Plan your sale · 4 min read
Cost of selling a house in NSW: fees and budget checklist
Build an itemised selling budget, compare written quotes and understand what may still be payable if your home does not sell.
By Plan to Sell · Updated · General information
The short version
- Agent fees, commissions and campaign expenses are negotiable; compare the whole written quote.
- Confirm GST, payment triggers, cancellation costs and unsold costs before signing.
- A hypothetical proceeds calculation is a planning tool, not a valuation or spendable-cash estimate.
Start with quotes, not a standard percentage
There is no single selling budget that fits every NSW property. The sale method, property condition, lender arrangements and campaign choices all affect costs. NSW guidance says agent fees, commissions and expenses are negotiable. Do not treat an advertised percentage or another seller’s bill as a standard rate for your home.
Give each agent the same property brief and request an itemised written proposal. A lower commission can be offset by a larger campaign bill or charges excluded from the headline fee. Ask which costs are unavoidable, which are optional and which can be reduced. Keep the proposal beside the agency agreement so you can check they match.
The cost categories to put in your budget
Separate selling costs from repaying your mortgage. Your loan payout reduces the money left after a sale, but it is not an agent or marketing fee. Ask your lender for a payout estimate and the date it applies to; interest and other charges can change the final figure.
Use the following categories as a quote checklist, not as a list of charges everyone must pay. Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer can identify the documents required for your particular property.
- Agent fee or commission: percentage, fixed fee or other agreed basis; ask whether any incentive or minimum applies.
- Marketing: photography, floor plan, advertising portals, signage, brochures and optional upgrades; auctioneer charges if relevant.
- Legal or conveyancing: professional fee, searches, certificates and other disbursements; clarify additional work outside the quote.
- Lender costs: discharge administration, possible fixed-rate break costs and other payout charges confirmed by the lender.
- Preparation: repairs, cleaning, gardening, storage, styling hire and any additional hire weeks if the campaign runs longer.
- Property-specific documents: ask about strata information, pool compliance documents or other certificates where applicable.
- Moving: removalists, packing, temporary storage, cleaning and possible overlap between homes.
- Holding costs: loan interest, rates, insurance, utilities and maintenance while you wait for sale and settlement.
- Contingency: a separate allowance for additional inspections, campaign changes or unexpected work, based on your own circumstances.
Ask these questions before approving a quote
Ask whether every amount is GST-inclusive or GST-exclusive. For a percentage fee, confirm both the percentage and the amount it is applied to, and request a dollar illustration at your own hypothetical sale price. Do not add GST twice or compare an inclusive quote with an exclusive one.
Payment timing matters as much as price. Check whether an expense is payable upfront, when ordered, on exchange or at settlement. Ask what happens if a buyer defaults or a sale does not settle. Have your adviser explain the actual agreement rather than relying on a verbal summary.
- What exactly is included, and what is an optional upgrade?
- Who approves extra spending, and is that approval recorded in writing?
- Which costs are payable if the property remains unsold, the campaign is withdrawn or the agency agreement ends?
- Is any unused marketing credit refundable? What happens to booked or already-supplied services?
- Are styling extensions, repeat photography, new advertisements or another auction charged separately?
- What commission circumstances continue after the agreement ends, and could overlapping agreements cause a dispute?
A hypothetical net-proceeds calculation
Planning proceeds before tax and other adjustments = hypothetical sale price − lender payout − selling costs. This is not your property’s value, a settlement statement or money available to spend. Tax or withholding, settlement adjustments, next-home costs and your household buffer are outside this simple illustration.
For example only, suppose a property sells for $1,000,000, the lender payout is $500,000 and the seller’s fictional GST-inclusive selling costs total $35,000. The planning balance is $465,000 before those exclusions. These numbers are invented to show the arithmetic, not NSW averages or a suggested fee.
| Input | Illustrative amount |
|---|---|
| Agreed agent fee, GST included | $20,000 |
| Marketing, GST included | $5,000 |
| Legal work and documents | $3,000 |
| Preparation and styling | $4,000 |
| Lender administration costs | $1,000 |
| Moving | $2,000 |
| Total illustrative selling costs | $35,000 |
Keep a live budget until settlement
Put quoted, approved and actual amounts in separate columns. Record who supplied each quote, its expiry date, GST treatment and payment trigger. A contingency should sit separately, rather than disappearing into a vague “miscellaneous” line. Update the budget if your campaign or settlement timing changes.
The free Seller Pack includes an Excel selling-budget tool for your own figures. It does not estimate your property or calculate tax. Before making commitments, ask your conveyancer about settlement adjustments, your lender about the final payout and an appropriately qualified tax adviser about your personal tax position.
Official sources and scope
NSW Government sources checked on . Practical planning checklists are Plan to Sell editorial guidance, not official requirements. Rules and documents can change and vary by property and contract. Follow the current official guidance and ask a solicitor or licensed conveyancer about your situation. This is not personalised legal, tax, financial or valuation advice.