If you’re gearing up to sell a home in South Carolina, it’s natural to focus on how much money you’ll earn from the deal. After all, according to Redfin data, median home prices in the Palmetto State been steadily rising over the past five years, so you could potentially make a hefty profit.
Unfortunately, though, selling a house isn’t all profit. You’ll also need to think about the various expenses that come along with it, which include Realtor commissions, closing costs and more. Let’s look at how much it costs to sell a house in South Carolina, so you’re well-prepared to enter the market.
Sellers’ closing costs
Closing costs are the various taxes, fees and other expenses related to real estate transactions. Buyers usually incur the bulk of these costs, but sellers cover their own share as well. In South Carolina, common closing costs for sellers include:
- Transfer tax: In South Carolina, sellers typically pay for the real estate transfer tax (here called the deed recording fee). The rate is $1.85 per $500 of the home’s sale price — for a $400,000 sale that would come to $1,480.
- Title insurance: Sellers here also commonly pay for owner’s title insurance, which protects the buyer if the title search uncovers any liens, ownership disputes or other title-related problems.
- Property taxes: You’ll have to pay a prorated share of property taxes for the time that you owned the home. The amount will depend on your location and property value, but the average South Carolina property tax rate is 0.46 percent.
- HOA fees: Similarly, if you belong to a homeowner’s association, you’ll be responsible for covering the fees for right up until closing day.
- Escrow fees: If an escrow account is used to hold funds until the transaction is complete, there may be a fee for maintaining the account.
- Legal fees: South Carolina is one of many states that require a real estate attorney to oversee transactions. The lawyer must be present at the closing, and though buyers usually handle this expense, sellers often choose to hire separate legal representation as well.
- Seller concessions: Sometimes, sellers choose to sweeten (or speed up) the deal by offering concessions, such as covering the cost of a repair or some of the buyer’s closing costs. These costs will be taken out of your proceeds at closing.
Real estate agent commissions
If you use a real estate agent to sell your house, you’ll also pay an agent commission, which is the fee your agent earns on the sale. In most cases, this will range between 2.5 and 3 percent of the home’s sale price. Depending on the details of your specific deal, you may or may not be responsible for paying your buyer’s agent’s fee as well.
So, how much commission can you expect to pay in South Carolina? According to May 2024 data from Redfin, the median home sale price in the state is $388,100; a 2.5 percent commission on that sale would be around $9,700.
Keep in mind, though, that home prices vary greatly depending on your local housing market in South Carolina. For example, the median sale price on Hilton Head Island is much higher than the statewide median at $769,750 — a 2.5 percent commission on that would translate to more than $19,000. In Columbia, however, the median is just $259,000, so that commission would come out to $6,475.
Preparing your home for sale and moving
Unless you’re selling in as-is condition, there will also certain costs involved in getting your home market-ready. For example, you’ll want to fix obvious signs of wear and tear, like torn carpet or peeling paint. You can also work on boosting your home’s curb appeal, so buyers get a great first impression when they visit. There are plenty of ways to do this, from affordable things like cleaning the windows to larger projects, like repainting the house. Ask your agent about which fixes are worth tackling before you list.
Before welcoming potential buyers into your house, you might also invest in home staging — or hiring a professional to arrange furniture and decorate your home to improve its visual appeal. Prices vary depending on how much work needs to be done, but according to HomeAdvisor, the average cost for this service is $1,815.
Finally, don’t forget about moving costs. If you’re staying in the same area, hiring professional movers costs an average of $1,695, per HomeAdvisor. But if you’re moving long-distance or cross-country, you could pay thousands more.
How much do I get from selling my house?
Your net proceeds equate to the amount of money you’ll end up with after deducting all of the expenses associated with selling, including closing costs, commissions and prep costs. You’ll also have to account for paying off the outstanding balance of your mortgage, if applicable, which will come out of your proceeds. If you make a very significant profit, you may also owe capital gains taxes on the earnings.
Reducing costs
Looking for ways to reduce the cost to sell a house in South Carolina? Here are a few things to try:
- Negotiate commissions: Agent commission rates are often negotiable. Even a small rate reduction could save you thousands of dollars, especially on higher-priced homes.
- Sell as-is: If you don’t have the budget for repairs, or your home needs more work than you can manage, consider selling it as-is. For buyers, this means what they see is what they get — the home will be sold in its existing condition, with no additional repairs, upgrades or renovations made.
- Shop around: Before you hire a service provider (for example, a moving company or landscaping professional), request quotes from multiple companies. Then, compare their bids to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
- Call in some favors: Moving is a lot of work. If you have family or friends willing to pitch in on packing and transporting boxes, you won’t have to pay a pro for these types of tasks.
Alternatives
Working with a real estate agent is the most common way to sell a house, but there are also other options:
- Cash homebuyers and iBuyers: Cash homebuying companies and iBuyers specialize in quick, all-cash deals, which is worth considering if you’re in a rush to sell. However, these types of businesses aren’t going to offer full market value, so you likely won’t earn as much money as you would in a traditional sale.
- For sale by owner (FSBO): If you opt for a FSBO sale, you won’t need to hire a listing agent, or pay their commission. But you will need to handle all of the agent’s typical duties, including creating a listing, hosting showings and fielding offers, on your own.
- Home equity: Rather than selling, you might be able retain ownership of your home and access cash by tapping into your equity with a home equity loan or HELOC.
- Renting: As long as you have another place to live, renting out the home is another option that lets you hold on to your home while bringing in extra cash.
Next steps
If you plan to sell your South Carolina home the traditional way, finding an experienced real estate agent is a smart next step. As experts in their local housing markets, agents will guide you through the selling process, helping with everything from pricing to marketing to negotiating with buyers to get the best possible price.
FAQs
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According to 2024 data from Assurance, closing costs in South Carolina are typically 1.45 percent of a home’s value. On a median-priced $388,100 house, that comes out to $5,627. That full amount isn’t your responsibility, though — the buyer will pay their fare share as well.
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Yes. If you don’t want to hire a Realtor to sell your home in South Carolina, you can opt for a “for sale by owner” deal, which is a lot of work but saves you having to pay an agent’s commission. Selling to an iBuyer or a cash-homebuying company also bypasses the need for a real estate agent.
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