Selling your home? Expect the unexpected

72% of homeowners make at least one home improvement before selling. So most sellers plan for the expected costs of selling a house, like repairs, staging, and a fresh coat of paint. What about when your basement floods before an open house?

Getting a home ready to sell can come with surprises. Maybe something came up during inspection, or you found a pest problem right before listing. Or maybe you've already moved out of the home you're showing and forgot to pay the electric bill.

Can Notable's pay-at-close funds keep the lights on and the bugs out? Let's look at the unexpected expenses we've recently covered.

What are the unexpected costs of selling a house?

The most common unexpected costs of selling a house show up between prep and closing. They include emergency repairs like water damage, pest treatment, utilities for a vacant home, temporary housing or pet boarding during showings, tenant relocation, and pre-listing inspections. None of these is usually huge on its own. But they tend to land after you've budgeted for listing and before your sale proceeds arrive.

In a 2025 survey, recent sellers expected to spend an average of $18,557 on home-selling expenses. Once commissions, repairs, closing costs, and concessions were counted, they actually spent $67,245, more than three times as much, and about 4 in 10 hadn't budgeted for their home sale at all.

7 surprising home-selling costs Notable has covered

We asked our team for stories from recent home sales: what unexpected expenses has Notable covered in a recent sale? Here are seven expenses home sellers didn't have to pay for upfront^2:

1. Temporary housing during showings

Living in a home while it's being shown isn't always easy. You might have a family to relocate, a business to run from home, or pets that need a place to go. Meanwhile, buyers need to picture themselves living in the home, and that's harder when it's so clearly your home.

Sellers have used Notable funds for short-term housing during back-to-back showings and open-house weekends, so buyers could tour without interruptions. A vacant home and a flexible showing schedule make it easier for you, your agent, and buyers to get the home sold sooner.

2. Keeping utilities running in a vacant home

Sellers have used Notable funds to cover electricity and utility bills while a vacant house was on the market.

An empty home still needs to feel welcoming. Keeping the lights, HVAC, and appliances running helps the home show better and protects the property. It also avoids the cold, vacant feeling that puts buyers off.

3. Pest control before listing

Finding a pest problem during escrow can easily derail a sale.

Sellers have used Notable to pay for pest control before listing. That reassured buyers that the home had been well maintained before it changed owners.

4. Pet boarding and item storage during open houses

Woof, is that a litter box in your listing photos? Dogs barking during showings? Even the biggest animal lovers prefer a calm, clean home when they're touring.

Sellers have used Notable funds to board pets during busy showing periods. They've also used them for a deep clean and for storage, moving personal items (and pet gear) out of the house to help with depersonalizing.

5. Tenant buyouts and cash-for-keys agreements

Selling a tenant-occupied property can limit showings and make it harder to finish upgrades before listing.

Some sellers have used Notable to fund a tenant relocation or cash-for-keys agreement. That let them renovate, stage, and sell the property vacant, which can lead to better offers.

6. Emergency repairs that can derail a sale

You can do everything right, and life can still have other plans. Unexpected issues can come up right before listing or during escrow.

One seller used Notable funds to buy a generator that kept the power on during showings when the local grid was unreliable. Another used Notable to pay for draining, drying, and sanitizing after their basement flooded.

Having pay-at-close funds on hand helps sellers deal with emergencies quickly. That can keep a sale on track and head off price-concession negotiations.

7. A pre-listing inspection

Some sellers have used Notable funds for a pre-listing inspection instead of waiting for the buyer's inspection.

A pre-listing inspection helps you find needed repairs earlier, price the home more accurately, and face fewer unknowns in the final steps of the sale. In competitive markets, that can help control costs, support stronger offers, and reduce negotiation later in escrow.

Real talk: is a pre-listing inspection worth it?

For many sellers, yes, because an issue that comes up during a buyer's inspection can mean price concessions or be the reason your deal falls apart. In a 2025 Redfin survey, 70% of agents who had handled a canceled deal said inspection or repair issues caused deals to fall through. And most buyers still inspect: in a recent NAR survey, only 20% of buyers waived the inspection contingency.

How to pay for home-selling costs before you close

Sellers usually cover prep and surprise expenses in one of four ways:

• Savings. This doesn't cost you interest, but it ties up cash you may need for your next home.

• A credit card. It's fast, but interest starts building month to month.

• A HELOC. This is secured by your home, which means a lien on the property. Approval can also take time.

• Pay-at-close funding like Notable. There are no upfront costs and no monthly payments. You repay what you used, plus interest and fees, from your sale proceeds when the home closes, or within twelve months, whichever comes first.^2 Eligible sellers can access up to $50,000.^2

Read more on these options here and talk to your agent about what's right for your sale.

Getting market-ready can be easier with Notable

Home sales can be as different as the individuals selling them, but one thing is always true: selling a home will cost you money.

Some costs are expected, like staging. Others aren't, like a flooded basement. Either way, Notable can help you fund the repairs and upgrades that lead to a better home sale.^1

Estimate what you qualify for before applying at www.notablehome.com.