- Selling a home typically comes with a range of costs, including agent commissions, advertising costs, conveyancing fees, and optional styling or renovation expenses.
- Experts recommend negotiating the agent's commission structure to ensure it rewards the agent for achieving the best possible sale price.
- Property styling and presentation can make one of the biggest differences to the final sale price, according to a property selling consultant.
When you're preparing to sell, it's easy to focus on the potential payout once the property settles. But before you pocket that windfall, it's important to understand the real costs involved in selling a home - some of which can run into thousands
Below we break down the costs you may encounter when selling your home and how much they typically are in Australia today.
Real estate agent fees
Real estate agent commission is usually one of the biggest upfront selling costs. Agents generally charge either:
- A percentage-based commission on the final sale price, or
- A flat fee regardless of the outcome (less common)
Across Australia, commission rates vary widely based on the state, suburb, property type, and competition between agencies.
As a guide, the typical commission (as of 2025) ranges between ~1.6% and ~3.5% of what the property sells for. However, lower-competition areas or premium suburbs may see higher percentages, or highly competitive metro markets may offer lower rates, especially if multiple agents want your listing.
"The commission is really dependent on where you go, but on average across New South Wales it's usually 2%," Ray White NSW chief executive Andrew McCulloch told Savings.com.au.
Mr McCulloch said some agents would charge a 'kicker' where they earn a higher commission on any amount achieved above an agreed price threshold.
"So, for instance, we might agree that the house is probably going to sell for around $2,000,000.
"However, the vendor will sometimes say, 'Look, if you can get me $2.1 million, everything over $2,000,000 we will do a 5%, or a 10% fee even on that.' And that can be tiered as well," Mr McCulloch said.
However, this doesn't mean you can't negotiate with the agent.
According to property selling consultant David Kaity, "everything is negotiable" when it comes to selling a home, agent commission fees included.
"Negotiate a fairer structure that incentivises the agent to go for that stretch - the cream, the premium - and not the first 90%, because that's where the real difference is made, the last stretch," Mr Kaity told the Savings Tip Jar podcast.
If you want to avoid agent fees entirely, you can sell privately - though this comes with risks, less market exposure, and more work on your part, but also, as Mr Kaity noted, has the potential to give you better outcomes.
Read how to privately sell your home without using an agent.
"When you limit your pool of buyers, you limit the competition for the home. And there could be buyers out there who would be prepared to pay significantly more than the best bidder at any auction - with some reasonable conditions that you may be very open to," he said.
Listen to the podcast episode for the full conversation, including Mr Kaity's insights into agent negotiations and maximising your sale result.
Marketing and advertising costs
Marketing is crucial if you want eyes on your property. Without good photos, floor plans, signage, and online exposure, you're unlikely to attract the right buyers.
Typical marketing costs in 2025 range from about $2,000 to $10,000, depending on:
- Suburb
- Size of the campaign
- Type of advertising (online only vs print + digital)
- Agent and photographer packages
According to Mr McCulloch, the average marketing spend is around $5,000, but blue-chip suburbs can see campaigns in the $10,000-$20,000 range, especially if vendors opt for premium photography, drone footage, video tours, or print media.
- Take note: If you pay for a multi-week campaign and sell earlier than expected, you may receive a refund for unused advertising, but anything already booked or run is non-refundable.
Conveyancer or solicitor's fees
A conveyancer is a licensed professional who handles the legal work involved in selling a property, including preparing the contract of sale, liaising with the buyer's solicitor, and ensuring settlement runs smoothly.
Some conveyancers are solicitors, but this isn't always the case.
Typical conveyancing costs for sellers (2025) can range from $1,050 to $1,875. This can vary by state and whether you engage a conveyancer or a solicitor.
You're not legally required to use a conveyancer, and DIY kits exist, but real estate transactions in Australia are complex. Errors can lead to contract breaches, fines, or settlements falling through - which is why most vendors choose a professional.
Understand what a conveyancer does and whether you need one.
Auction fees
If you choose to sell at auction, you'll pay an additional auctioneer fee, ranging from around $600 to $1,000 (2025).
This is usually non-refundable, even if the property sells before auction day. You're essentially paying for the auctioneer's slot and preparation, not the outcome.
Lender fees (loan discharge fees)
If you're selling a property with a mortgage, you'll likely pay a discharge fee to close the loan.
Loan discharge fee typically costs between $150 and $400, depending on the lender. This covers the paperwork involved in removing the bank's interest from the property title.
Take note: Exit fees on home loans were banned in 2011, but loans taken out before then may still have legacy exit charges or break fees if the loan was fixed
If you break a fixed-rate home loan, you may also face early repayment costs if rates have moved since you locked in (sometimes several thousand dollars).
Understanding the costs of selling is only one piece of the puzzle; the next is lining up the right home loan for your next purchase or refinance. Here are some of the sharpest variable rates on offer for owner-occupiers.
| Lender | Home Loan | Interest Rate | Comparison Rate* | Monthly Repayment | Repayment type | Rate Type | Offset | Redraw | Ongoing Fees | Upfront Fees | Max LVR | Lump Sum Repayment | Extra Repayments | Split Loan Option | Tags | Features | Link | Compare | Promoted Product | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5.94% p.a. | 5.98% p.a. | $2,978 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $530 | 90% |
| Promoted | Disclosure | ||||||||||
5.89% p.a. | 5.80% p.a. | $2,962 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $0 | 80% |
| Promoted | Disclosure | ||||||||||
5.99% p.a. | 6.02% p.a. | $2,995 | Principal & Interest | Fixed | $0 | $0 | 60% |
| Promoted | Disclosure | ||||||||||
5.93% p.a. | 5.93% p.a. | $2,975 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $395 | 70% | Disclosure |
Property styling and presentation
Presentation can make or break buyer interest. It's going to be hard to find a buyer if you've got four-foot-high grass in the garden, peeling paint, and missing roof tiles.
According to Mr Kaity, presentation can the cost the most in the process of selling your home.
"Preparation and presentation are the two things that make the biggest difference to the price you'll end up achieving," he said.
- David Kaity says: "Start with the largest surface areas, the most visible surface areas - you know, floors and walls. In terms of what you invest in presentation, don't spend on things that people don't see."
Mr McCulloch said spending a bit of money on freshening the home up can add a significant amount of value.
Property styling can involve:
- Hiring furniture
- Decluttering and staging
- Cosmetic improvements (fresh paint, gardening, lighting)
- Professional cleaning
These can cost around $2,000 to $8,000 (2025).
As Mr McCulloch noted, simple improvements - fresh paint, manicured gardens, modern furniture - can lift the perceived value significantly.
Capital gains tax
Capital gains tax (CGT) applies if you're selling an investment property or you used the home you were living in to generate income (e.g. Airbnb, renting out part of the home)
If the property is your main residence, it generally qualifies for the principal residence exemption, meaning no CGT is payable.
If CGT does apply, the capital gain is added to your taxable income and taxed at your marginal rate. If you held the property for more than 12 months, you may qualify for the 50% CGT discount.
Read our full explainer on CGT here.
Renovation costs (optional)
Renovations aren't required to sell a home, but can add considerable value to it and may even improve buyer interest.
Agents often use new bathrooms or a new kitchen as a main selling point of a home, while dated features might put off buyers who don't want to do any DIY.
Recent guides and reports (2024-2025) reveal typical renovation costs:
- Kitchen: ~$25,000-$45,000 (mid-range)
- Bathroom: ~$15,000-$35,000 (standard to mid-range)
- Cosmetic upgrades: ~$2,000-$8,000 (paint, small repairs, minor landscaping)
Council rates and body corporate fees
Unless you sell your home on the very day the quarter starts, you're likely to have to pay some council rates for the quarter.
The same logic applies if you're selling an apartment in a strata building, where you'll have to pay a part of the body corporate fees for the quarter.
Your conveyancer should be able to assist you in finding out how much these fees are.
Other potential costs to consider
You may also encounter the following expenses when selling a home:
- Pest and building inspections (sometimes vendor-paid)
- Mortgage broker or financial advice fees
- Moving and storage costs
- Cleaning costs (end-of-lease or pre-sale)
- Pool compliance certificates (in some states)
Savings.com.au's two cents
Selling a home comes with a mix of mandatory and optional costs. Real estate agent fees, marketing, legal work, and loan discharge fees are almost always unavoidable. Property styling, repairs, and renovations are optional, but they can make a big difference to buyer interest and final price.
Before listing your home, it's worth preparing a clear budget of what it will cost to sell, which upgrades will add value, and what you realistically expect to walk away with after expenses
A well-planned sale can maximise your final return, while minimising unwelcome surprises along the way.