PCSing out
Selling your house from your next post
Orders don't wait for a buyer. Get a real number for your house in the Fort Leonard Wood area, list it at a price that sells, and report on time — the showings, repairs and closing carry on here after you have gone.
First things first
Just got orders?
Once orders land, the clock is running. The families who come out of a PCS sale in good shape are the ones who know their number early and plan the sale around the report date, not the other way round.
Start with a home value report. A local agent checks the recent sales near your house before it is sent, then walks you through a realistic price and the timing — including what happens if the house is still on the market when you sign in at your next post.
You don't have to choose between selling and reporting on time. The sale can keep going without you here.
Your first-week checklist
Already at your next post?
The sale keeps going after you leave
A PCS sale can close with the seller hundreds of miles away. Here is what is handled here while you settle in there.
Showings
Buyers see the house through their agents while you are gone. You hear the feedback after each showing.
Repair coordination
When the inspection turns something up, we line up the local trades, get the quotes in front of you and check the work. You approve every dollar.
Straight updates
By phone, text or email — whatever works across time zones and a new unit. You know where the sale stands without having to ask.
Closing from afar
The title company sends the documents to you for signing where you are. Proceeds are paid to you, not handed over a table in Waynesville.
Your PCS selling timeline
Every PCS is different. Tell us your report date and we work backwards from it — this is the usual order.
- Orders in handGet the real numberRequest a home value report. A local agent reviews the recent sales near your house before it is sent, then talks through price and timing with your report date in mind.Request a home value report
- Before pack-outReady the house and take the photosSmall fixes, a deep clean, and listing photos while the house still looks lived-in. It is far easier to do this before the movers arrive than to stage an empty house later.
- On the marketList at a price that sellsThe house goes on the MLS at the price the comparable sales support. Whether you are still here or already gone, showings go ahead and you get the feedback.
- Under contractInspection, appraisal and repairsEvery deadline is tracked for you. Repair requests come to you with options and local quotes, and the work is checked before closing.
- ClosingSign where you areClosing is set around your schedule at your next post, not the other way round. You sign remotely and the proceeds come to you.
Getting the price right
A PCS sale is a normal sale on a tighter schedule. These are the things that matter most.
Price it right the first time
Overpricing on a PCS clock is the costly mistake. A house priced from the recent sales gets its best attention early; one priced high sits, and the reductions come anyway — after you have gone.
Start when the orders come
The earlier you know your number, the more choices you have. Listing while you are still here is easiest, but it is not required.
Expect VA buyers
Many buyers near Fort Leonard Wood use VA loans. VA appraisals check the condition of the house as well as the value, so peeling paint, missing handrails and the like are worth fixing before the appraiser sees them.
Keep the utilities on
A vacant house still needs power, water and heat or air on for showings, the inspection and the appraisal. Plan to keep them in your name until closing.
What houses like yours are selling for
Each month: what sold in the Fort Leonard Wood area, how long it took, and what it means for your sale if orders are coming. Free, by email.
PCS entitlements and allowances
The move comes with money you are owed. Rates and rules change, so confirm the details with your finance office or transportation office.
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
BAH is set by duty station, pay grade and dependency status. When you PCS, it changes to the rate for your new duty station.
BAH calculatorDislocation Allowance (DLA)
A payment toward the cost of relocating your household, based on pay grade and dependency status. It is separate from your household goods weight allowance.
DLA rates (DFAS)Household goods (HHG)
The government moves your household goods up to a weight limit set by pay grade. Anything over it is on you. Book the move through move.mil.
Book your move (move.mil)Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE)
TLE helps cover hotel costs while you are between homes, for a limited number of days. Keep every receipt and confirm your eligibility with your finance office.
Personally Procured Move (PPM)
Move some or all of your things yourself and be reimbursed toward what the government would have paid a mover. Counseling through move.mil explains how it is calculated.
PPM information (move.mil)Advance pay
You may be able to draw advance basic pay to cover PCS costs, repaid through payroll deduction. Your finance office can tell you what you qualify for.
Legal protections
SCRA and your mortgage
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act gives active-duty homeowners some protections worth knowing about before you sell.
Ask a legal assistance attorney
SCRA protections have specific requirements, and whether they apply depends on your loan and your service dates. The legal assistance office can advise you at no cost — it is worth the appointment before you rely on any of them.
Your next post
Need an agent where you're headed?
Tell us your next duty station and we will put you in touch with an agent there who works with military families and VA loans — so the buying side is moving while the selling side is handled here.
If you are buying again with a VA loan, start the pre-approval and your Certificate of Eligibility early. Budget for the gap between homes too: TLE helps, but hotels, storage and meals add up.
The introduction is free to you. We may receive a referral fee from the agent you are connected with if your purchase closes. It does not change what you pay.
PCS resources
Moving and entitlements
Legal protections
We've moved on orders, too
Our agents hold the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification and grew up in military families. Ask anything about selling before you go — or after.