Selling a house in Northern VirginiaCosts, timing and pricing in 2026
What you pay at settlement, how fast homes go under contract, and how to set the price.
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Northern Virginia Guide › Selling a house
Updated October 7, 2026Code of Virginia, Fairfax and Prince William circuit court clerks, Bright MLSAbout a 6-minute read
Quick answer
A Northern Virginia seller pays a state grantor tax and two regional fees that together come to 0.3% of the price, plus settlement charges and any repairs agreed with the buyer. A well-priced house goes under contract fast: in 2026 the median house went under contract in 4 days in Broadlands, 6 in Vienna and 12 in Dumfries. Price it from the closed sales nearest to it, and list once it is ready to show.
What it costs to sell
Three transfer charges come to 0.3% of the price.
Virginia charges the seller a grantor tax on every sale, and Northern Virginia adds two regional fees on the same deed. The clerk of the circuit court collects all three when the deed is recorded, and they come out of your proceeds at settlement unless the contract has the buyer pay part of them.1,4
Rates checked October 7, 2026, in the Code of Virginia and the land records fee schedules of the Fairfax and Prince William circuit court clerks. The two regional fees apply in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park. Each is figured on the sale price, rounded up to the next $500 for the grantor tax and the next $100 for the fees.4,5,6
| Cost | How it is set | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement charges | Set by the settlement company you or the buyer chooses: its closing fee, preparing the deed, and recording the release of your mortgage. Ask for a written estimate early. | Every sale |
| Mortgage payoff | The balance of any loan on the house, paid from your proceeds at settlement. | Homes with a loan |
| Real estate tax and HOA dues | Divided between you and the buyer up to the settlement date. Rates and due dates: Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington. | The tax on every sale; dues only in an owners' association |
| HOA resale certificate | If the home is in an owners' association, you get a resale certificate from the association and give it to the buyer.8 | Homes in an owners' association |
| Repairs | Whatever you fix before listing, plus any repairs or credits you agree to after the buyer's home inspection. | Depends on the home and the contract |
| Getting ready to list | Whatever you choose to do so the home shows well. It depends on the home and your plans. | Depends on the home |
| Moving | Movers or a truck, and any storage. It depends on your plans. | Depends on your plans |
Settlement charges and the real estate tax come with every sale. The other lines depend on the home or the contract. Ask the settlement company for a written estimate early.
How long it takes
In most of these towns, the typical house was under contract within a week.
These are the medians from the guide's own town pages: half the homes in each place went under contract faster, half slower. After the contract, settlement takes place on the date written into it.
| Place | Houses | Townhouses |
|---|---|---|
| Broadlands | 4 | 5 |
| City of Falls Church | 5 | 10 |
| Reston | 5 | 6 |
| Vienna | 6 | 6 |
| Ashburn | 6 | 7 |
| Gainesville | 6 | 6 |
| McLean | 7 | 7 |
| Great Falls | 10 | None sold |
| Woodbridge | 10 | 11 |
| Dumfries | 12 | 13.5 |
Houses are detached homes with at least three bedrooms and two full baths; townhouses are end-of-row and interior-row homes. Every other place in the guide has its own figure on its town page.7
Best time to list
List when the house is ready, and price for the market you are in.
A listing that goes live with half-finished repairs or poor photos wastes its first days on the market, when buyers decide whether to see it. A few more weeks of preparation usually cost less than a price cut later.
Buyers have more choice than a year ago. In the Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria area (the area the Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS, or NVAR, reports on), active listings rose 18.5% and closed sales fell 8.0% from August 2025 to August 2026, and across the Washington metro one listing in five had a price cut in September 2026.9,10 In that market, the right price matters more than the month. Our study, Will Northern Virginia home prices drop?, has the full picture.
The calendar still helps. Of 70,875 houses and townhouses listed in Northern Virginia from 2023 to 2025, those listed in February and March sold over asking most often (57% of February listings and 58% of March listings), and listings from August to October cut the price most often. Our study, Spring rush or winter deal?, has the month-by-month numbers, and the latest dates to list if you want to move before school starts.
Pricing
The price comes from closed sales near you, not from a town median.
Start with closed sales. The best evidence is homes like yours that sold recently in your subdivision or on your street: same type, similar size, similar condition. Active listings show the competition; closed sales show what buyers actually paid.
Adjust for what a buyer sees. Updated kitchen and baths, the roof and HVAC, a finished basement, the lot and what it backs onto, and the high school the address feeds all move the number.
Price for the first week. With the typical house under contract within a week or two, buyers and their agents judge a new listing within days. A price above the evidence tends to sit, and a home that sits invites lower offers.
Agree on a plan for offers. Decide before you list how you will handle several offers, escalation clauses (a buyer's promise to beat other offers by a set amount, up to a limit) and appraisal gaps (when the lender's appraisal comes in below the agreed price), so you are not deciding under a deadline.
Want the number for your house? A written valuation built from the closed sales nearest your home, sent within 24 hours.
Get a home valuationGetting ready
Fix what an inspector would flag, and gather the paperwork early.
- Repairs first
Leaks, worn roofs, old water heaters and electrical problems come back as inspection requests. Fixing them before listing keeps the negotiation on price.
- Clean, clear and light
Declutter, paint scuffed walls in neutral colors, and replace dead bulbs. Photos and showings reward simple rooms.
- First impression
Trim the yard, wash the front door and walkway, and make the house number easy to read from the street.
- Disclosure statement
Virginia requires the owner to give the buyer a residential property disclosure statement.11
- Permits and receipts
Collect permits and invoices for big work such as a new roof, HVAC, an addition or a finished basement. Buyers and appraisers ask.
- HOA resale certificate
Order it from the association as soon as you decide to sell. The buyer can cancel within the period the contract sets after receiving it.8
Thinking about the kitchen before you list? What a kitchen remodel costs, and what it earns back at resale
How I market a listing
Priced on evidence, listed in Bright MLS, and answered by me.
The price. I build it from Bright MLS closed sales in your subdivision, check each comparable sale by hand, and show you every one, so you can see why the number is what it is.
The details. I check what buyers check: the town line, the high school the address feeds and the tax rate, so the listing states them correctly.
The listing. Your home goes into Bright MLS, the listing service agents across the region search, and onto my free home search.
The presentation. Professional photos and a professional video of your home, and that video shared on my Instagram and YouTube. If your home would show better staged, I bring in a professional stager, paid by the seller.
Two languages. I work in English and Arabic with buyers and their agents.
One person. Calls and texts about your home come to my own phone, not a call center.
It was never about how many homes I have sold. It is about the care and attention you get when you sell or buy with me: the time you need, nothing rushed, no corners cut, and every question answered. That has been my philosophy since my first sale, and it will not change.Ahmed Makkiyah, REALTOR®
Community seller guides
What homes sold for, community by community.
Each guide shows a year of closed sales from Bright MLS, how fast homes went under contract, and the HOA resale steps.
Loudoun County
- Selling in Ashburn FarmAshburn
- Selling in Belmont Country ClubAshburn
- Selling in Brambleton
- Selling in Broadlands
- Selling in HartlandAldie
- Selling in Kirkpatrick FarmsAldie
- Selling in LenahAldie
- Selling in Parkside VillageAldie
- Selling in Seven HillsAldie
- Selling in South Riding
- Selling in Stone RidgeAldie
- Selling in WillowsfordAldie
Fairfax County
- Selling in Armfield FarmsChantilly
- Selling in BarringtonFairfax Station
- Selling in Chantilly HighlandsHerndon
- Selling in CrosspointeFairfax Station
- Selling in Fair LakesFairfax
- Selling in Franklin FarmHerndon
- Selling in Franklin GlenFairfax
- Selling in GreenbriarFairfax
- Selling in Little Rocky RunClifton
- Selling in Poplar Tree EstatesChantilly
- Selling in Reston
- Selling in South RunFairfax Station
- Selling in South Run OaksFairfax Station
- Selling in Virginia RunCentreville
Prince William County
Questions
What sellers ask about Northern Virginia.
How much does it cost to sell a house in Northern Virginia?
A Northern Virginia seller pays the Virginia grantor tax ($0.50 for each $500 of the price) and two Northern Virginia fees, the regional congestion relief fee and the regional WMATA capital fee (each $0.10 for every $100 of the price). Together they come to 0.3%, or $3,000 on a $1,000,000 sale. Add settlement charges, the mortgage payoff, prorated taxes and HOA dues, and any repairs agreed after the inspection.
Who pays the grantor tax in Virginia?
The seller. The Code of Virginia puts the grantor tax on the grantor, the person selling, and the two Northern Virginia fees work the same way. The law lets the seller and buyer agree in the contract that the buyer pays all or part of them.
How long does it take to sell a house in Northern Virginia?
A well-priced house goes under contract quickly. In Bright MLS closed sales from January 1 to October 2, 2026, the median house went under contract in 4 days in Broadlands, 6 in Vienna, 7 in McLean, 10 in Great Falls and 12 in Dumfries. Settlement then takes place on the date set in the contract.
When is the best time to sell a home in Northern Virginia?
When the house is ready to show and priced against current closed sales. Buyers have more choice than a year ago: in the Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria area, active listings rose 18.5% from August 2025 to August 2026. In that market the price matters more than the month.
How is the list price of a house set?
From recent closed sales of similar homes nearby, ideally in the same subdivision, adjusted for what a buyer sees: condition and updates, the lot, and the high school the address feeds. Active listings show the competition, but closed sales show what buyers actually paid.
Your next step
Thinking of selling? Start with the number.
Send your address and get real numbers back, in English or Arabic, not a pitch.
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وكيلك العقاري الموثوق في شمال فرجينيا.
Keep exploring
The numbers for your county, and the tools.
Fairfax County
20 places compared.
Open the guide County guideLoudoun County
15 places compared.
Open the guide County guidePrince William County
Every town compared.
Open the guide County guideArlington
By zip code.
Open the guide Home valuationPriced on evidence.
Comparable closed sales near you, checked by hand.
Get a valuation Market studyWill prices drop?
Rates, supply and forecasts, county by county.
Read the studyKeep reading
- SellingSeller hubEvery community seller guide and town estimator in one place, with the best months to list.
- ToolWhat is my home worth?A written valuation from the closed sales nearest you.
- Market studyBest time to buy or sellWhich months sell best, from Bright MLS listings.
- Ask AhmedWhy don’t prices come down?Sales fell by a third, prices still rose: Ahmed's answer, the sales data and what research shows.