Start with your relocation benefits
Before you list, ask HR exactly what your relocation package includes. Some employers cover selling costs, pay for movers or temporary housing, or work with a relocation company that can buy your home if it doesn't sell in a set time.
Ask how benefits are paid, what deadlines apply and whether you must use specific agents or companies. Some benefits may be taxable, so a tax professional can help you plan.
Your three main options
- Sell before you move: you start fresh with your equity in hand, but timing can be tight
- Sell after you move: you move on schedule and let a local agent handle the sale
- Rent it out: you keep the home, but you take on the costs and work of being a landlord
Selling before you move
Listing while you still live there makes showings and repairs easier to manage. If your sale closes before you need to leave, a short rent-back can let you stay a little longer. If your start date comes first, ask your buyer for a flexible closing date or plan short-term housing in the new city.
Selling after you move
An empty home is easier to show and can look larger, though it may need light staging to photograph well. A local agent can manage showings, inspections and contractors for you.
Keep the home insured, heated or cooled, and checked regularly while it's vacant. Ask your insurance agent whether your policy has vacancy limits.
Selling from a distance
You don't need to be in town to sell. Your agent can share video walkthroughs and handle access. Many documents can be signed electronically, and depending on your state, closing may be done remotely, by mail or through a power of attorney. Ask your agent and settlement agent early.
Keep it or sell it?
If you have a low mortgage rate, keeping the home as a rental can be tempting. Compare the expected rent with the full cost of owning from afar, including property management.
Taxes matter too. If you sell a home you lived in for two of the last five years, you may be able to exclude some or all of the gain. A job-related move may qualify for a partial exclusion even if you lived there less time. A tax professional can confirm what applies to you.
