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

What costs can you face when it comes time to sell your house?

There are various costs that come with selling your house, from larger considerations through to real estate and conveyancing through to smaller ones like fixing that leaky tap in the back yard. Common costs include:

1. Pre-market repairs and renovations
2. Marketing your home
3. Real estate agent fees
4. Styling and staging costs
5. Conveyancing costs
6. Lender fees
7. Taxes

Some of these costs, like conveyancing, are likely to be unavoidable, while others are dependent on your decisions, such as home repairs and marketing campaigns.

Pre-market repairs and renovations: $100 – $25,000+

Getting your property ship shape for sale could mean tackling minor repairs and touch-ups, like a fresh coat of paint or a replacement pailing on a fence. These could cost a few hundred dollars to accomplish, but a renovation could run into the thousands.

According to a study from digital lender MONEYME, the average Aussie tends to borrow around $22,640 for home renovation jobs. This amount could therefore serve as a benchmark for what you might expect to pay if you want to undertake major work like a kitchen renovation.

Marketing a home for sale: $3,750 – $12,500

Once your property is ready to sell, you’ll want to get the word out to as many potential buyers as possible. A professional marketing campaign can include anything from professional photography and drone footage of the property, through to advertising campaigns online and in print, and flyers and signage.

According to Open Agent, a comprehensive marketing campaign for property in the $750,000 price range may cost $3,750 to $7,500 to market. A property in the $1,500,000 range may cost $7,500 to $12,500. Before committing to an expensive marketing campaign, though, it’s worth asking whether you’ll reap the rewards when it’s time to sell.

Real estate agent fees: 2% to 3%

It can be difficult to gauge the exact cost of the average real estate commission, as it can vary from suburb to suburb and agent to agent. You might also expect that, the more high end or exclusive your property is, the higher commission rate you might pay. In general terms, you might expect the average real estate agent in Australia to charge between 2% to 3% of the sale price.

Based on recent figures from Open Agent, Tasmania tends to have the highest average real estate commission fees in Australia, at 2.96%, while South Australia has the lowest, at 1.99%. It’s also worth asking your real estate agent if they charge any fees in addition to their commission.

Conveyancing fees: $800 – $2,200

Conveyancing is the legal process by which the title of a house transfers from the seller to the new owner. It is a complex process with a number of potential issues that can arise, and it’s therefore advisable to have a professional help you through the princess. 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.

According to The Mortgage Agency, conveyancing costs vary based on local regulations and the location of the property, but as a guide, they say that conveyancing in major cities can cost between $1,000 and $2,200, and in rural areas, can cost between $800 to $1,800.

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

If you are ending your contract with your home loan lender, you may well encounter certain fees and charges.Depending on your home loan lender, you may well be required to pay what’s known as a discharge, termination or settlement fee to cover the costs of administration.

Some lenders may charge ‘break fees’. These are more common on longer fixed-term loans where the borrower has committed to making a certain amount in repayments over time. For example, if interest rates have fallen since a home loan commenced, a lender may try to retain the fees it would have earned, had the fixed term run to its completion.

While the potential range of fees is broad, Westpac estimates that you could pay anywhere from $150 to $1,000.

Capital gains tax: Speak to your accountant

When you sell certain types of property, including real estate, the difference between how much you paid for it and how much you sold it for is known as capital gains, and this can have tax implications for you. According to the Australian Tax Office (ATO), if you sell an investment property and make a profit, that profit must be declared by you on your tax return. The tax you pay on a capital gain is known as capital gains tax (GCT).

There are some exemptions to CGT, but in broad terms, 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.

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