Finance Calc App

US Home sale net proceeds calculator

Work out how much cash you'll actually walk away with when you sell your home — sale price minus agent commission, legal and closing costs, repairs, and the mortgage you still owe.

By Mitch Duncan Last reviewed Methodology

Your sale

The selling agent's fee as a percentage of the sale price. Norms differ by country — see the notes below.

Solicitor/conveyancer or title/escrow, transfer/settlement fees, and any seller-paid taxes or disbursements.

The amount needed to clear your outstanding mortgage at completion, including any early-repayment charge.

Net proceeds (cash in hand)
$203,500.00
Where the money goes
Sale price
$450,000.00
Agent commission (5.0%)
−$22,500.00
Legal & closing costs
−$4,000.00
Net before mortgage
$423,500.00
Mortgage payoff
−$220,000.00
Net proceeds
$203,500.00
Total selling costs
$26,500.00
Selling costs as % of price
5.9%

An estimate of cash in hand before any capital gains tax. Most countries exempt the sale of your main home from CGT, but second homes and investment properties are usually taxable — see the notes below. Figures exclude moving costs and any onward-purchase costs. Not financial advice.

Want the full picture? Home Sale Net Proceeds Explained →

Selling costs and capital gains in the US

The biggest cost of selling a US home is the real-estate commission — traditionally around 5–6% of the sale price, historically split between the seller's and buyer's agents. (Following the 2024 NAR settlement, who pays the buyer's agent is now more negotiable, but sellers still typically budget 5–6% total.) On top of that come closing costs: title insurance, escrow/settlement fees, transfer taxes, and any prorated property tax.

Capital gains exclusion

The US offers one of the most generous breaks anywhere: under Section 121, if the home was your main residence for 2 of the last 5 years, you can exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly) from capital gains tax. Gain above that, or on a second home or rental, is taxable at long-term capital-gains rates — and rentals also face depreciation recapture.

Worked example

Sell for $450,000 with a 5.5% commission ($24,750) and $4,000 in closing costs: selling costs are $28,750. After a $220,000 mortgage payoff, you net roughly $201,250 in cash — before considering whether any gain exceeds your Section 121 exclusion.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my net proceeds from a home sale?
Take the sale price and subtract your selling costs — agent commission, legal/conveyancing and closing fees, and any repairs — then subtract the mortgage balance you need to pay off. What's left is your net proceeds: the cash you actually walk away with. The calculator above does this step by step.
What costs come out of a home sale?
The big ones are agent/realtor commission (usually the largest), legal or conveyancing fees and closing/settlement costs, any repairs or staging to get the property sale-ready, and the mortgage payoff including any early-repayment charge. Commission rates and the exact closing costs vary by country — see the region-specific notes below the calculator.
Do I pay tax when I sell my home?
In most countries the sale of your main home is exempt from capital gains tax or heavily relieved, so there's often nothing to pay. Second homes and investment properties are usually taxable, though. The rules differ by country, so this calculator shows cash in hand before tax and the notes below explain how it works in your market.
How much is agent commission when selling a house?
It varies a lot by country: it's often around 5–6% in the US, roughly 1–3% in the UK, about 3–5% in Canada, and around 1.5–2.5% in Australia, sometimes plus sales tax on the fee. Because it's a percentage of the sale price, it's usually the single biggest cost of selling — the calculator lets you enter your exact rate.
What if I owe more than the house sells for?
If your mortgage balance plus selling costs is greater than the sale price, your net proceeds are negative — you'd have to bring cash to completion to clear the loan. This is called negative equity and can happen with a high loan balance, an early-repayment charge, or a falling market. The calculator flags this for you.
Should I subtract my mortgage from the sale price?
Yes — but only after selling costs. First subtract agent commission and legal/closing costs from the sale price to get your net before mortgage, then subtract the outstanding mortgage balance. Paying off the loan at completion is what releases the rest of the equity to you as cash.

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