What do you actually keep when you sell?
The formula is simple: sale price − mortgage payoff − commissions − seller closing costs − repairs and concessions − any capital-gains tax = your net proceeds. Worked example: a $600,000 sale with a $350,000 payoff, 5.5% commission ($33,000) and 1.5% closing costs ($9,000) leaves $208,000 before tax. Enter your own numbers below.
Net Proceeds Calculator
Start with the price, subtract everything, see what you keep. Results update as you type.
| Sale price | $0 |
| Mortgage payoff | $0 |
| Agent commission | $0 |
| Seller closing costs | $0 |
| Repairs, concessions & fix-up | $0 |
| Proceeds before tax | $0 |
| Estimated capital-gains tax | $0 |
| NET PROCEEDS — what you keep | $0 |
Estimates only, for planning — not a settlement statement. Your closing disclosure is the authoritative version of these numbers.
Reading the waterfall
The payoff is usually the biggest line. It is everything owed against the home — first mortgage, second loans, home-equity lines — not just the balance you think of first. Your lender's payoff statement is the exact figure; it includes interest through the closing date.
Commissions are negotiated, not fixed. The 5.5% default is a neutral middle. What you agree to pay your own agent, and what you offer a buyer's agent, are separate decisions — both belong in this one percentage for a quick estimate. The full list of what's negotiable is in Every cost of selling a house, listed.
Tax is often zero — check, don't assume. If you've owned and lived in the home for 2 of the last 5 years, the §121 exclusion shelters up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 married). Run the capital-gains checker and carry the estimate back into the tax field above.
Questions, answered straight
What do I actually keep when I sell my house?
Your net proceeds: the sale price minus your mortgage payoff, agent commissions, seller closing costs, any repairs or buyer concessions, and any capital-gains tax owed. On a $600,000 sale with a $350,000 payoff, 5.5% commission and 1.5% closing costs, proceeds before tax are $208,000.
What commission should I enter?
Whatever you actually negotiate. The 5.5% default is a neutral middle figure, not a standard — commissions are negotiable, and what a seller offers a buyer's agent is a separate, negotiable decision.
What counts as seller closing costs?
Title and escrow fees, transfer taxes where they apply, recording fees, and similar settlement charges — commonly 1% to 3% of the price depending on your state and county. The 1.5% default sits in the middle of that range.
Does this include capital-gains tax?
Only if you enter it in the tax field. The capital-gains checker on this site estimates the federal tax on your gain, including the $250,000 / $500,000 home-sale exclusion, so you can carry the figure back here.