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Buying and selling in Melbourne, explained.
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Selling
Selling in Victoria
How to Sell a House in Victoria: Step by Step4 min read. Start with a written price estimate backed by comparable sales, then choose your agent and method of sale. Your conveyancer prepares the contract and Section 32, you prepare the home, and the campaign runs under Victoria’s new price rules. Once a buyer signs, settlement usually follows 30 to 90 days later. Talk to your accountant and lender, and apply for your ATO clearance certificate, before you list.How Much Is My House Worth? Appraisals, Valuations and Online Estimates4 min read. Your home is worth what a buyer will pay, and the best evidence is recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. An agent’s appraisal estimates that price. A bank valuation is a cautious figure for lending. A council valuation is for rates and land tax. Online estimates are a starting point and can be well off for unusual homes. Ask anyone giving you a figure for the comparable sales behind it, in writing.Should I Buy First or Sell First?3 min read. Selling first is the lower-risk option: you know exactly what you have to spend, though you may need to rent or negotiate a long settlement. Buying first secures the home you want, but you risk carrying two loans or having to sell in a hurry, which is riskier while Melbourne prices are softening. Long or matched settlements, a subject-to-sale condition, a rent-back or a bridging loan can narrow the gap.How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House in Victoria?4 min read. Budget roughly 2% to 4% of the sale price. On a $1.2 million Melbourne home that is about $27,000 to $45,000: agent commission (roughly 1.6% to 2.5%), marketing ($6,500 to $12,000), conveyancing, a mortgage discharge fee, and any repairs or styling. Investors should also plan for capital gains tax, and every seller needs an ATO clearance certificate before settlement.Auction or Private Sale in Melbourne: Which Is Right for Your Home?3 min read. Neither method reliably gets more money on its own. Auction suits homes with several likely bidders, because a deadline and open bidding can lift the price. Private sale suits unique homes, slower segments and owners who want privacy or control over timing. Since 16 October 2026, Victorian auction reserves must be published a week before the sale, so the choice needs more thought than it used to.How to Prepare Your Home for Sale: A Room-by-Room Checklist4 min read. Fix what buyers notice, not what costs the most. Start four to six weeks out: repair obvious defects, declutter by about half, repaint marks and bold colours, tidy the front garden, deep clean, then style and photograph. Big renovations rarely return what they cost, especially while prices are softening, so check comparable sales before spending more than a few thousand dollars.
Buying
Buying in Melbourne
How to Buy Your First Home in Melbourne: Step by Step4 min read. Work out your budget and the help you qualify for first. Victorian first home buyers pay no stamp duty up to $600,000 and reduced duty up to $750,000, and the federal 5% Deposit Scheme lets you buy up to $950,000 in Melbourne with a 5% deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance. Get pre-approval, use the new Property Price Statement and published auction reserves to shortlist realistically, and have a conveyancer review the contract and Section 32 before you sign or bid.Buying at Auction in Victoria: How It Works and How to Prepare4 min read. Since 16 October 2026 you can see the seller’s reserve at least a week before a Victorian auction, so check it against your budget before you spend on inspections. Do your homework before the day: finance approval, a building inspection and your conveyancer’s review of the contract and Section 32. If you win, you sign an unconditional contract on the spot, with no cooling-off, and usually pay a 10% deposit.First Home Buyer Grants and Schemes in Victoria: What You Can Get in 20263 min read. In Victoria you may get no stamp duty up to $600,000 (reduced duty up to $750,000), a $10,000 First Home Owner Grant for a new home up to $750,000, the federal 5% Deposit Scheme for homes up to $950,000 in Melbourne, Help to Buy shared equity for lower incomes, and the First Home Super Saver scheme. The Victorian Homebuyer Fund closed in September 2025.The Hidden Costs of Buying Property in Victoria3 min read. Stamp duty is the big one. On an $800,000 established home bought without first home buyer relief, duty is $43,070, and with registration fees, conveyancing and a building inspection the upfront costs come to about $47,000 to $48,500 before loan costs, insurance and moving. First home buyers pay no duty up to $600,000, which cuts that to a few thousand dollars.
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