A Townsend seller's closing costs, apart from the real estate commission, usually total somewhere around one and a half to two percent of the sale price. The largest single item is the Massachusetts deed excise tax, followed by your attorney's fee, and then a tail of smaller charges, certificates, recording fees, and payoff items, that every seller should see itemized on a net sheet before listing, not at the closing table.
The Deed Excise Tax
Massachusetts charges the seller a deed excise tax of $4.56 per $1,000 of the sale price. It is simple math: $2,280 on a $500,000 sale, $3,192 on a $700,000 sale, $4,560 on a $1,000,000 sale. There is no way around it and no negotiating it; it is simply part of the cost of selling real estate in this state, and it should be in your net estimate from day one.
Attorney and Transaction Fees
Most Massachusetts sellers hire their own attorney to review the purchase and sale agreement, clear title items, prepare the deed, and attend to the closing, and that fee typically runs in the low thousands depending on complexity. Add recording fees for the deed and any discharge of your mortgage, the municipal lien certificate from the town confirming taxes and charges, and small courier and payoff processing charges from your lender. None of these are large alone. Together they belong on the sheet.
Certificates and Property Specific Items
The fire department's smoke and carbon monoxide detector certificate is required at closing and involves a small fee and an inspection you should schedule early. If you are selling a condo, the 6D certificate from the association, confirming no unpaid common charges, is required and carries a fee, and buyers often order a set of association documents at someone's expense as agreed. If your home is on a private septic system, the Title V inspection is part of your pre-transfer obligations, and if you have unpaid property taxes or water charges, they settle out of the proceeds at closing.
Your Payoff Is Not a Cost, But See It Anyway
Your mortgage payoff, and any home equity line balance, comes out of the proceeds, and sellers are often surprised by the exact figure once interest and escrow adjustments land. It is not a closing cost, but it is the biggest line between your sale price and your walk away money, which is why my net sheets show it in writing before you ever sign a listing agreement.
For a net sheet with your actual Townsend numbers, call Doherty Properties at (978) 746-0124 and ask for me, Chris Doherty. Free, itemized, and explained line by line.
Chris Doherty is the #1 selling agent in Lowell, ranked #1 in the city again and again, including in 2024 and 2025, and he is one of Greater Lowell's top-producing agents. He personally sells 100+ homes a year, with 3,000+ career transactions, and Doherty Properties, the company he leads, has handled over $1 billion in real estate transactions.
Doherty Properties LLC, 14 Jackson Street, Lowell, MA 01852 | 160 Main Street, Unit 7, Haverhill, MA 01830 | 4 Courthouse Lane, Suite 2, Chelmsford, MA 01824 | (978) 746-0124 | [email protected]
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