New Hampshire Closing Costs: What Buyers and Sellers Pay in 2026

New Hampshire closing costs depend on your loan, property, service providers and purchase agreement. Start with the transfer tax, then add itemized lender, title, recording and settlement charges. Keep the down payment, prepaid expenses and money already deposited separate so you can see what remains due at closing.

By Michael Bean, founder of Bean Group. Editorial update: September 26, 2026.

This guide provides general planning information. Ask your lender and closing professional to confirm your transaction's tax treatment, fees, credits and final amount due.

How New Hampshire transfer tax works

The tax rate is $0.75 for each $100, or fractional part of $100, of taxable consideration, assessed to each party. The buyer's and seller's calculations are separate. The rate is not one shared $0.75 charge that gets divided in half. The Rockingham County Registry of Deeds publishes the rate and identifies both parties as payers.

RSA 78-B:4 requires rounding the tax to the nearest whole dollar. For this example, $535,000 divided by $100 equals 5,350; multiplying by $0.75 produces $4,012.50 for each party before rounding.

These examples assume a taxable sale without an exemption. RSA 78-B contains the minimum-tax provisions and specific exemptions. Do not assume a family transfer, cash purchase or first home is exempt; have the closing professional identify the provision that applies to the actual transaction.

Buyer closing costs: build an itemized budget

Ask for written estimates early enough to compare providers and financing options. The CFPB's Loan Estimate explanation describes the standard form used for most mortgage applications. It estimates the loan's terms and closing costs; receiving one is not loan approval.

• Lender charges: identify origination or application fees, any discount points, and lender credits. Compare offers using the same loan amount and assumptions.
• Appraisal and other required services: ask which services the lender requires, who selects the provider and whether any fee has already been paid.
• Title and settlement services: request an itemized quote. Separate the title search, settlement work and any lender's or owner's title-insurance policy. Do not assume the policies cost the same amount.
• Legal services: confirm the scope and fee for any attorney you engage, including contract review or advice beyond routine settlement work.
• Transfer tax and recording: include your tax obligation and the charges for the actual documents being recorded.
• Brokerage compensation: account for any amount you owe under your written buyer agreement after confirmed credits or contributions.

Inspections, moving expenses and immediate repairs also belong in your overall purchase budget. Track payments made before closing so they are not accidentally counted twice.

Recording fees and the LCHIP surcharge

Recording charges depend on the document type and page count. RSA 478:17-g sets the base charges and a separate $25 LCHIP assessment for specified documents, including deeds, mortgages and mortgage discharges, subject to exceptions.

For a Seacoast example, Rockingham County's posted schedule lists $12 for the first page of an ordinary document, including its $2 equipment surcharge, plus $4 for each additional page. A two-page deed is therefore $16 in recording charges plus $25 LCHIP, or $41 before postage or other applicable charges. A mortgage is another document with its own charges; $41 is not a complete transaction estimate. Confirm the current registry schedule and document package with the closing provider.

Prepaid expenses, escrows and prorations

Insurance premiums, prepaid interest and initial escrow deposits can materially affect the amount due. They are different from a provider's service fee. Property-tax adjustments also depend on the closing date and whether relevant bills have been paid.

Ask the closing professional to walk through each adjustment: the period it covers, which party receives the credit and whether it is already included elsewhere. Use the property's actual tax bill, insurance quote and lender calculation rather than a statewide average. Keep condominium dues, assessments and any fuel adjustment on the same checklist.

A worked buyer cash-to-close example

The following is an arithmetic illustration, not a fee quote or a statement of typical costs. Assume a $535,000 purchase with 20% down, a $428,000 loan, $4,000 in other itemized closing charges, $3,000 in prepaid expenses and escrow deposits, and a $10,000 deposit already paid. Assume no additional credits, adjustments or costs financed into the loan.

• Down payment: $107,000.
• Buyer transfer tax after rounding: $4,013.
• Other closing charges assumed for this example: $4,000.
• Prepaids and escrow deposits assumed for this example: $3,000.
• Total before the deposit credit: $118,013.
• Less deposit already paid: $10,000.
• Illustrative remaining cash to close: $108,013.

Replace every assumed amount with the figures from your own transaction. A deposit credit reduces the remaining amount due; it does not reduce the purchase price or make the deposit an additional closing fee. Cash buyers should request a settlement estimate even though they are not obtaining a mortgage.

Seller expenses and expected net proceeds

Build a seller net sheet from the agreed sale price and actual obligations. Include loan payoff amounts, transfer tax, negotiated brokerage compensation, settlement and legal charges, recording or discharge charges, property-tax adjustments, association charges, and any agreed repairs or buyer credits.

Request a payoff statement for the expected closing date rather than copying the principal balance from a mortgage statement. Ask how changes to the closing date affect the figures. A payoff is a deduction from proceeds, but it should not be presented as a fee for selling the home.

For a $535,000 taxable sale with an assumed $400,000 payoff, subtracting that payoff and the rounded $4,013 seller transfer tax leaves $130,987 before all other expenses, credits and adjustments. This subtotal is not the seller's final net proceeds. Complete the net sheet before using it to plan a subsequent purchase.

Brokerage compensation is negotiated

There is no legally fixed or required commission percentage. Compensation is negotiable and should follow the written agreements and any contributions accepted in the transaction. Do not budget from an assumed 5% or 6% “standard” or an automatic split between brokers.

Before signing, ask what services are included, when compensation is payable, how it is calculated and who has agreed to pay it. Buyers should understand any remaining obligation under their buyer agreement; sellers should review any proposed buyer-broker contribution separately from other buyer concessions. NAR's settlement FAQs explain negotiable compensation and written buyer agreements.

Confirm who handles your closing and legal questions

Ask who will handle settlement, prepare the documents, record them and disburse funds. Separately confirm who, if anyone, represents you as legal counsel. Do not assume the person coordinating the closing is providing independent legal advice to both parties.

This guide does not assert that every NH residential closing requires a separately retained attorney. For contract interpretation, title defects, trust or estate ownership, disputed obligations or an unusual transfer, ask a qualified New Hampshire attorney what representation and work your situation requires. Obtain a written scope and fee instead of relying on an advertised statewide average.

Review the final figures before closing

For most mortgage transactions, the borrower must receive a Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. Compare it with the latest Loan Estimate and resolve unexplained differences with the lender. The CFPB's Closing Disclosure explainer distinguishes total closing costs from the remaining cash due after deposits, credits and adjustments.

• Confirm the purchase price, loan amount and deposit credit.
• Check each party's transfer-tax figure and applicable rounding.
• Match compensation, seller contributions and repair credits to the signed agreements.
• Identify expenses already paid and avoid counting them again.
• Ask for the final payment instructions through a trusted contact you have independently verified.

Plan for the specific Seacoast property

The NH transfer-tax framework is statewide, but your remaining budget should follow the property and transaction. For a condominium, request the association's current charges and assessment information. For a coastal property, obtain property-specific insurance information early. For an older home, decide which inspections and specialist reviews belong in your purchase plan before making assumptions about available cash.

Compare Portsmouth, Rye, Hampton and Exeter, or use our Seacoast town comparison to narrow your search. Those guides help with location choices; the property's documents and provider quotes determine its transaction costs.

Build your closing checklist with Michael Bean

Buying or selling on the NH Seacoast? Connect with Michael Bean to discuss the property, timing and questions to bring to your lender and closing professional. For a town-specific starting point, search Portsmouth homes. Bring your lender estimate or seller net sheet to the discussion so the next steps reflect your actual transaction.

Correction published September 26, 2026: the previous version incorrectly divided each party's transfer-tax calculation in half. This revision corrects the tax and rounding, replaces unsupported fee averages and totals, and clarifies brokerage compensation and legal-service statements.