One of the biggest decisions you can make in your adult life is selling your house. There are many reasons why a property owner might want to leave their home, but there’s one reality we all face in a traditional sale: the transaction will likely be both complex and expensive. Naturally, there are timelines and expenses to think about, along with professionals and companies to work and communicate with.
To help you out, The Easy Home Buyer is here with a guide about the process and what to expect. We’ve also shared some alternative options to a traditional sale if you want to avoid the lengthy and complicated process.
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How Much Does It Cost To Sell a House in Washington?
In Washington State, the cost of selling a home is typically around 11.18% of its total sales price. So, let’s say that your property is valued at $400,000 — taking away 11.18% for sale costs will leave you with $355,280 from the sale. This amount is a substantial loss, but what are the specific expenses that add up to this amount?
Commission for Real Estate Agents
A traditional sale will require you to engage with a real estate agent or realtor. While the commission fees depend on their expertise, level of service, and other factors, expect to pay your agent 5.33% of the final sales price on average. That’s almost half of the total expenses for the sale! Thankfully, there are ways you can avoid needing a real estate agent, which we’ll discuss later.
HOA Fees
Some property sellers don’t take into account prorated dues charged by their homeowner’s associations (HOAs), such as special assessments before the sale as well as clubhouse or pool memberships. These costs may need to be split between the buyer and seller, depending on the closing date.
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Title Fees and Insurance
You’ll also need to pay title fees and title insurance, which helps you avoid future issues like conflicts in ownership or hidden liens. You, the seller, will be in charge of these payments in most cases, while the buyer focuses on the lender’s insurance policy. These fees are small compared to the others, but they can still add to the total cost unexpectedly.
Transfer and Property Taxes
Some states don’t charge transfer taxes, but others do. Unfortunately, Washington is one of the latter. The transfer tax is called the real estate excise tax (REET), and you’ll need to pay 1.1% to 3% of the total sales price for this tax liability.
Property taxes may also come up, especially if the sale is delayed. If there are existing liens because of unpaid property tax dues, you may need to address these first to attract more buyers.
Escrow Fees
You will also need to engage with an escrow company, which serves as a third-party holding the funds from the home sale. A buyer may request this as well, especially as they conduct final inspections or await the fulfillment of specific contingencies outlined in the purchase agreement. Escrow fees are usually split between the buyer and seller.
Concessions to Attract Buyers
In some cases, you may consider providing a few concessions to make your property more appealing to prospective buyers. A few examples are the following.
- Repairs or upgrades to address inspector concerns
- Including furniture and appliances
- Home warranties
- Mortgage rate buydowns, which temporarily lower the buyer’s interest rate
Of course, these concessions will come at a cost, lowering your overall profit.
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How To Sell a House in Washington: Steps To Take
When conducting a traditional home sale, here are the steps you can expect.
1. Property Value Assessment
The first step to a traditional home sale is knowing its current market value. This appraisal is necessary because it helps you understand if now is the best time to sell or if you should wait a few weeks or months later to maximize ROI. Methods like comparative market analysis or professional appraisals can help you arrive at an accurate figure.
2. Gathering Required Documents
There are many types of documentation you’ll need to gather apart from the title. Among the most important ones to have are disclosure requirements. These are documents that reveal certain conditions of the property, such as existing code violations, material defects, structural issues, and health hazards. In Washington, the main disclosure document is Form 17.
3. Getting Your Home Ready
Once you’re confident that selling now is the right decision, the next step is preparing the property for the sale. You can conduct inspections, repairs, and upgrades to ready your home for staging and open houses. This step will require you to shell out funds, so be sure to keep track of things to avoid making a huge dent in your expected income.
4. Listing and Marketing
Realtors will use their network and resources to find photographers and platforms for marketing your property. After staging, taking images, and videos, your realtor will list your property on a multiple listing service (MLS) website, where buyers can find it. Make sure to highlight key features to increase the appeal of your home.
5. Negotiations With Buyers
You will need to work with your realtor as offers come in. The realtor will help you analyze the price, financing, and timing from each offer to help you prune your choices and finally choose one that fits your goals.
6. Closing
The final step is closing the sale. This phase will usually last a month or two, and during it, the buyer may conduct their own inspection, secure financing, and transfer funds from escrow. The final step is signing the documents to officially finish the sale, which may require the presence of lawyers (… Yep, more expenses).
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How To Calculate Closing Costs
There is no predictable way to calculate closing costs, as every home sale is unique. Apart from the commission fees, transfer taxes, and other expenses outlined above, there are other costs that may come up unexpectedly. For example, a complex real estate transaction involving multiple property owners may need the supervision of a lawyer, adding to the overall costs.
Working closely with your real estate agent becomes essential to help you predict the final expenses and avoid unwanted surprises. The agent’s expertise helps you understand which processes may require funding and how much you’ll need to shell out.
How To Save Money When Selling in Washington
Here are a few strategies you can try to save more when selling a Washington home.
- Prevent Closing Delays: The longer a house is on the market, the more expensive it gets. As such, make sure to minimize closing delays by properly preparing all the documents, addressing buyer concerns, or finding a buyer who’s more likely to easily secure financing.
- For-sale-by-owner (FSBO): This method helps remove the need for a real estate agent, eliminating commission payments. However, you’ll need to handle all the steps on your own, which may be too complex for those without any experience.
- Cash Buyer: Working with a home cash buyer like us makes the entire experience feel like nothing more than a retail transaction. We eliminate most of the steps involved in a traditional sale, buying homes as-is or in any condition. No need for listings, extensive repairs, or lengthy closing times. We will provide a cash offer based on our evaluation of your home, and if you accept it, you can close the sale in as quickly as a week.
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Typical Problems When Selling
What issues might you encounter when selling your Washington home? Here are a few challenges that could cause delays.
- Long Time on the Market: In buyer’s markets, homes may stay on the market for two months or more. While you continue owning the property, you’ll be responsible for expenses like the mortgage and property taxes.
- High Repair or Renovation Costs: Many buyers expect homes to be move-in ready. Sellers often find themselves having to invest in costly updates just to compete.
- Low Appraisals: If a buyer is financing, they might find an appraisal that’s lower than your estimated property value, lowering your profits.
Ready To Sell? The Easy Home Buyer Makes It Simple
The pitfalls and complexity of a traditional sale can be intimidating. If you want a quicker and more convenient transaction, then working with The Easy Home Buyer is your best bet. We buy any type of property, including the following:
- Rental Properties (even ones with existing tenants)
- Properties Under Foreclosure
- Manufactured or Mobile Homes
- Houses in Bad Condition
- Investment Properties
Ready to learn the current value of your property? Send the details to us and get a free cash offer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the cost of selling a property in Washington?
Expect to pay around 11.18% of your total sales price for agent commissions, taxes, and more.
What can I do to reduce the costs of selling a Washington home?
There are various strategies you can try, such as an FSBO transaction or engaging with a cash buyer like us. These options help reduce or eliminate the expenses you encounter in a traditional property sale.
Are cash buyers legit?
Yes. We are a legitimate company that offers quality solutions to home buyers. The Easy Home Buyer has helped many property owners in Spokane and various other areas in the region, leading to many satisfied customers.
No, Coeur d’Alene is more expensive than Spokane. The median home price in Coeur d’Alene is $565,000, while Spokane’s is closer to $375,000. Buyers seeking affordability often lean toward Spokane, though Coeur d’Alene’s higher prices reflect its lakeside lifestyle and strong demand.
It depends on where you’re looking. In Washington, Spokane remains most accessible with a median home price of $375,000 in July 2025. In Idaho, Pocatello stands out, with houses averaging $319,900.
As of July 2025, Idaho’s foreclosure rate was one in every 6,164 homes, ranking 29th nationwide. You can find foreclosed properties in Coeur d’Alene through legal notices, bank REO listings, or HUD’s government-owned property directory. You may also use local agents for MLS access.
Some of Idaho’s cheapest areas include Pocatello, with a median home price of $319,900, Twin Falls at $347,500, and Caldwell at $379,990. These cities have relatively low housing costs but still provide welcoming communities.
Find foreclosures through legal notices, bank REO listings, or HUD’s website. Many buyers work with agents, since the MLS lists every available foreclosure. Bank-owned properties take longer, but you can usually close within 30 to 45 days.
Spokane’s housing market is highly competitive, with properties receiving around two offers each. Inventory is tight, and well-priced properties move fast. This is challenging for buyers, but Spokane still has relatively affordable housing compared to larger cities.
If you sell traditionally, you must hire an agent and make some improvements first.
In Washington, the median days on the market is 23, while in Idaho it is 39. Those who do not have the time or money may turn to cash buyers like The Easy Home Buyer for quick sales.
Zillow’s Zestimate is among the most widely used real estate tools in Washington and Idaho, pulling data from public records, MLS, and user submissions. Accuracy is strong, with a median error of 1.83% for on-market properties, although off-market properties exhibit a higher 7% error.
Listing on Zillow is free, whether selling with an agent or independently. The only fees apply to premium rental listings, which cost $39.99.
If you’re not in a rush and want top dollar, a real estate agent is usually the best choice. Saving on commissions is possible through FSBO, but sales through this method only bring about $380,000 profit, which is lower than the $435,000 agent-assisted sales.
If speed matters most, cash home buyers are best, offering a swift sale without repairs or commissions, though usually for less.
Investors often follow the 70% rule, meaning they aim to pay no more than 70% of a property’s after-repair value minus renovation costs. That said, offers vary depending on your house’s condition, location, the local market, and how fast you want to sell.
The fastest way to sell a property is usually through cash buyers like The Easy Home Buyer. Instead of waiting for six to 12 months through the traditional real estate route, these investors close quickly, depending on your timeline.
Yes, you can list a house on Craigslist. However, it is your responsibility to screen buyers carefully, as Craigslist operates in more than 700 cities across 70 countries.
It depends on your situation. Home prices in Coeur d’Alene average about $508,200, and the overall cost of living is nearly 16% higher than the national average. If you are drawn to community, outdoor beauty, and quality of life, you might find it worth buying now
Woolsey Court is among the most inexpensive neighborhoods in Coeur d’Alene. It has around 2,250 residents with an average income of $37,000.
Winter is often a good time to buy in Washington since sellers may be more open to negotiation. An index revealed that around 42% of homes sold for less than the list price in the state during the cold season.
The average home value in Spokane is about $473,000. Following the rule of spending no more than 30% of your income on housing, one would need a solid salary to remain comfortable.
Yes. The Spokane population is growing, and the local economy is healthy. With thousands of acres of vacant, partially used, and underutilized land, there is room for future housing development and value growth.
One of the most inexpensive neighborhoods in Spokane is Emerson/Garfield. This area has around 1,500 residents with an average income of $49,000.
Yakima and Moses Lake stand out as more affordable areas in Washington. A house in Yakima costs around $346,000 and about $363,000 in Moses Lake.
Yes, you can sell a house as-is in Washington, especially to cash buyers like The Easy Home Buyer. You skip the repairs, upgrades, and stress, and close in as little as a week.
The average home price in Washington is about $606,000. Prices have held steady over the past year, and most properties go under contract in roughly two weeks.
They can be as long or short as you want them to be. A safe rule of thumb in order for our home buying specialist to be able to take the pictures they need and do a quick walkthrough in and around the house, and while seeing what your goals are is typically 30-60 minutes.
Yes! We buy A LOT of houses with leases in them. Leases survive the sale of a home and legally have to be honored (a concern we hear all the time). If a lease is in place, we 100% take it over and take great care of the tenants.
We have helped with this a lot in the past. Not only with moving but anything else you need. Just ask us and we can help line up the appropriate people to get there when you need them!
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