at our example median-price home valued at around $370,000. If you use a top agent, you may sell your home for as much as $37,000 above the market value, and you net more than $12,580 in additional profit even if you paid the combined 6% agent commissions.

In this scenario, a 10% higher selling price can easily offset the cost of a top agent’s commission. In addition, your entire home-seller journey will likely be easier with a proven professional guiding you every step of the way.

“Since this is the largest investment you’ll likely ever own in your lifetime, it’s not the time to be making big decisions solely based on that lower commission,” Davis suggests.

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3. Seller concessions

In addition to the direct costs of preparing your home to sell and agent fees, indirect costs often arise during the transaction. These indirect costs can include seller concessions, credits, or seller-assisted buyer incentives.

A concession is when a home seller agrees to use a portion of their sale proceeds to cover some or all of a buyer’s closing costs. The exact amount of these potential costs will depend on what’s happening in your North Carolina market and selling situation. Davis says high interest rates and increased home prices have shifted North Carolina’s housing market and seller strategies.

Although sellers are not required to make concessions, you may want to increase the chances of your home standing out in a sea of listings. Concessions and credits are bargaining chips during negotiations with an interested buyer. Some common seller concessions and buyer incentives in a home sale include:

• Home inspection fees: Sellers may offer to pay this cost, which can range from $296-$424 depending on the square footage.
• Buyer’s home warranty: This is a common carrot to give buyers more peace of mind. This can range from $450-$600.
• Repair credit: Seller credits vary (and reduce your net proceeds).
• Property taxes: Sellers may offer a credit to cover some of the buyer’s upcoming property taxes.
• Mortgage buydown: The seller may pay to temporarily lower the buyer’s mortgage interest rate.
• Appliance upgrades: The seller may offer a concession for appliance upgrades.
• Decorating allowance: The seller may offer a decorating allowance for renovations.
• Moving expenses: The seller may offer a concession for moving expenses.

Closing costs and additional fees

Closing costs are fees associated with a home purchase that buyers and sellers pay at the close of the transaction. Without including agent commissions, the average seller closing costs in North Carolina are typically around 2.7% of a home’s purchase price.

Using our $370,000 median-price home, your seller closing costs and additional fees may close to $10,000. Your final closing costs might fall into a wider range because of variable high-dollar factors such as mortgage loan payoff amounts and prorated taxes.

Davis says there are several closing costs to be aware of in North Carolina, starting with some that many sellers do not expect: state and county transfer taxes.

“Transfer taxes are for the transfer of ownership on their property,” she explains. “Sellers can also expect to pay for an attorney to conduct their closing, so that includes the preparation of their deed, their title insurance, and accumulation of all the documents from the various parties.”

Sellers can also expect to pay recording fees and any current liens on the home. “For example, one thing many people forget is if they have solar panels on their home. They will be expected to pay off that entire lien for the solar panels prior to closing,” Davis says.

Here’s a closer look at what makes up typical closing costs when selling a house in North Carolina:

• Escrow fees: If the buyer places funds into an escrow account, which is common, the seller may need to split the fee for maintaining the account.
• Title-related fees: Sellers in North Carolina typically cover the cost of title insurance, which protects the buyer against any potential title issues. The price of these policies varies based on location and the home’s sale price. There is also a fee for conducting a title search.
• Attorney fees: North Carolina requires a licensed attorney to oversee real estate closings. Real estate attorneys in North Carolina typically charge between $150 and $400 per hour, but rates can be higher in more competitive markets.
• Property taxes and HOA fees: Sellers are typically responsible for property taxes and any HOA fees up until the day of closing since they own the property until that point.
• Seller concessions: As noted above, if the seller has agreed to any credits or concessions, such as covering certain repairs or a portion of the buyer’s closing costs, these costs will be deducted from the seller’s proceeds on closing day. We’ve included them in this list because they will show up as a closing cost.
• Recording fees: Sellers typically pay recording fees for the new deed or deed of trust (in a financed sale). In most cases, the deed must be filed with the Register of Deeds through the local county courthouse. These fees normally run less than $100.
• Transfer tax: In North Carolina, sellers pay a transfer tax at the rate of $1 for each $500 of the value of the property conveyed. For a median-priced $370,000 home, the tax would amount to $740. Some counties in North Carolina also levy an additional local transfer tax. Examples include Dare, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Pasquotank, Perquimans, and Washington counties.

At-a-glance home-selling cost example

This at-glance analysis is based on the median home price of $370,000 in North Carolina. These figures are rough estimates that may be helpful when planning your home sale.

*Based on North Carolina’s median home price of $370,000 with minimal seller concessions.

When planning your sale costs, remember to account for your mortgage payoff, which averages $192,168 in North Carolina, or about 52% of a $370,000 home.

In the example above, if you successfully sold your home for $370,000 and paid off the average statewide mortgage balance, you could potentially make a profit of $142,482. That’s a nice profit, and it can be even higher if you have more home equity and fewer mortgage payments left before selling. Taking the mortgage payoff out of the equation, the cost to sell a house in North Carolina using these estimates would be around 9.6% of its sold price.

Davis reminds her clients that the cost to sell a house in North Carolina will vary on a case-by-case basis due to an ever-changing market and buyer demands. She recommends sellers work with an experienced local agent to make their house as attractive as possible and reach a broad buyer pool.

“One of the main goals of a good real estate agent should be to sell their client’s home and net them the most amount of money possible,” Davis says, adding that agents can’t always predict how the market will respond, but you’re putting the odds in your favor when you hire a top-rated agent.

How can I reduce seller costs in North Carolina?

There are several ways to reduce the cost to sell a house in North Carolina. Some strategies are more effective than others. Davis recommends spending the time and money to prepare and beautify the inside and outside of your home to help increase the purchase price.

Some of the things that you can do to reduce overall seller costs include:

• Make DIY repairs where possible
• Negotiate a lower listing fee commission with your agent
• Don’t offer seller concessions or buyer incentives
• If you agree to pay closing costs or offer a repair credit, raise your list price
• Avoid the urge to over-improve or make unnecessary repairs
• Sell your home off-market
• Time your home sale using HomeLight’s Best Time to Sell Calculator
• Use a top-performing agent with a high sale-to-list ratio

Partner with a top North Carolina agent

To get a better handle on the cost to sell your house in North Carolina, start with a home value estimate. Then plan to maximize your profits by partnering with a top local agent who can help you manage a successful sale from list to close.

Davis offers this parting advice: “Be flexible when you’re selling a home. This market is unpredictable. Listing a home with a higher price has not proved to be as successful [as in years past]. There are other ways we work with our sellers to strategically lay out the best pricing strategies. Having those detailed conversations with your hired professional is more important now than ever.”

HomeLight can connect you with a top real estate agent in your North Carolina market. Search our data-backed list of top agents in your community.

If you’re timing your home sale to balance buying and selling at the same time, check out HomeLight’s Buy Before You Sell program. This innovative program uses your existing equity to provide a streamlined, simplified, and more certain process to make your best move. Watch the short video below to learn more.

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