{"id":12584,"date":"2026-09-28T18:20:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T18:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/?p=12584"},"modified":"2026-09-30T02:32:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T02:32:13","slug":"sell-everything-and-move-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/sell-everything-and-move-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Sell Everything and Move Abroad: The 7 Real Numbers From My Move"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On 26 August 2023, CarMax emailed me an offer of 17,600 dollars for my Nissan Sentra. The offer expired seven days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That email was one step in a plan to sell everything and move abroad. I sold my house, sold my car to CarMax, and sold my belongings on Facebook Marketplace and at garage sales. That money paid for my time in South Africa and France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide gives you the real numbers, in the order they happened. It also covers what did not sell, and what it cost to keep it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do you afford to move abroad?<\/strong> For most people, the money comes from what they already own. Sell the house first, because it takes longest and pays most. Sell the car close to departure. Sell or donate belongings in the final weeks. Then build your budget on the net proceeds, never the sale price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>\n.matk-toc{background:#fff8f0;border-left:4px solid #c0392b;padding:20px 24px;margin:0 0 32px 0;border-radius:4px}\n.matk-toc h3{margin:0 0 12px;font-size:14px;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.08em;color:#c0392b}\n.matk-toc ol{margin:0;padding-left:20px}\n.matk-toc li{margin:6px 0;font-size:15px}\n.matk-toc a{color:#333;text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px dotted #c0392b}\n.matk-toc a:hover{color:#c0392b}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"matk-toc\">\n  <h3>\ud83d\udccb WHAT&#8217;S IN THIS GUIDE<\/h3>\n  <ol>\n    <li><a href=\"#the-7-real-numbers-behind-my-decision-to-sell-everything-and-move-abroad\">The 7 Real Numbers Behind My Decision to Sell Everything and Move Abroad<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#your-home-equity-is-not-your-sale-price\">Your Home Equity Is Not Your Sale Price<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#what-carmax-actually-offered-and-why-the-deadline-mattered-more\">What CarMax Actually Offered, and Why the Deadline Mattered More<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#how-facebook-marketplace-and-garage-sales-cleared-the-rest\">How Facebook Marketplace and Garage Sales Cleared the Rest<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#what-did-not-sell-cost-me-every-month\">What Did Not Sell Cost Me Every Month<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#sequence-every-sale-against-your-visa-timeline\">Sequence Every Sale Against Your Visa Timeline<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#turn-the-net-into-months-of-runway\">Turn the Net Into Months of Runway<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#keep-the-paperwork-from-every-sale\">Keep the Paperwork From Every Sale<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#what-these-numbers-taught-me-to-do-differently\">What These Numbers Taught Me to Do Differently<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#what-this-guide-does-not-cover\">What This Guide Does Not Cover<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"#ready-to-build-your-own-numbers\">Ready to Build Your Own Numbers?<\/a><\/li>\n  <\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-7-real-numbers-behind-my-decision-to-sell-everything-and-move-abroad\">The 7 Real Numbers Behind My Decision to Sell Everything and Move Abroad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most expat guides assume you already have the money. Most people who actually go have to raise it first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is what my liquidation looked like, with the figures from my own paperwork. The storage figure is from memory, so treat it as approximate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>What<\/th><th>When<\/th><th>The number<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>House sale price<\/td><td>Settled 31 March 2022<\/td><td>415,000 dollars<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cash to me at closing<\/td><td>Same day<\/td><td>About 112,500 dollars<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Share of the sale price I kept<\/td><td>Net divided by price<\/td><td>27 percent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Agent commission<\/td><td>Paid at closing<\/td><td>3.5 percent of the price<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CarMax online offer, Nissan Sentra<\/td><td>26 August 2023<\/td><td>17,600 dollars<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>How long that offer stayed valid<\/td><td>Expired 2 September 2023<\/td><td>7 days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Storage unit, base rate plus insurance<\/td><td>Monthly, approximate<\/td><td>Under 80 dollars a month<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Two of these numbers matter more than the rest. The first is the 27 percent. The second is the seven days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both are about timing and cash in hand, not headline value. That is the real lesson when you sell everything and move abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/house-for-sale-sign-arrow.jpg\" alt=\"Red for sale sign with an arrow outside a modern house, the first step to sell everything and move abroad\" class=\"wp-image-12578\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/house-for-sale-sign-arrow.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/house-for-sale-sign-arrow-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/house-for-sale-sign-arrow-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/house-for-sale-sign-arrow-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"your-home-equity-is-not-your-sale-price\">Your Home Equity Is Not Your Sale Price<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My house sold for 415,000 dollars and I kept about 112,500 of it. That gap is the most useful number in this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The house sold for 415,000 dollars in March 2022. After paying off what was owed, plus commission, transfer taxes and closing costs, I kept about 112,500 dollars. That is 27 percent of the sale price, and it is the number that actually paid for the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other 73 percent never reached me. Most of it was already spoken for before the buyer made an offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get a Net Sheet Before You Plan Anything<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A net sheet is an estimate of what you will receive at closing. Your listing agent or title company can prepare one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask for it before you set a moving date or pick a country. Your runway comes from the bottom line of that sheet, not the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>List every loan secured by the house, with current payoff amounts.<\/li><li>Ask your agent for the commission rate in writing.<\/li><li>Ask the title company for your state&#8217;s transfer tax rate.<\/li><li>Add a buffer for repairs the buyer&#8217;s inspection may request.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Commission and Closing Costs Are a Real Planning Line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>My agent&#8217;s commission was 3.5 percent of the sale price. Commission, transfer taxes and closing costs together took about 8.5 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Commission is not fixed. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/the-facts\/what-the-nar-settlement-means-for-home-buyers-and-sellers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">National Association of Realtors<\/a> states that broker fees are fully negotiable and not set by law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A single percentage point on a 400,000 dollar house is 4,000 dollars. For someone planning a move abroad, that is often more than a month of rent and food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Settlement Date Is the Date the Money Exists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>An accepted offer is not money. A buyer can still walk away over financing, inspection or appraisal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The money exists on settlement day, when the funds are released to you. My settlement date was 31 March 2022, and every other date in my plan had to sit after it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sell the House While You Still Live In It<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most sellers live in the house while it is listed. That means keeping it show-ready while you also sort a lifetime of belongings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not sell the good furniture before the listing photos are taken. A furnished house photographs better than an empty one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Clear surfaces and closets first, since buyers open everything.<\/li><li>Box what you are keeping and stack it in one room or the garage.<\/li><li>Keep a short list of repairs the inspection is likely to flag.<\/li><li>Book the storage unit only once you know what is actually going in it.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-carmax-actually-offered-and-why-the-deadline-mattered-more\">What CarMax Actually Offered, and Why the Deadline Mattered More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In August 2023, CarMax offered me 17,600 dollars for a Nissan Sentra. The offer arrived by email on 26 August and expired on 2 September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is a high number for a Sentra, and it was high because of when it happened. Please do not use it as a benchmark for your own car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 2023 Used Car Market Is Not the 2026 Market<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Used car values were still elevated in 2023, even though they had already started falling. They have cooled further since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cox Automotive tracks wholesale used car values with the Manheim index. It read 212.2 in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coxautoinc.com\/insights\/august-2023-muvvi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">August 2023<\/a>, the month of my offer. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coxautoinc.com\/insights\/manheim-used-vehicle-value-index-mid-september-2026-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">mid-September 2026<\/a> it read 206.2, down 0.4 percent on a year earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That index is adjusted for mileage and vehicle mix. Your own car has also aged three years since my sale, so expect less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only number that matters is the offer on your car, this month. Get your own quote and plan around that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A CarMax Offer Is a Deadline, Not a Valuation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most people do not realize the offer expires. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carmax.com\/faq\/selling-a-car\/what-do-i-do-after-i-get-an-online-offer-from-carmax\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CarMax states<\/a> you have 7 days from the day it makes the offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also verify the car&#8217;s condition at the store before paying. So the online figure is a starting point that you must act on quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seven days forces a real decision. Once you accept, you have no car for the rest of your time at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Work out the last day you truly need to drive.<\/li><li>Request the offer about a week before that day, not a month before.<\/li><li>Line up rides, rentals or transit for the gap before your flight.<\/li><li>If the offer expires, you can request a new one, but the figure may change.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CarMax Versus a Private Sale<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A private sale can bring in more money. It also brings listing photos, strangers at your door, test drives and payment risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are selling a house and a household at the same time, certainty has value. CarMax gave me one fixed number and one fixed deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My advice is simple. Get the CarMax offer first, then decide whether a private sale is worth the extra weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/car-key-fob-held-out.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding out a black car key fob against a bright blurred background\" class=\"wp-image-12579\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/car-key-fob-held-out.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/car-key-fob-held-out-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/car-key-fob-held-out-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/car-key-fob-held-out-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-facebook-marketplace-and-garage-sales-cleared-the-rest\">How Facebook Marketplace and Garage Sales Cleared the Rest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After the house and the car, everything else was household belongings. I sold them on Facebook Marketplace and at garage sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These sales will not fund a move on their own. Their job is to turn a full house into a few suitcases, and to cover small costs along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use Marketplace for Anything Worth Listing Alone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Facebook Marketplace suits items worth a photo and a message thread. Think furniture, appliances, electronics and anything with a brand name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>List large items early, since they take the longest to sell.<\/li><li>Price slightly above your floor, because buyers expect to negotiate.<\/li><li>Take cash or an instant payment at pickup, never a promise.<\/li><li>Keep items you still use listed with a later pickup date.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Protect Yourself on Pickup Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling to strangers means strangers at your door. A few habits keep that safe and quick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Put large items in the garage or on the porch before the buyer arrives.<\/li><li>Have someone else home for pickups when you can.<\/li><li>Confirm the payment has landed before the item leaves.<\/li><li>Mark items sold on the listing right away to stop repeat messages.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use Garage Sales for Volume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A garage sale is for everything that is not worth its own listing. Kitchen items, books, decor, tools and clothing all move faster in a pile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Price for clearing, not for profit. Whatever is still unsold when the sale closes goes straight to donation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-did-not-sell-cost-me-every-month\">What Did Not Sell Cost Me Every Month<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not everything sold, and not everything was meant to. Some of it went into a storage unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As best I remember, the unit ran around 56 dollars a month, plus about 11 for insurance. That is under 80 dollars a month all in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At roughly 67 dollars a month, a storage unit costs about 800 dollars a year. It keeps charging you every month it stays open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Storage Is a Recurring Cost, Not a One-Off<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Storing something you will not ship is a slow way to pay more than the thing is worth. That is the plain arithmetic of a monthly fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you store an item, ask what it would cost to replace. If a year of storage costs more, sell it or give it away. Our list of <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/what-to-pack-when-moving-abroad\/\">what to pack when moving abroad<\/a> helps with the keep pile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Keep:<\/strong> documents, irreplaceable family items and anything you will ship later.<\/li><li><strong>Sell:<\/strong> anything with resale value that you could replace abroad.<\/li><li><strong>Donate:<\/strong> anything left after the last garage sale.<\/li><li><strong>Give away:<\/strong> items friends or family will actually use.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shipping Is Rarely Cheaper Than Replacing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>International shipping is priced by volume, route and service level. Furniture takes a lot of volume for its resale value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get a real quote before you assume shipping beats buying again abroad. For most household items, it will not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The things worth shipping tend to be small and personal. Photos, documents and a few items with real meaning qualify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sequence-every-sale-against-your-visa-timeline\">Sequence Every Sale Against Your Visa Timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My house settled on 31 March 2022. The CarMax offer came in August 2023, about seventeen months later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The order matters more than the dates. The biggest, slowest sale goes first, and the thing you use every day goes last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Order That Works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>House first. It takes months and it funds everything else. Nothing is certain until settlement.<\/li><li>Visa paperwork next. Many visas ask for proof of funds, which you only have after settlement.<\/li><li>Large belongings in the middle. Furniture and appliances need weeks on Marketplace.<\/li><li>Garage sales near the end. They clear volume in a weekend.<\/li><li>Car last. Time the 7 day offer window to your last driving day.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Proof of funds is where sequencing gets serious. A consulate wants to see the money in your account, not a signed purchase contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So build your visa timeline backwards from settlement day. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/proof-of-funds-net-vs-gross-digital-nomad-visa\/\">proof of funds for a digital nomad visa<\/a> covers what those applications ask for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leave a Gap for Things That Go Wrong<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Closings slip, and buyers ask for repairs. A timeline with no slack turns one delay into a missed flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plan to have somewhere to stay between settlement and departure. That might be a short rental, a friend&#8217;s spare room or family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the Final Two Weeks Look Like<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The last two weeks are when the small sales and the deadlines collide. A short checklist keeps them from piling up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Hold the last garage sale and book a donation pickup for the leftovers.<\/li><li>Request the CarMax offer so its 7 day window ends on your last driving day.<\/li><li>Move storage items in and confirm the monthly charge and cancellation terms.<\/li><li>Cancel utilities, subscriptions and anything else that bills monthly.<\/li><li>Scan the settlement statement, car paperwork and receipts to the cloud.<\/li><li>Check that your proof of funds still matches what the visa application showed.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>None of these tasks is hard on its own. Together, in the same fortnight, they are easy to miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/packed-moving-boxes-bright-room.jpg\" alt=\"Taped cardboard moving boxes, a suitcase and a covered armchair in a bright room with large windows\" class=\"wp-image-12580\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/packed-moving-boxes-bright-room.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/packed-moving-boxes-bright-room-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/packed-moving-boxes-bright-room-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/packed-moving-boxes-bright-room-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"turn-the-net-into-months-of-runway\">Turn the Net Into Months of Runway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A lump sum feels large. Months of living costs is the number that tells you whether the plan works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Divide your net proceeds by your expected monthly spending abroad. Use the net, never the gross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Monthly spend abroad<\/th><th>Months from about 112,500 dollars<\/th><th>Months if you wrongly used 415,000<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>2,000 dollars<\/td><td>About 56<\/td><td>About 207<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3,000 dollars<\/td><td>About 37<\/td><td>About 138<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5,000 dollars<\/td><td>About 22<\/td><td>About 83<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These rows are arithmetic, not a record of my own spending. The right column shows how badly the gross number misleads you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not need a special tool for this. A simple spreadsheet is enough, as long as it holds three things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Monthly expenses abroad: rent, food, transport, insurance and phone.<\/li><li>The one-off costs of leaving: flights, visa fees, shipping and deposits.<\/li><li>A buffer you never plan to spend.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Subtract the one-off costs and the buffer from your net. Divide what is left by your monthly expenses, and that is your runway in months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/how-to-budget-for-moving-abroad\/\">how to budget for moving abroad<\/a> walks through each expense line. For typical totals, see <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/how-much-money-do-you-need-to-move-abroad\/\">how much money you need to move abroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hold Back a Reserve You Do Not Count<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Runway is what you plan to spend. A reserve is money you plan never to touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Set aside enough for a last-minute flight home, a medical bill or a visa renewal. Then calculate your runway on what is left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Health insurance protects that reserve too. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/international-health-insurance-for-americans\/\">international health insurance for Americans<\/a> compares the options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moving the Proceeds Abroad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the money exists, you need to move some of it to where you live. Bank wires and card conversions can quietly cost several percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I use <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/go\/wise\/\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\">Wise<\/a> to move money between currencies. It shows the fee and exchange rate before you send.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep the bulk of your runway in a US account you can reach from anywhere. Move only a few months at a time. Our guide to the <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/best-banks-for-living-abroad\/\">best banks for living abroad<\/a> covers accounts that work well overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"keep-the-paperwork-from-every-sale\">Keep the Paperwork From Every Sale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every sale leaves a document behind. Keep a copy of each one in the cloud before you leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The settlement statement from the house closing.<\/li><li>The bill of sale or title transfer for the car.<\/li><li>Any payoff letters from lenders.<\/li><li>Storage contracts, with the cancellation terms.<\/li><li>Receipts for any repairs made to sell the house.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You may need these at tax time, and some visa applications ask where your funds came from. A settlement statement answers that question in one page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-these-numbers-taught-me-to-do-differently\">What These Numbers Taught Me to Do Differently<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking back at the paperwork, three lessons stand out. None of them needs a bigger budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Plan on the Net From Day One<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The sale price is the number everyone repeats. The net is the only number you can spend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask for the net sheet before you tell anyone your plan. It keeps your expectations honest from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treat Every Monthly Fee as a Runway Leak<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Storage, subscriptions and a phone plan you forgot to cancel all draw from the same pot. Each one shortens your time abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make a list of every recurring charge before you leave. Cancel what you can and set a date to review the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Respect the Deadlines Built Into Every Sale<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The CarMax window was seven days. Settlement was a fixed date. Visa proof of funds has its own timing rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Write every deadline on one calendar before you list anything for sale. Then work backwards from the earliest one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-this-guide-does-not-cover\">What This Guide Does Not Cover<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I am not a tax professional, a realtor or a financial adviser. This guide is my own experience and the arithmetic behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling a home can create a taxable gain. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/publications\/p523\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IRS Publication 523<\/a> explains when up to 250,000 dollars of gain can be excluded. The limit is 500,000 for married couples filing jointly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaving your state is its own problem. Some states keep treating you as a resident after you move abroad. Check with your state tax agency and a qualified adviser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a wider view of the whole process, start with our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/how-to-move-abroad-as-an-american\/\">how to move abroad as an American<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Should I sell everything and move abroad, or keep my house?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"It depends on whether you need the equity to fund the move, and I did. Renting the house out keeps the asset but adds landlord duties from another time zone. Get a net sheet first, so you know exactly what selling would put in your account before you decide.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How much of my home sale price will I actually keep?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"My house sold for 415,000 dollars and I kept about 112,500, which is 27 percent. Commission, transfer taxes and closing costs took about 8.5 percent, and what I owed took the rest. Your agent or title company can estimate your own figure with a net sheet.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How long is a CarMax offer good for?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"CarMax says you have 7 days from the day it makes an online offer, and it checks the car at the store before paying. My offer arrived on 26 August 2023 and expired on 2 September. Request yours about a week before your last driving day.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Will CarMax offer me 17,600 dollars for a Nissan Sentra?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Probably not, because my offer came in August 2023, when used car values were still elevated. The Manheim index has cooled since, and your car is older than mine was then. Get your own online offer and build your plan around that number, not mine.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is a storage unit worth it when you move abroad?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Only for things you cannot replace or plan to ship later. My unit ran under 80 dollars a month, which is roughly 800 dollars a year. If a year of storage costs more than replacing an item, sell it or give it away.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"In what order should I sell things before moving abroad?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Sell the house first, because it is slowest and funds everything else, then start visa paperwork once the proceeds settle. Sell large furniture on Marketplace next and hold garage sales near the end. Sell the car last, timed to your final driving day.\"}}]}<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should I sell everything and move abroad, or keep my house?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It depends on whether you need the equity to fund the move, and I did. Renting the house out keeps the asset but adds landlord duties from another time zone. Get a net sheet first, so you know exactly what selling would put in your account before you decide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much of my home sale price will I actually keep?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>My house sold for 415,000 dollars and I kept about 112,500, which is 27 percent. Commission, transfer taxes and closing costs took about 8.5 percent, and what I owed took the rest. Your agent or title company can estimate your own figure with a net sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long is a CarMax offer good for?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>CarMax says you have 7 days from the day it makes an online offer, and it checks the car at the store before paying. My offer arrived on 26 August 2023 and expired on 2 September. Request yours about a week before your last driving day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will CarMax offer me 17,600 dollars for a Nissan Sentra?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Probably not, because my offer came in August 2023, when used car values were still elevated. The Manheim index has cooled since, and your car is older than mine was then. Get your own online offer and build your plan around that number, not mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is a storage unit worth it when you move abroad?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Only for things you cannot replace or plan to ship later. My unit ran under 80 dollars a month, which is roughly 800 dollars a year. If a year of storage costs more than replacing an item, sell it or give it away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In what order should I sell things before moving abroad?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sell the house first, because it is slowest and funds everything else, then start visa paperwork once the proceeds settle. Sell large furniture on Marketplace next and hold garage sales near the end. Sell the car last, timed to your final driving day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"matk-pin-cta\" style=\"background:#f9f1f1;border:1px solid #e8d4d4;border-radius:8px;padding:20px 24px;margin:32px 0;text-align:center\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmoveabroadtoolkit.com&#038;media=https%3A%2F%2Fmoveabroadtoolkit.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F05%2Fpinterest-save-cta-v2.jpg&#038;description=Save%20this%20MATK%20guide%20for%20later\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Save this guide to Pinterest\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/pinterest-save-cta-v2.jpg\" alt=\"Save this MATK guide to Pinterest for later\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"max-width:300px;border-radius:4px;display:block;margin:0 auto 12px;cursor:pointer\" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" title=\"\">\n<\/a>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-size:15px;color:#333\">\ud83d\udccc <strong style=\"color:#c0392b\">Save this guide for later!<\/strong> Pin it to your travel or move abroad board so you can find it when you need it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#888;margin:8px 0 0\">Click the image above to save directly to Pinterest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Not sure which country to plan around yet?<\/strong> Before you work through the details, <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/compare\">take the free country match quiz<\/a> to find the countries that fit your budget, visa needs and lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ready-to-build-your-own-numbers\">Ready to Build Your Own Numbers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You do not need a fortune to sell everything and move abroad. You need an honest net figure, a sequence and a calendar of deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your runway also depends on whether income keeps coming in. The free <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/remote-income-starter-kit\">Remote Income Starter Kit<\/a> covers that side of the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are new here, <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/start-here\">start here<\/a> or browse <a href=\"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/resources\">our full resources list<\/a>. The free 90-day relocation planner below turns these steps into a schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start with the net sheet. Everything else follows from that one number.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The real numbers from selling a house, a car and a household to fund a move abroad, including what the house actually netted and why a CarMax offer is a deadline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[20,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moving-abroad","category-financial-logistics-for-living-abroad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12584"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12757,"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12584\/revisions\/12757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moveabroadtoolkit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}