Selling costs in Hamilton

What does it cost to sell a home in Hamilton?

The cost of selling your home involves more than the real estate commission.

Before you decide to sell, know what the sale will cost and what you'll have left.

See an $800,000 Example
Couple talking over coffee and a laptop

The big picture

What will selling cost?

Most sellers think of commission first. There may also be legal fees, mortgage costs, repairs, moving, storage and other transaction-related expenses.

Don't only ask

“What does it cost to sell?”

The better question is

“What will I have left after everything is paid?”

If you're still figuring out the overall selling process, start with the Hamilton Home Seller's Guide. It walks through the process itself, while this page focuses on the financial side of selling.

The costs

The main costs to expect when selling

Some costs are part of the transaction itself. Others depend on your home, your mortgage and the decisions you make before putting the property on the market.

01

Real estate commission

When both a listing brokerage and a buyer's brokerage are involved in a conventional full-service transaction, total commission is commonly around 4–5% of the sale price, plus HST. The exact amount and how it is divided depend on the agreements. Flat-fee, discount and limited-service arrangements can fall outside this range.

02

Legal fees and disbursements

Your real estate lawyer handles the legal side of the sale, including reviewing documents, paying out the mortgage and completing the transaction. Plan for about $1,200–$2,500.

03

Mortgage discharge and prepayment costs

Your lender may charge a mortgage discharge fee, and breaking a mortgage before its term ends may result in a prepayment penalty. The amount depends on your mortgage and circumstances, so ask your lender for a figure before you decide.

04

Repairs and improvements

Some homes need very little preparation. Others may benefit from repairs or other improvements before going to market. Costs can range from virtually nothing to $10,000 or considerably more.

05

Cleaning and staging

Depending on the home, the strategy and what your listing service includes, cleaning and staging can cost anywhere from nothing to several thousand dollars. My Hamilton Home Staging Guide explains what staging involves.

06

Moving and storage

Moving costs depend on the size of the move, distance, packing requirements and whether storage is needed. For a local move, plan for about $1,500–$3,500. Bigger moves cost more.

07

Closing adjustments and tax

Items such as property taxes may be adjusted between you and the buyer on closing. If the home isn't your principal residence, such as a rental or investment property, the sale may also have tax consequences, so confirm those with your accountant.

Before you spend a dollar

Start with the home, not the renovation list

Once we agree to work together, the first step isn't ordering a dumpster or starting a renovation. We start with your home's condition and how it shows to a buyer.

Pre-listing inspection

Understand the home's current condition before deciding what to repair, price for or disclose.

Staging consultation

Identify practical changes that can improve presentation and help buyers see the home's potential.

Preparation plan

Decide what should be repaired, improved, quoted, cleaned, staged or simply left alone.

You don't want the buyer's inspection to be the first time an important issue comes to light. Knowing what you're dealing with beforehand gives you more choices about how to respond.

My service

What my 4.5% listing fee includes

My full-service listing fee is 4.5%, including the amount provided toward the buyer's brokerage. That covers the planning, preparation, marketing and hands-on service required to take your home from decision to completed sale. I don't compete by cutting my fee or promising a high price, because I invest thousands of dollars into my clients' listings.

Inspection and status certificate

I pay for a pre-listing inspection on every listing, and for the status certificate on condos.

Professional staging

I stage almost all of my listings with Susan Clarkin and her team at Polka Dot Home Staging. On those listings, I cover the consultation and the first month. Vacant homes can be furnished from scratch. See my Hamilton Home Staging Guide.

Professional cleaning

I provide a professional clean before the home is listed, and another before closing when timing allows.

Preparation advice

I help determine where preparation, repairs, decluttering or other improvements are worthwhile, and where spending money doesn't make sense.

Professional marketing

Photography, video, drone photography and video when appropriate, floor plans or room measurements, feature sheets, online marketing, open houses and professional sign installation and removal.

Negotiation and transaction management

I manage the showing service and lockbox, offers, negotiations, conditions, communication and the many details between an accepted offer and a completed sale.

For example

On an $800,000 home, I typically invest $4,000–$6,000 in the inspection, cleaning, staging and presentation, where it will help the home compete.

You can see how this approach has worked in my Hamilton Home Selling Case Studies.

What stays with you

Repairs, handyman visits, junk removal, donation runs, packing, moving, storage and surveys are not included.

I can refer you to people I trust, including a handyman team (I have no financial interest in it) and a local pod company for moving and storage.

An important distinction

What about the buyer's brokerage?

Sellers often agree to contribute toward the buyer's brokerage fee. There's no standard amount: it's negotiated and written into the agreements. With me, that contribution comes out of my 4.5%, not on top of it.

A realistic example

What you might walk away with

What matters is what's left after selling costs and your mortgage.

Here's a simplified example using an $800,000 Hamilton home. Your own costs will depend on your mortgage, lawyer, moving plans and the terms of your sale.

Sale price $800,000
Mortgage balance − $350,000
Real estate commission (4.5%, including the buyer's brokerage) − $36,000
HST on commission (13%) − $4,680
Legal fees and disbursements − $2,000
Mortgage discharge fee − $300
Moving costs − $2,500
Pre-listing inspection, cleaning, staging consultation and first month Included in my service*
Illustrative amount remaining $404,520

*In this example, these items are included in my service and are not deducted from the seller's proceeds. The example assumes no repairs and leaves out prepayment penalties, buyer concessions and closing adjustments.

Potential net proceeds

Estimated sale price − mortgage balance − selling costs = amount remaining

The math is simple. The assumptions are what matter, and they decide what you'll have for whatever comes next.

Where the money goes

Some costs are fixed, others are decisions

Some selling costs are optional. Knowing which ones can help you decide where to spend, and where not to.

Costs you'll pay

  • Real estate commission
  • Legal fees and disbursements
  • Mortgage discharge costs
  • Mortgage prepayment penalties, if applicable
  • Moving costs
  • Transaction-specific closing adjustments

Costs you can control

  • Repairs and improvements
  • Junk removal and donation runs
  • Packing help
  • Staging beyond the first month
  • Storage and other logistical services

The goal isn't to eliminate every expense. It's to make sure you're spending money where it has a purpose.

Selling in Hamilton

What can change the numbers here

Older homes

Much of Hamilton's housing is decades old, and buyers' inspectors know where to look: older wiring, plumbing and water service lines, roofs, foundations and basement moisture, oil tanks, and renovations done without permits.

Secondary units and renovations

If your home has a basement apartment or other secondary unit, confirm it has the required City of Hamilton permits and approvals before it's marketed as a legal unit. The same applies to additions, major renovations and finished basements.

Your likely sale price

Comparable sales don't cross Hamilton's neighbourhoods cleanly. A home on the Mountain competes in a different market than one in the Lower City, Dundas, Ancaster, Waterdown or Stoney Creek, and values can shift street by street.

Know your numbers

Selling your home is a financial decision as well as a real estate transaction.

Before you decide, you should know what your home could sell for, what it'll cost to sell and what you'll have left.

Mike McCarthy, REALTOR® · Real Broker Ontario Ltd.

Thinking about selling?

Want to run the numbers on your Hamilton home?

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General information only. Selling costs vary by property, mortgage, transaction and service agreement. This page is not legal, tax or mortgage advice. Confirm applicable costs with the appropriate professionals. Not intended to solicit sellers already under contract with a brokerage. Figures reviewed November 2026.