Selling Your Home When You Leave the US
Plan the sale of your US home around the end of your assignment, even if you have already moved.
Beatrice Yunck, Real Estate Consultant, Queen Bea Realty Group
Wisconsin license 98118-94 · Illinois license 475.210497 · 4 years in the area
Speaks: English, Po polsku, Deutsch, Español
Timing the sale around your assignment
- 4–6 months before you leave: talk to your agent, consider a pre-listing inspection and plan repairs.
- 2–3 months before: check your employer’s home-sale or buyout program — you usually must enroll before listing.
- 6–8 weeks before: list the home. Spring is usually the strongest season.
If you move first, you can sell remotely: electronic signatures, remote online notarization where allowed, a power of attorney for the closing, a property manager or vacant-home insurance — or rent the home out instead.
Wisconsin sellers must give buyers a Real Estate Condition Report.
Source: Wis. Stat. ch. 709
Taxes when you sell
Selling a US home can have tax consequences in the US and in your home country. Talk to a cross-border tax advisor before you list.
If the seller is a foreign person, the buyer generally must withhold tax under FIRPTA — usually 15% of the sale price.
Source: IRS — FIRPTA withholding
Talk to a relocation agent
Tell us about your move and we'll send options that fit your timeline and budget.
Prefer to talk? Call Beatrice or book a 30-minute call.
Includes: Home value estimate
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