Written by There are many charges to take into account when calculating how much it’ll cost to sell your property. The list of expenses can be quite long, so it’s easy to lose track of everything. That’s why Savvy has made it easy for you with this simple-to-use property selling cost calculator, which can help you work out how much it may cost to sell your home.
This home selling cost calculator can also be used as a handy check-list so you’re aware of the true cost of selling a house and don’t get hit by any unpleasant surprises.
Work out the cost of selling your house with our calculator
How do I use the house sale cost calculator?
Using Savvy’s house selling calculator for property in Australia is simple and effective. First of all, enter the sale price of your property, followed by any other costs you know the value of.  Make sure you check whether GST is included in your real estate agent’s fees, which it normally would be, and click either the yes or no green button to confirm GST inclusion.
Your lender will be able to tell you if any loan early exit fees will apply to you, and whether there’ll be any settlement fees, which can be in the range of $100 to $300. Any early exit fees from a fixed term loan will depend on the loan term remaining, but could cost thousands of dollars. For example, if you break a fixed rate loan that still has three years to run, it will cost you far more than if you’ve just got a few months of your loan term remaining. These costs don’t apply to variable rate home loans.
You can look up the cost of the government mortgage discharge fee which applies in your state, but it will normally range between $275 and $325. Allow between $1,500 and $3,500 for your furniture removalists, depending on how much furniture you have to move and how far you’re moving.
If you don’t know the exact amounts for some items, enter approximate figures into the cost of selling a house calculator, so it’s able to calculate a ballpark figure representing the cost of selling your home.
What real estate agent fees do I include in the home selling cost calculator?
The amount that real estate agents charge varies considerably around the country and is driven by supply and demand, which is why it’s important to know these costs when using a house selling calculator in Australia. The more real estate agents there are in an area, the lower their fees and charges tend to be. Costs also vary from state to state and between country and city areas.
Across Australia, real estate agent commissions range from around 1.6% to 3.5% of the final sale price. Commission rates tend to be lower in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra as property prices tend to be higher in the capital cities. The Northern Territory and Tasmania have historically had the highest real estate agent costs, and in Queensland a standard charge tends to be applied, which is a commission of 5% on the first $18,000 of a property’s price and 2.5% commission on the remainder.
Real estate advertising and marketing costs
In addition to real estate agent commission fees, there will also be advertising and marketing costs for your property. These range from the price of erecting a ‘For Sale’ signboard outside your home to online listing costs on popular real estate websites.
A ‘For Sale’ sign will cost between $150 and $265 depending on the size you choose and online listing on popular real estate websites will add between $1,500 and $2,500 to your sale costs, again depending on where you live and the prices that apply in your state.
There will also be costs for producing brochures and flyers to advertise your house. Expect to pay anywhere from $800 to $2,800 overall for advertising and marketing costs to sell your house, which will be inputted in our house sale cost calculator.
What additional charges could there be if I sell my house?
Home styling
Home styling is becoming increasingly popular as sellers recognise the importance of presenting their property in the best possible way. Styling consists of arranging furniture, bedding and household items in the most visually attractive way, adding ‘special touches’ such as candles, throw rugs, plants and artwork to make the property look its best. You can choose the level of styling you need, ranging from a partial style to a full house style.Â
The cost will range from under $1,000 to over $5,000 depending on how much additional furniture and homewares you require.
Cleaning
Once your removalists turn up and take fridges and freezers away, you may discover spots that haven’t been cleaned for a very long time. It’s hard to find the time to clean a house properly if you’re in the middle of a move, so it’s always a good idea to book house cleaners in advance. This will relieve the pressure on you on moving day and will ensure the new owners are greeted by a clean house.Â
Expect to pay from around $300 to $650 for cleaners to make your house sparkle.
Auction fees
If you’ve chosen to sell your house by auction, you’ll need to pay your auctioneer. There’s no set fee or regulated amount in Australia for how much auctioneers charge, but expect to pay between $400 and $1,000 depending on the location and sale price of your home.Â
An experienced auctioneer, who creates a sense of excitement and urgency at your house sale, can add thousands of dollars to your eventual sale price, so it’s well worth investing in one.
Conveyancer
Allow between $800 and $1,500 for your conveyancing fees. Some conveyancers charge a flat fee, whilst others charge a percentage of the property sale price. A conveyancer’s job is to ensure the sale (or purchase) of a property proceeds smoothly and that all necessary property and title searches and legal paperwork is completed in accordance with the law to ensure the property is transferred from one owner to the next.
Your conveyancer will also take care of the discharge of your mortgage to facilitate your buyer becoming the new legal owner of your home.
Council rates and water supply charges
When you appoint a conveyancer to settle your property, they’ll investigate whether council rates have been paid up-to-date and will calculate water supply charges up to the day your house settlement is booked. Your conveyancer will then adjust the payments you’ve made for council rates and water supply to ensure you only pay for the portion of the year that you own the house.Â
If you’re behind with payments for your council or water rates, your conveyancer will deduct the amount you owe from your final settlement.
