You got the job offer. Or the PCS orders came through. Or family needs you closer. Whatever the reason, you are moving out of Virginia and the house is coming with a to-do list of its own.
Selling a house and moving out of state comes down to a few big decisions: when to sell, whether to sell or rent, and how to handle everything once you are hundreds of miles away. Here is how each one works, in plain terms.
We are not tax advisors or attorneys, so check the money questions with a CPA. But we buy houses from people in the middle of a move all the time, and these are the questions that come up again and again.
Should You Sell Before or After You Move?
Selling before you move means you are there for showings, repairs and the closing. You know exactly how much money you have for your next place. The hard part is timing: you may have to move twice, or rent short-term, if the sale and the move do not line up.
Selling after you move means an easier move and an empty house that is easy to show. The hard part is cost. Until it sells, you are paying for two homes: your new place plus the mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities on the old one.
There is no wrong answer. If money is tight, selling first is usually safer. If your new job or orders start before you can sell, selling from out of state is very doable. You just need a plan.
How to Sell a House From Out of State
If you have already moved, or will soon, here are the steps that matter most:
- Get a real local value. Online estimates can be off by tens of thousands of dollars. Our guide to finding your home’s fair market value shows better ways.
- Pick how you will sell. List it with a local agent, or sell it as-is for cash. More on that below.
- Have someone local on your side. An agent, a property manager or a trusted friend who can let people in, check on the house and handle surprises.
- Protect the empty house. Call your insurance company before you move out. Many policies limit coverage on a house that sits empty, so you may need a vacant home policy. Keep the power on, the yard mowed and the mail forwarded.
- Plan how you will sign. You usually do not have to fly back for closing. Virginia allows remote online notarization, so you can often sign by video from wherever you live. A mail-away closing or a power of attorney can also work. Ask your title company early which one they prefer.
Your money is usually wired to your bank after closing, so you do not need to be in Virginia to get paid either.
PCS Orders and Military Moves
Hampton Roads has one of the biggest military communities in the country, so a lot of the out-of-state moves we see start with orders. A few things are different for you:
- Your timeline is not flexible. Your report date will not wait for a buyer’s loan to close. If you are short on time, pick a sale with a closing date you control.
- The tax clock can pause. Normally you need to have lived in the house 2 of the last 5 years to sell without capital gains tax. Service members on qualified extended duty at least 50 miles away can choose to suspend that 5-year clock for up to 10 years. That gives you a lot more room if you rent the house out while you are stationed somewhere else.
- A VA loan stays tied to the house. If you keep the house and rent it out, your VA loan benefit usually stays tied to it until the loan is paid off. Selling and paying off the loan frees it up for your next home.
If you are going through a divorce at the same time as a move, our guide to selling a house during a divorce in Virginia covers how the two fit together.
Sell It or Rent It Out?
Keeping the house as a rental can make sense, especially if your mortgage rate is low. But be honest with yourself about what being a landlord from far away looks like.
- You will almost certainly need a property manager, and they take a share of the rent.
- Repairs, empty months and tenant problems still land on you, just from a distance.
- Once you have been gone more than three years, you can lose the tax break on selling your home (unless the military rule above applies).
If you would rather have the money and a clean break, selling is usually simpler.
Taxes When You Sell After Moving Away
Most people who sell their main home owe no tax on the profit. You can usually exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 if you are married and file jointly, if you owned the house and lived in it for at least 2 of the last 5 years.
That 5-year window is the part movers need to watch. If you lived in the house for at least two years, you generally have up to three years after you move out to sell and still get the full tax break.
Moving for a new job before you hit two years? You may still get a partial break if your new job is at least 50 miles farther from the house than your old one. Run your numbers by a CPA, and see our post on avoiding capital gains tax on a home sale for more.
Listing From Far Away vs. Selling As-Is
If you are selling your house in Virginia while living somewhere else, you have three real options:
- Fix it up and list it. Usually the most money. Also the hardest to manage from out of state, since you are hiring contractors you have never met and paying two housing bills the whole time. Our guide to getting a house ready to sell covers what is worth doing.
- List it as-is with an agent. Less work, but buyers with loans take money off for anything they will have to fix, and an empty house can sit longer than you planned.
- Sell it as-is for cash. Less money than a fully fixed-up sale, but no repairs, no showings and a closing date that fits your move.
If the house is in decent shape and you have time, an agent will beat our number. We will tell you that on the walkthrough, and we have done it plenty of times.
If it needs real work, or you are out of time, here is exactly how we work out an offer. We figure out what the house will be worth once the work is done. Our offer lands between 70% and 80% of that number, and that range has to cover both what we pay you and what we spend on the renovation.
Say the house would be worth $320,000 fixed up and needs $45,000 of work. 75% of $320,000 is $240,000. Take out the $45,000 of work and the offer is around $195,000.
No repairs, no commissions, and we pay all the closing costs. We can usually close in 10 to 14 days, or later if your move date needs it. You can leave behind anything you don’t want to haul across the country. And if you have already moved, we can use a remote online notary or arrange for you to sign where you live.
We buy across Hampton Roads: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton and Newport News. Live in Virginia Beach? See how we work as cash home buyers in Virginia Beach.
Common Questions About Selling a House and Moving Out of State
Can I sell my house in Virginia if I live in another state?
Yes. People sell Virginia houses from out of state every day. You will want someone local to handle access, and a title company that can set up remote or mail-away signing.
Do I have to come back to Virginia for the closing?
Usually not. Virginia allows remote online notarization, and many title companies also do mail-away closings. A power of attorney is another option if you can’t sign yourself.
How long does it take to sell a house in Virginia?
It depends on the house and the market. A listed house usually takes a few weeks to get an offer, then another 30 to 45 days for the buyer’s loan to close. A cash sale can close in as little as 10 to 14 days.
Is it a problem if the house is empty while it’s for sale?
It can be. Empty houses are easier to show, but they are harder to insure and small problems like a leak can go unnoticed for weeks. Talk to your insurance company and have someone check on the house regularly.
Will I owe taxes if I sell after I move?
Usually not, if you lived there at least two of the last five years and sell within about three years of moving out. Military members may get extra time. A CPA can confirm your situation.
Moving Out of State and Need to Sell?
Call us at (757) 337-2236. We will walk the house, give you a number within 24 hours, and tell you straight if listing it would get you more. If you are already gone, we can work with whoever has the keys.