A new job, a transfer, or a move closer to family can come together fast. When you need to sell a house fast because you’re relocating, the house usually isn’t the hard part. Timing is. You may have a start date in another city and a house here that still has to sell.
Here’s how to avoid paying for two homes, sell on a date you can count on, and close without flying back.
What it costs to carry two homes
Once you move, the old house keeps costing money: the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities, lawn care and snow removal. Add trips back for showings or repairs, and it adds up.
Here’s a simple way to size it up. Say your new job starts in six weeks and your house in Merrillville needs a new roof. Write down every monthly cost of the house, then multiply by the number of months you think it could take to sell. Compare that total to the gap between a likely listing price and an as-is cash offer.
Your options when you’re moving away
| Option | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| List with an agent | The house is show-ready and you have time | Showings while you pack, and a closing that may land after you’ve left |
| Rent it out | You might come back, and the rent covers the costs | Being a landlord from another state |
| Use your employer’s relocation help | Your package covers home-sale costs | Rules about how, when and through whom you sell |
| Sell as-is for cash | You need a firm date, or the house needs work | The price is below full retail |
If your relocation package pays agent commissions and closing costs, and the house is in good shape, listing may leave you with more. Compare written numbers side by side. Our cash buyer vs. agent comparison can help. If you’re leaning toward renting it out, read our page for tired landlords first.
Questions to ask about your relocation package
Every employer’s package is different. Before you decide how to sell, ask HR:
- Does it cover selling costs like commissions or closing costs, and is there a cap?
- Do I have to use a certain agent or relocation company?
- Is there a home-sale or buyout program, and how is the price set?
- Is there a deadline to sell to get reimbursed?
- Are any of the benefits taxable?
On taxes, IRS Publication 523 explains when a work-related move may qualify for a reduced home-sale exclusion if you haven’t owned and lived in the house long. A tax professional can tell you whether it applies to you.
Selling your house fast before you relocate
A cash sale doesn’t wait on a buyer’s mortgage lender or appraisal, so timing mostly comes down to title work. You pick the closing date. It’s often weeks, not months, or later if you’d rather stay until the school year ends.
A firm date lets you plan everything else: the movers, the last day of utilities, the start of a new lease.
Closing from out of state
Closing happens at a local title company, and the title company pays you at closing. You don’t always have to be in the room.
- Mail-away closing. The title company sends you the signing package. You sign in front of a notary where you live and send the originals back.
- Remote online notarization. Indiana lets a registered remote notary public, while physically in Indiana, notarize documents over approved audio-video technology for a signer elsewhere in the U.S. (IC 33-42-17-3). The law treats it as performed in Indiana (IC 33-42-17-12). Whether your closing can use it depends on the title company, so ask early.
- Power of attorney. Some sellers have a trusted person sign for them. In Indiana, a power of attorney used to sign a deed has to be recorded with the county recorder before the deed can be recorded (IC 30-5-3-3). Have an attorney prepare it, and check with the title company before you count on it.
Ask the title company how it will send your money, too.
What to do with things you leave behind
You don’t have to empty the house. We buy as-is, with no cleaning out. Take what matters, then agree in writing on what stays.
Before you go, pack the papers you’ll need: the deed, mortgage statements, tax bills and insurance policies. Forward your mail so tax bills and title paperwork can find you.
Think twice before shutting everything off. Heat matters in a Northwest Indiana winter. In Gary, if utilities have been off for 90 days or more, the Building Department requires an inspection before NIPSCO will reconnect service.
Don’t let it sit empty too long
An empty house can draw break-ins and copper theft, and a small leak can run for weeks before anyone notices. Grass and snow left alone can draw code complaints. Many homeowner’s insurance policies also limit coverage once a house sits vacant, so call your insurer before you move.
If the house is in Gary, check with the Building Department about registration. The city’s rental registration fact sheet, linked from the Building Department page, says owners who don’t live in a property must register it, even when it’s vacant.
Our page on selling a vacant house covers these risks in more detail.
Where we buy
If you need to sell a house for a job transfer in Northwest Indiana, we buy in Merrillville, Crown Point, Gary and across Lake County. Want a rough sense of value before you call? Our guide to what a Gary house is worth as-is explains how buyers price a house in its current condition.
