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Super Special Ends 14th May 2023 

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February Special. Ends 28/02/2023

In case you’re pondering over selling your house privately in Queensland (QLD), the main thing to consider is whether you have the privilege to offer your property without an operator. Yes, you do. If you’re concerned about this, you can affirm it with the Office of Fair Trading QLD. With that off the beaten path, we should talk about the means to sell your own home in QLD.

Step 1: Preparing the contract of sale

The first step is to guarantee that you have your contract of sale drawn up by your lawyer or conveyancer before publishing your property available to be purchased.
It should contain a warning statement precisely above where the purchaser signs; you can find this wording here: http://www.qld.gov.au/. In your agreement, indicate if any chattels are excluded, such as pot plants or machines. There is the usual inclusion of dishwashers, range hoods, curtains, and blinds.
If there are swimming pools, you should either get a pool safety certificate from a licensed inspector or give the purchaser a Form 36 – ‘notice of no pool safety certificate’ before selling (accessible from QBCC at https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/ ). A copy of the completed Form 36 must be sent to QBCC before settlement. The purchaser must obtain a pool safety certificate within 90 days of settlement.

Step 2: Pricing

In the case of listing for sale by owner in QLD, it is illegal to misrepresent the property’s sale price. The selling price cannot be less than that quoted by the agent or the minimum amount you would accept. To research your price, you can:

  • Look for comparable sold properties and on sale properties online

  • Get a valuation from an independent property valuer

  • Ask for a property valuation estimate or range from real estate agents.

Step 3: Private Inspections

The third step would be inspections. You will probably need to allow purchasers to review the property through open homes or private assessments once the property is advertised. Potential purchasers may therefore request a copy of the contract of sale.

Step 4: Receiving the offer

In most cases, offers take the form of a signed contract for the sale of residential property. Buyers may add an expiration clause to the sale contract so that the offer lapses after a period of time if the seller has not signed by a specific date. Have your lawyer or conveyancer examine any progressions made to the sales contract by the purchaser.

Suppose somebody makes you an offer on your property. In that case, you may take a holding deposit of the total or a nominated fractional sum; this ought to be held in your lawyer’s trust account and is to be returned if the offer is rejected.

Step 5: Signing the contract

The following step in the lawful procedure of selling a property in QLD is for you and the purchaser to sign the sale contract. Two copies of the agreement are required, one for you to sign and one for the purchaser to sign. You should sign your document and ask the buyer to do the same. You could now consider marking your property as “Under Contract” on various sites; however, it is recommended to keep a record of all inquiries from other prospective buyers just in case the deal falls through.

Step 6: Exchange

Exchange implies that both the parties have signed a copy of the contract and have exchanged it. Exchange doesn’t need to happen face to face; it can be done through mail or a third party, for example, your conveyancer. Remember that you and the purchaser aren’t lawfully bound until all the agreement copies have been signed and exchanged.

Step 7: Cooling Off

Save some exceptions, in QLD, the buyer of residential property is entitled to a cooling-off period of five business days. The cooling-off period begins when the purchaser receives a copy of the contract of sale signed by both parties. The purchaser can cancel the deal at this time but will have to pay the seller a termination penalty of up to 0.25 percent of the sale price. The deposit must be reimbursed within 14 days.

There is no cooling off period after a failed auction when:

  • an offer is acknowledged within two full business days after the auction, or

  • the buyer was a registered bidder.

To pull back from a deal, the buyer must notify the seller or their agent in writing, sign it and deliver it by 5 pm on the fifth day. They can do so face to face, by email, or by fax.

The cooling-off period can be canceled or reduced by notifying the seller or their agent in writing.

The deposit amount is payable by the purchaser and ought to be held in trust after cooling off (e.g., 10% of the purchase price less the holding deposit).

An essential thing to remember concerning cooling-off periods in QLD is that they only apply to the purchaser. Once you’ve exchanged contracts, you can’t just cancel the sale as a Seller. Once the deal has cooled off or genuinely exchanged, you can go on and mark it as sold on the sites.

Step 8: Settlement

You and the purchaser will consent to a settlement date once the contract has been signed. Settlement is generally 30 to 90 days after exchange, yet both parties can agree to a different period. The purchaser ‘settles’ their purchase by paying the whole amount. They should likewise repay the cost of the building and compliance inspection report and pest examination report. In case you’re using a lawyer, they may meet with the purchaser’s solicitor to guarantee they have everything required for the deal to continue.

Selling via Auction

When you decide about selling your house without an agent in QLD, you might want to try and sell it at an auction. In that case, It is advisable to book your Auctioneer before posting your property to incorporate the property’s details for advertising.

The property is considered sold once the reserve price is met or surpassed. If no reserve is set, then the highest bidder wins. There is no cooling-off period for a property sold at auction, and the contract of sale is unconditional. Settlement happens similarly to a private treaty sale.