The Hidden Costs of Selling a Home in Franklin & Brentwood: What Local Sellers Don’t Know
Home Sellers Bret Ceren November 24, 2025
Home Sellers Bret Ceren November 24, 2025
You’ve decided to sell your beautiful home in Franklin or Brentwood—a major life decision often met with excitement and the hopeful anticipation of a healthy profit. You’ve crunched the numbers on your estimated sale price, and maybe even used our home evaluation tool to instantly see your home's asking price, but what about the costs that tend to stay hidden until the closing table?
The truth is, even in a high-demand market like Williamson County, the expenses of selling a home can quickly erode your net profit. Ignoring these "hidden costs" is the number one mistake local sellers make, potentially creating an unpleasant surprise at closing or even problems in buying the next home you want.
At TennesseeBestHomes.com, we believe in radical transparency. We want you to be prepared for every expense, ensuring your real estate journey is as profitable and stress-free as possible. Here is the insider breakdown of what local sellers often overlook. While these are general guidelines, if you'd like your own customized net sheet, at no cost or obligation, simply let us know and we can prepare one.
While you know you might need to fix a few things, the true investment required to maximize your Brentwood or Franklin
Inspection Repair Contingency: Once a buyer is under contract, the home inspection can reveal necessary repairs you never anticipated. A savvy buyer will ask for concessions or for you to fix every minor issue—from a leaky faucet to a damaged roof shingle. We often advise sellers to budget 1% - 2% of the sales price for unexpected inspection-related fixes or credits. For a $500,000 home, that would be $5,000 - $10,000 and for a $1,000,000 home, it would be $10,000 - $20,000. If it ends up not being needed, then those funds stay with you as the seller - but better to budget for them and not need them than to be disappointed if they are!
Professional Staging & Decluttering: In the competitive luxury markets of Franklin and Brentwood, professional staging is no longer optional; it’s essential to help a prospective buyer see your home in the best way possible. Staging services, packing costs, and rental fees for furniture can quickly add up, but they are a proven investment that leads to faster sales and higher offers. If a home is furnished, then oftentimes the existing furniture can be used, sometimes just rearranged and/or having some removed. If a home is vacant, recent developments in AI virtual staging can effectively help accomplish this, too. Each home is different so a no-cost consultation may help determine what your home needs.
Most sellers focus on the compensation paid to real estate agents, which is a worthwhile consideration, but the actual list of other closing expenses can be a shock. These fees are typically paid by the seller on closing day and are deducted from the sale proceeds.
| Cost Item | Description |
| Transfer Taxes | In Tennessee, there is a state-mandated transfer tax ($3.70 per $1,000 of the sale price). This is a fixed, unavoidable cost with few exceptions but it is negotiable between the parties. These are not deductible from your federal income taxes; but, if paid by the seller they may be able to use the expense to lower the cost basis of the home sale if it exceeds their capital gains exemption. Speak with a tax accountant for more information on this strategy. Depending on the county and city your home is located in, there may also be additional local transfer taxes involved in the sale; Williamson county does not currently have an additional transfer tax. Ask us for more details on this! |
| Prorated Property Taxes | You will owe the buyer for any property taxes you collected but haven't yet paid for the period you owned the home up until the closing date. If you have a mortgage, this is likely automatically deducted each month, but will still be collected as a closing cost and the balance returned to you from the mortgage company after payoff. |
| Title Policy & Attorney Fees | While buyers often pay for their own title policy, sellers generally cover attorney fees, preparation of the deed, and other title-related costs for their side of the transaction. The title and escrow company used is negotiable between the parties, though typically the fees for this are regulated and do not differ much. These costs can be a negotiable expense between the parties. |
| HOA/PUD Estoppel Fees | Homeowners Association (HOA) communities charge a fee to provide documentation, financial ledger, and official letters showing the account is current. This is a common and mandatory expense in Williamson County subdivisions. While the HOA fees themselves are typically not negotiable, it can be decided between the sellers and buyers who will pay them. |
An offer above asking price doesn't guarantee a higher net profit, a "higest AND best" offer means all the terms must be considered. In negotiations, buyers often demand seller concessions to offset their costs, essentially reducing your net proceeds. However, while any concessions do reduce your net proceeds dollar for dollar, they may have greater impact for the buyer if they are financing the home. Ask us for more details on this strategy. In middle Tennessee, agents can publicly market that a seller is willing to offer concessions to potentially make their home more attractive to a prospective buyer, if the seller authorizes them to do so.
Closing Cost Contributions: It is highly common for buyers to ask the seller to cover 2-3% of the sale price toward the buyer’s closing costs. On a $1,000,000 home, this is $20,000 to $30,000 directly from your pocket. This is typically done to help lower the buyer's mortgage interest rate, which can have a dramatic effect on their monthly payment and make it more affordable to buy your home.
Home Warranty Purchase: Buyers frequently ask sellers to purchase a one-year home warranty policy for them, which typically costs $500 to $700 but could cost up to $2,000 or more depending on the level of coverage and the amenities in your home.
While agent commissions are the most "known" cost, sellers are often surprised by additional transactional charges. Be sure to clarify with your agent if their brokerage charges a separate Broker Administration Fee (sometimes called a "transaction fee"). This fee is charged by the brokerage in addition to the commission to cover administrative overhead, and it often ranges from $500 to $1,000.
The difference between a successful, profitable home sale and a disappointing one is simple: transparency and preparation.
We don't just list your home; we work with you from day one to create a comprehensive "Net Proceeds Estimate" or "Net Sheet" that budgets for all these expenses. Our estimates are reliable based on our experience and typically end up being within a few hundred dollars of the final amount a seller receives in their pocket or to apply to their next home. Stop guessing what you’ll walk away with. Partner with the local experts who believe you deserve to know the full financial picture upfront.
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