Sell My House QLD

1. The Property Being Sold

Here are a few tips which might be of benefit to you when preparing your actual house for sale. Whether your house is located in Brisbane or right out in a regional area, the same principles generally apply.

Declutter: Try to remove objects that look untidy and any other messy items. The less clutter there is, the bigger an area will look. Removing clutter also helps to create a less chaotic and more calm and peaceful atmosphere.

Cleaning: It usually does not cost much to have your house cleaned. You can have a professional do this for you, or you may choose to do this yourself. Whatever the case, it really is imperative that the property for sale is clean.

Remove Personal Effects: Try to remove personal objects like family photos when people are viewing your house. When buyers are looking around, they want to imagine how things would look with their own furniture and personal goods. Try to view things from the buyer’s point of view. By removing your own personal effects and creating more of a blank canvas, you will make it easier for them to imagine it as their own. It’s also a good idea to remove partly used shampoo bottles, soaps, and toothbrushes from the bathroom.

Remove Unwanted Odours: Even if your home is beautifully presented, unwanted odours can really detract from this. It’s important you track the source of any odours and remove this if at all possible. It really is important that you do this. Pleasant smells on the other hand (such as freshly baked bread), can help give a great impression and can make people feel good. Try to avoid flowers though as some people may be allergic to these.

Consider Improvements: You should always think about the cost of each improvement you may want to make. This will of course vary from house to house, each house is unique. Some renovations can vastly improve a property. But in other cases, you may over-capitalise in doing so. You can save money and time by planning it out in advance. Some improvements such as painting or having carpets replaced are generally recommended as the cost is relatively low and the improvement to a property significant. There are no absolute rules when it comes to improvements to your property. You will need to decide whether an improvement is worth the cost to you and if it’s going to help with the sale.

Have The Property Vacant: In the vast majority of cases, you will want to market the property for vacant possession. There are instances where investors may be willing to buy a property and have the current tenant stay on, but in most cases, people will want to buy a property without anyone living in it. That often includes investors who will want to rent out the property after settlement. Many still prefer to make a new start with a new lease.

Consider Staging Your Property: Staging your property simply means hiring furniture, plants, pictures and other things to furnish the house with quality goods to make it look as attractive as possible. Whether this is a good option or not depends on the property. In most cases, it’s not recommended as this can be quite expensive. In any event, it is an option you should at least be aware of.

2. The Advertising Campaign

For Sale By Owner has a number of private sale packages which give you access to ‘agent tools’. By this, we mean resources that were previously only available to real estate agents. You now also have access to these resources, which includes valuation reports and being able to list on realestate.com.au. It is no longer the case that agents have all the resources.

An overview of our packages:

Essentials Package: This includes being able to list your house on a wide variety of real estate websites in Australia. In addition to these websites, you’ll be able to: 1. access an experienced team of experts that will be able to advise you on all manner of things. 2. access extended to support 7 days a week and well outside of office hours. 3. access our software to manage your listing, and 4. get a For Sale board. Please see our full package page for full inclusions.

Essentials Plus+: Most people use their own photos for their ads. We often recommend using professional photos though. Our Essentials Plus+ account includes either professional photography or a big photo board. You are able to buy an upgrade if you would like both included. In most cases, someone will come out to install the board.

Custom Package: If you would like additional things added to your account, we can help with this. This may include drone photography, open-for-inspection flags, pointer boards, upgrades, or anything else relating to your marketing campaign. We can provide a full list of add-ons. We understand that each property is unique. As a result, the sale campaign therefore may also require certain things. So we are happy to try and accommodate this. So talk to us about your requirements and we should be able to put together a custom package for you.

Some things to consider:

Creating and Editing Your Listing: You will have full control over your property advertisement and will be able to edit and update it any time you like. Once you have created the ad, you can edit it any time you like. There is no cost for editing your listing. You’ll need to write a title and description for your property, decide on how to present the price (a fixed price, a range, no price listed etc.), what photos to use and what order to put them in. If you would like this done by a professional, we can certainly assist by providing professional copywriting services.

Responding to Enquiries: Try to be proactive. When a potential buyer makes an enquiry, they will receive your contact details in real time, and you will receive their details. We would always recommend being proactive and contacting the buyer. If you have not heard them within 24 hours give them a call. It’s always good to start a dialogue as soon as possible. Let them know that you are selling without an agent.

Open For Inspections: Will you conduct inspections by appointment or run scheduled viewings on specific days and times? It’s good to decide early on and to have a clear strategy when it comes to things like opens. You can always contact us for any advice you may need about conducting your own inspection days.

Negotiating With Buyers: Many agents often say that a house will sell itself and in many cases that really is true. Therefore, if you have a clear idea in mind in terms of the price, the whole process will often be straightforward. Then all you need is one buyer who is willing to pay your asking price. If you do get to a point where you feel you need help with negotiating with a buyer, don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance.

Private Sale Vs Auction: Will you sell your house privately or engage an auctioneer and take your property to auction? Auctions are the most popular in cities like Sydney and Melbourne. So which option is the best for you will depend on the type of property you’re selling, and where it’s located. The majority of vendors sell by private treaty. This is where both parties agree on a price. In addition to that, any conditions relating to the sale, such as how long settlement will take.

3. Legalities, Paperwork and Contracts

Selling a property privately yourself without using an agent is not difficult. The legal side, however, can be. When selling through a traditional real estate agent, you would normally organise your own conveyancer, solicitor, or settlement agent. When selling yourself and without an agent, we recommend you do the same. This is really not an area where you can afford to make mistakes. The legal side of a property sale can be complex. We would always recommend you engage a professional to do this for you in just the same way as you would do if selling through an agent.

Legal requirements vary from state to state, and it’s important you are aware of these.

Contract of Sale: In Queensland, the contract of sale for real estate sets out the agreed price, details of when the buyer will pay the deposit, and the time and date of settlement. Only when you and the buyer have both signed the contract does it become legally binding. The buyer will typically then need to pay the deposit within 2-3 days. The contract may of course include conditions such as the sale being subject to finance by a specific date, building inspections, or any other range of conditions.

Warning statement: Contracts in Queensland must also include a warning statement. Your solicitor or conveyancer can assist with this to ensure that the contract complies with all state law requirements.

Cooling-Off Period: A cooling-off period of 5 days applies to contracts for residential property, excluding properties bought at auction. The buyer can also waive this cooling-off period if they so choose.

Settlement: This is the date when the buyer will take legal possession of the property. Whatever timeframe you and the buyer agree to is acceptable. On settlement, your legal representative will meet with others and exchange cheques and sign off on mortgages etc. You will then receive the remainder of the sale (minus legal fees etc.). The buyer will generally receive the keys on the date of settlement. This will then conclude the entire sales process for both parties.

What Are The Pricing Rules in QLD?

When selling your house privately, you need to provide accurate pricing. If, for example, you display the price as “Offer Over $600,00” then this should convey the minimum amount you are willing to accept.

If you price your property at a figure less than you are actually willing to accept, then this would be a false or misleading representation. There are potential penalties for this in QLD, as it gives buyers a false impression as to what you will accept for your property.

Can I Adjust The Price At Any Time?

Yes. If market conditions change, you are within your rights to amend the asking price. In QLD, there are several legal requirements in terms of real estate agents. But if you are selling yourself, some of these guidelines are not applicable to you. If you are going to change the asking price of your property, you should take all reasonable steps to make sure this is updated on any marketing. This applies to your online listing as it appears on websites etc.). This applies regardless of whether you are wanting to revise the price upwards or downwards. So, please reach out to us if you would like any help with setting your price.

You may wish to provide evidence to prospective buyers in terms of price changes in response to changed market conditions. We are more than happy to provide you with sale appraisal reports. These will show not only comparable and recent sales in the area. They will also an estimated price value for your property.

Who Governs Real Estate in QLD?

State and federal bodies govern the QLD laws relating to real estate. Many of these will not be applicable to you as they govern the conduct and operation of real estate agents. But it’s good to be aware of these. The QLD Office of Fair Trading is the best source of information if you need specific information about selling your property in QLD. Else, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help you with any advice where we are able to.

What Commission Do QLD Agents Charge?

Real Estate commissions in QLD vary broadly from about 1% – 4.5% of the sale price of a property in metropolitan areas. On a $650,000 home, that would equate to $6,500 – $26,000 in real estate commissions. On top of that, you could also expect to pay several thousand dollars for advertising costs. If you are selling your property privately in QLD, these fees would not be applicable to you.

In regional areas, real estate commissions are generally at the higher range and lie within the 2.5% and 4% range. On a $650,000 home, that would equate to $16,250 – $26,000 in real estate commissions.

What Proportion of People Sell Without Agents in QLD?

There are no specific statistics at the moment that accurately show what proportion of people in QLD choose to sell themselves. Whatever the exact number may be though, it is certainly increasing each year as more and more Australians choose to use For Sale By Owner to sell their homes.

There are also currently no real data that compare the success rate of private sellers versus agents. Anecdotal evidence suggests that our clients would be just as successful at selling themselves compared with an agent. And in some cases even more successful. It really is not hard to sell your property yourself.

On the whole, buyers do also seem to prefer dealing with the vendor directly, rather than going through a third party. They know that you know more about the property than an agent would.