Selling a House in California: Steps, Required Disclosures and What You Keep

Selling a house in California: the short answer

1. Work out your net proceeds and tax position before you list.
2. Choose a listing agent (or sell yourself) and sign a listing agreement.
3. Prepare the home and gather records: permits, warranties, HOA documents.
4. Complete the seller disclosures and order the hazard report.
5. Price, list and market the home.
6. Review offers, counter and accept one.
7. Open escrow, deliver disclosures and handle buyer inspections and repair requests.
8. Sign the deed and Form 593, close, and file your taxes for the sale.

How fast California homes are selling

Statewide sale price and days on market

Redfin's median sale price for California was $752,837 in September 2026, with a median of 41 days on market and homes selling at about 100.2% of list price on average. A year earlier, in September 2025, the median was $745,745 with 43 days on market. Redfin's most recent month can be revised.

Days on market by county

Source: Redfin county figures for September 2026, which may be revised. The Bay Area counties sell fastest and over list; much of Southern California sells just under list after one to two months. See our California housing market guide and county figures on our data pages.

Before you list: proceeds, taxes and timing

Estimate your net proceeds

This example uses Redfin's September 2026 statewide median and assumed costs. Your numbers will differ.

Some cities add their own transfer tax on top of the county's. Our transfer tax guide and closing costs guide have the rates and the usual split.

Capital gains and the home sale exclusion

If you owned and lived in the home for two of the last five years, up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly) is excluded from federal and California income tax. California taxes any remaining gain as ordinary income. Read our capital gains guide before you set a price you need to net.

Prop 19 if you are 55 or older

Owners 55 and older can move their property tax base to a replacement home anywhere in California up to three times. The timing between selling and buying matters; see our Prop 19 guide.

Choosing how to sell

Listing with an agent

A listing agreement sets the commission, the term and what the agent will do: pricing, photos, MLS listing, showings and negotiation. Commission is negotiable, and after the 2024 changes the listing agreement and the buyer's offer decide whether you contribute to the buyer's agent. Our commission guide explains the options. Check the agent's license on the DRE lookup and ask for recent sales near you.

Selling by owner

You can sell without an agent. You still owe every disclosure in this guide, and you will need an escrow company and, ideally, a real estate attorney to prepare the contract.

Selling as is or to a cash buyer

Selling without repairs is legal, but the disclosure duties stay the same. See our guide to selling a house as is in California.

Disclosures California sellers must give

Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement

Civil Code section 1102 applies to sales of single-family residential property, and section 1102(c) makes any waiver void. The TDS describes the home's condition and any defects you know about. Deliver it as soon as practicable before transfer of title. If it arrives after the buyer's offer is signed, the buyer has three days after hand delivery, or five days after delivery by mail or electronically, to cancel (section 1102.3).

Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement

Civil Code section 1103.2 sets the form. It tells the buyer whether the home is in a FEMA flood zone, a dam inundation area, a high or very high fire hazard severity zone, a wildland area, an earthquake fault zone or a seismic hazard zone. Most sellers buy a report from a hazard disclosure company to fill it in.

Defensible space documents in fire hazard zones

Since July 1, 2021, Civil Code section 1102.19 requires sellers of homes in high or very high fire hazard severity zones to give the buyer documentation of defensible space compliance where a local ordinance or an inspection program provides it. If you have none, you and the buyer sign an agreement that the buyer will obtain it, within one year of closing where a local inspection program exists. Call your local fire agency early; inspection slots can book up.

Smoke alarm, water heater and plumbing fixture statements

You must give written statements that the home has operable smoke alarms (Health and Safety Code section 13113.8) and that the water heater is braced, anchored or strapped (section 19211). Civil Code section 1101.4 also requires you to disclose whether the home has plumbing fixtures that do not meet water-conserving standards.

Supplemental tax and other notices

Buyers must receive the supplemental property tax notice in Civil Code section 1102.6c. The purchase contract also carries the Megan's Law database notice under section 2079.10a. Homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure. Our seller disclosure guide covers every form, including HOA documents for condos.

Pricing, listing and handling offers

Pricing against recent sales

Price from closed sales of similar homes in the last few months, not from list prices or online estimates. In the counties above where most homes sell under list, an overpriced listing tends to sit and then cut. Where most sell over list, some sellers price at the market and set an offer date.

Comparing offers

Look past price: the size of the deposit, the loan type and down payment, the contingency deadlines, the closing date and any requests for credits or a rent-back. A slightly lower offer with a large down payment and short contingencies can be the safer one.

Repair requests after inspections

Buyers usually inspect and then ask for repairs or a credit. A credit at closing is often simpler than doing the work yourself during escrow.

Rent-backs and timing your move

If you need the sale proceeds to buy your next home, you can ask the buyer for a short rent-back after closing, or make your purchase contingent on selling. Each adds risk for the other side, so expect it to affect price or terms. Agree in writing on the daily rent, the deposit and the move-out date.

Closing: deed, withholding and after the sale

Form 593 and California real estate withholding

Escrow will ask you to complete Form 593. Revenue and Taxation Code section 18662 requires withholding of 3 1/3% of the sales price unless an exemption applies. The FTB's Publication 1016 exempts sellers whose home qualifies as a principal residence under IRC section 121, sales of $100,000 or less, and sales at a loss, among others. Withholding is a prepayment you claim on your return.

Paying off the loan and recording

Escrow orders a payoff from your lender, pays the commissions and costs, records the deed and wires your net proceeds, usually on the day the deed records.

Ending the homeowners' exemption

The Board of Equalization says homeowners are responsible for notifying the assessor when they are no longer eligible for the exemption. Cancel it on the home you sold if you will not be the owner on January 1.

Common mistakes when selling a house in California

• Leaving out known defects. An as-is clause does not excuse a missing or false TDS.
• Waiting on the defensible space inspection. In a fire hazard zone, start it before you list.
• Overlooking city transfer tax. In some cities it is many times the county rate.
• Not certifying the Form 593 exemption. Escrow will withhold 3 1/3% of the price.
• Selling after the use test lapses. More than three years after moving out, the home sale exclusion is gone.
• Buying before selling without a plan. Line up a bridge loan, contingent offer or rent-back if you need the proceeds.