First, Decide: Sell Before or After You Move?

There’s no one right answer. If you sell while you still live there, you can keep the house ready for showings and avoid paying for two homes at once.

If you sell after you move, you skip showings with your family and pets in the house. But you’ll keep paying the mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities until it closes.

Need a little more time in the house after closing? Ask about a rent-back. It’s a short stay after closing that’s written into the contract. The buyer has to agree to it, so it’s part of the negotiation.

Check Your Relocation Package First

If your employer is helping with the move, read your relocation package before you sign anything to list the house. Some packages have rules about how the house is listed, the list price or which agents you can use. Some offer to buy the house. Ask HR or the relocation company what applies to you, and I’ll work within those rules.

What I Help With

  • Value: what your house will likely sell for, based on recent sales near you.
  • Timing: a plan that lines up your listing date, moving date and closing date.
  • Getting it ready: what’s worth fixing and what isn’t, so you don’t spend money that won’t come back.
  • Selling after you’ve moved: I can handle showings, vendors and checking on the house. Most paperwork can be signed electronically.
  • The empty house: keeping utilities on and checking your insurance. Many policies change once a house sits empty, so call your insurer.
  • Company or cash offers: if you get one, I’ll show you what you’d likely walk away with each way. If that offer wins, I’ll tell you.

Find Out What Your House Is Worth

Tell me about the house and when you need to move. I’ll give you a price based on recent sales nearby and a plan that fits your moving date.

Taxes and Legal Questions

Selling a home can have tax effects, especially if you rent it out for a while before you sell. Talk to a CPA before you decide. If you have legal questions about the sale or your relocation agreement, talk to an attorney. I’m a real estate broker, not an attorney or tax advisor. I’ll handle the sale side and work with whoever you choose.

Want to see how a sale works from start to finish? Get my free Smart Seller’s Guide, or see how I help Charlotte sellers.

I’m Maureen Mahood, broker-owner of Sell Your Home Charlotte. Licensed since 2015.

Questions People Ask Before a Move

Should I sell my house before or after I move?

It depends on your budget and your timing. Selling first lets you keep the house ready for showings and avoid paying for two homes. Selling after can be easier on your family, but you’ll keep paying for the house until it closes.

Can I sell my Charlotte house if I’ve already moved out of state?

Yes. I can handle showings, vendors and checking on the house, and most documents can be signed electronically. Your closing attorney will tell you how to sign for closing.

Should I leave the house empty or furnished when I sell?

Either can work. An empty house is easier to show and keep clean, but some rooms can look smaller in photos. I’ll walk through your house and tell you what I’d do.

Can I stay in my house after closing?

Sometimes. A short rent-back can be written into the contract, but the buyer has to agree to it. It’s part of the negotiation.

Should I take my company’s offer to buy my house?

Read the details first. Compare what you’d walk away with under the company offer to what the house could sell for on the open market. I’ll help you see both numbers side by side.

Do I have to pay taxes when I sell my house before a move?

It depends. Talk to a CPA before you sell, especially if you plan to rent the house out for a while first.

Find Out What Your House Could Sell For

It’s free.

Want to see what you’d walk away with? Try the seller net sheet or read about the hidden costs of selling in Charlotte.

Get My Home Value Get the Free Seller’s Guide

Maureen Mahood, Broker/Owner, Sell Your Home Charlotte. Call or text 704-621-3066.