How much does it cost to sell a house in Australia?

What will it cost you to sell your house?

Various costs come with selling your house, from larger expenses like real estate and conveyancing to smaller ones like fixing that leaky tap in the backyard. Unavoidable costs include:

• Fees to market your home
• Real estate agent fees
• Conveyancing costs
• Taxes and duties 

The extent of other costs, like those below, will depend on your decisions and situation, and can include: 

• Pre-market repairs and renovations
• Lender fees
• Styling and staging costs

According to recent OpenAgent statistics, here’s what you can expect to pay in each state or territory, based on both rural and urban postcodes. 

Source: OpenAgent, August 2026. 

Real estate agent fees: 2% to 3%

You can expect the average real estate agent in Australia to charge between 2% and 3% of the sale price for their services when selling your property.

However, commission percentages can vary depending on: 

• The suburb your home is in 
• The commission structure, such as if it is a flat fee or a percentage-of-sale structure
• Any bonuses you’re offering the agent if they secure a sale price that exceeds your intended target
• The value of your property 
• The agent 

According to the table above, Queensland tends to have the highest average real estate commission fees in Australia, at 2.57%, while ACT has the lowest, at 1.81%. 

If you’re intending to sell your home at auction, your commission may also cover the cost of hiring an auctioneer. However, it’s best to check if this is the case with your real estate agent.

It’s also worth asking if they charge any fees in addition to their commission.

Marketing a home for sale: $400 to $10,000

Once your property is ready to sell, you’ll want to get the word out to as many potential buyers as possible. While marketing your home is normally classified as an unavoidable cost (after all, you probably can’t sell it if no one knows it’s for sale), you’re in control of how much you’re willing to spend. Marketing costs can be as little as $400 and as high as $10,000, depending on the state you’re in and the scope of your property’s marketing campaign.

A professional marketing campaign can include some or all of the following:

• A ‘for sale’ sign
• Online/print real estate listings
• Social media marketing
• Physical marketing material
• Floor plan diagrams
• Photography and videography

Before committing to an expensive marketing campaign, though, it’s worth asking whether you’ll reap the rewards when it’s time to sell. 

Conveyancing fees: $500 to $2,500

Conveyancing is the legal process wherein the title of a house transfers from the seller to the new owner. It is a complex process and the potential issues can be impactful. Therefore, it’s advisable to have a professional help you with the process. 

Throughout most of Australia, conveyancing can be done by a conveyancer or solicitor, but in the ACT and Queensland, it can only be done by a solicitor.

Conveyancing costs can vary based on: 

• Local regulations
• Location of the property
• Type of service provided, with solicitors typically charging more than conveyancers
• Complexity of the contract

As shown in the table above, conveyancing in major cities can cost between $2,000 and $2,500, and between $500 and $700 in rural areas.

Capital gains tax: Speak to your accountant

When you sell certain assets, including real estate, the difference between how much you paid for it and how much you sold it for is known as a capital gain or loss. 

According to the Australian Tax Office (ATO), if you sell an investment property and make a profit, that profit (capital gain) must be declared on your tax return. The tax you may then pay on a capital gain is known as capital gains tax (CGT).

There are some exemptions to CGT, notably if you’re selling your principal place of residence. It’s advisable to speak with a qualified tax professional to determine the tax implications of selling your house and whether you will be required to pay CGT.

Pre-market repairs and renovations: From $0 to tens of thousands

Getting your property ready for sale could mean tackling minor repairs, like putting on a fresh coat of paint or replacing railing on a fence. Such small touch ups could cost a few hundred dollars, but a renovation could run into the thousands.

According to a study from trades listing site Hipages, the average Aussie spends roughly the following amounts: 

• $25,000 to $50,000 for kitchen renovations
• $15,000 to $30,000 for bathroom renovations

Mortgage discharge and lender fees: $150 to $1,000

If you’re ending your mortgage with your home loan lender before its term is up, you may encounter certain fees. 

Depending on your lender, you may be required to pay what’s known as a discharge or termination fee to cover the administrative cost of terminating your mortgage.

If you have a fixed rate home loan, your lender may also charge a ‘break fee’.

If you’re buying another property with a mortgage at the same time, you might also face establishment and settlement fees on your new home loan. 

Styling and staging costs: $1,700 to $8,000

Property styling is the art of beautifying your home, presenting it in the best possible light to prospective buyers during open homes or private inspections.

Property stylists may replace your personal items, rearrange or replace your furniture, furnish your space with complementary accessories (rugs, vases, and artwork) and declutter to spruce up its appearance to buyers.

The cost of property styling will be influenced by the following factors: 

• Size of the property: Larger homes have more surface area to style, which will add to the overall cost.
• Type of staging: Options range from targeted partial staging, which focuses on high-impact areas like the living room and kitchen, to full staging, which encompasses the entire property. 
• Furniture rental: Renting high-quality furniture will cost more, depending on the volume of furnishings. 
• Your choice of stylist: Your stylist’s experience and location could increase the cost of styling your home.

Hipages provides the following property styling estimates in each major city: 

• Sydney: $2,000 to $8,000+ 
• Melbourne: $2,000 to $8,000+ 
• Brisbane: $1,700 to $4,000+
• Adelaide: $1,800 to $4,000 
• Perth: $2,000 to $5,000+ 
• Hobart: $1,700 to $4,000+ 

While this may seem like a lot of money, property staging may increase the likelihood of a timely sale or a higher purchase offer from an interested buyer.