Selling Your House Privately in Australia: Step-by-Step FSBO Guide
Selling your house without an agent, also called a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sale, is completely legal in Australia and it’s simpler than most people think.
When you sell your home privately, you can save thousands in commission, keep full control over decisions, and move at your own pace.
This guide is designed for first-time private sellers and walks you through every step from pricing and prep to negotiation and settlement.
Why Sell Your Home Privately?
- Save thousands on commission: on a $600,000 sale, 2% to 3% is $12,000 to $18,000 you could keep.
- Full control: you set the price, choose the marketing, pick inspection times, and negotiate directly.
- Direct, transparent conversations: many buyers prefer dealing with owners.
- Flexible inspections: run open homes or private viewings when it suits you.
- No agent pressure: decide which offers to accept or pass on.
Did you know? If you sold a $700,000 home with an average 2.9% commission, that’s about $20,000 in fees.
Many private sellers tell us the total “hands-on” time is roughly 12 hours, which means you could be saving more than $1,600 per hour of effort with
SaleByHomeOwner.com.au.
How to Sell Your House Privately: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Research the market and set your price
Review recent sold prices for comparable properties in your suburb. Consider an independent appraisal or online estimator.
Set a realistic asking range, then choose a firm “walk-away” number to guide your negotiations.
Step 2: Prepare your home for sale
- Tidy and declutter so buyers can picture themselves living there.
- Fix obvious issues like leaky taps and blown bulbs.
- Use light, neutral colours if repainting to widen appeal.
- Refresh kerb appeal with mowing, trimming, and a neat entry.
- Invest in bright, high-quality photos and add a floor plan if you can.
Planning an inspection day? Read How to do Open Homes for set-up tips.
Step 3: List your property online
Most buyers start online. Private individuals can’t post directly to some major portals, which is why sellers use a licensed FSBO platform.
See How it works to understand the process, then create your listing in minutes.
Write a benefits-led description, include recent upgrades, and highlight location perks like parks, schools, and transport.
Upload bright photos. A short video or 3D walkthrough can lift enquiry too.
Step 4: Manage enquiries and inspections
Respond quickly to calls and emails. Offer flexible viewing times. For safety, verify details when booking and consider having a friend
present. Greet buyers, then give them room to explore. Be ready to answer common questions about utilities, recent maintenance, and the area.
Step 5: Negotiate with confidence
Know your minimum, stay calm, and consider the full terms, not just price. Ask buyers to put offers in writing so you can compare fairly.
Use our free Letter of Offer form to keep details neat and clear.
Step 6: Accept the offer and finalise the sale
Once you agree on price and terms, confirm in writing and engage a conveyancer or solicitor to prepare the Contract of Sale, ensure
correct disclosures, and hold the deposit in trust. For state-specific requirements, check legal requirements before listing, and review our FSBO contract guide
.
Typical settlements run 30 to 60 days. Your conveyancer coordinates with the buyer’s team and any lenders to transfer title and funds. On settlement day, keys change hands and you’re done.
FAQs: Selling a House Without an Agent
Is it legal to sell your house privately in Australia?
Yes. It’s legal in every state and territory to sell your own property. You must meet your state’s disclosure and contract rules.
How much can I save by selling my home privately?
Savings vary with price and location. Avoiding commission often means five-figure savings. Budget for a listing fee, conveyancing, professional photos, and optional signage or upgrades.
How do I get on Realestate.com.au or Domain as a private seller?
Use the services of a licensed FSBO Real Estate service to publish to the major portals while you stay in control & receive assistance and support from their licensed agents along the away. SaleByHomeOwner.com.au are Australia’s Trusted experts for this:
Read more about how the agent-assisted FSBO process works here: Sell privately on Realestate.com.au
.
What documents do I need?
You’ll need a Contract of Sale and the required disclosure documents for your state. See a practical checklist here: what paperwork is needed, then confirm specifics with your conveyancer.
Do I need a solicitor or conveyancer?
Yes. They prepare and review the contract, hold the deposit in trust, and ensure
"Private Home Selling Made Simple" - Watch our Quick Video Guide below
We saved Thousands!!! - Very happy, will definitely use again
I was really happy with the service provided by Sale By Home Owner, Always very prompt to any enquiries & delivered everything as promised. I would recommend you try selling yourself as they made it very easy! We saved around $10,500 and will definitely use them again! Thanks very much!
Under Contract in 36 Hours. Quick but Needed Extra Docs
Posted my land for sale and was under contract is 36 hours. The process to set up was easy but the contract part was left up to me as you can’t download a copy of a current residential sale document on line. It is required to be purchased and posted – which didn’t work for our quick sale. I ended up paying my conveyancer to supply. I feel it should be a process all the way to completion and not 80% there
Sold in 8 Days & Saved $20K, First-Time Seller Success
I was able to sell my house for an agreed price within 8 days of listing through Sale By Homeowner. They offered helpful advice to a first time seller and the tools necessary to achieve our goal. By not paying a Real estate agent close to $20000 to do little in a very hot market, it gave me more flexibility when negotiating a sale price. I don’t think I will ever need an agent again. Thanks guys.
Great Team with Regular Updates & Referrals
great mob to deal with very regular updates and referals
Second Sale Success! Easy Process & Big Savings
This is my second sale through Sale By Home Owner, and another success story! Received an offer on the second day after the listing was published. In the end able sold my apartment for a few thousands more than was originally asking. The whole process was easy. The team was very helpful and attentive. Scott replied to my emails and texts veryÊpromptly. Thank you for that, Scott! If you want to save thousands of dollars, please stop using realestate agents. Use Sale By Home Owner instead, you won’t regret!
Full Control, No Agents, Big Savings, highly recommended
Great experience selling my property through Sale By Home Owner. I had full control over inspections, negotiations, and choosing the buyer without any agents involved. It takes patience, but the savings on agent fees are worth it. Highly recommended!
Two-Time Seller, Fast Sales & Great Support
This is my second time using Sale By Home Owner and both times it has been easy and straight forward. They were very helpful and quick to respond to any questions that I had. Both times my property sold fast and with a great result. Highly recommend using them.
Lots of Enquiries, Smooth Sale & Big Savings on Fees
I advertised in late May and had many queries, emails and telephone calls, a client rang that had just sold their home and put an offer on mine just by an inspection of the home, loved it and now they are the new owners of Serrata Springs which I will sadly miss but new beginnings. I saved money as the agent wanted to charge me $2,000 plus for advertising and then take a commission on top of that so I would recommend to anyone wanting to sell, go through homeowner.com.
Cost-Effective & Responsive Service
Such a cost effective way to sell a home! Always so responsive!
Great Way to Sell Your Home Online
Great for selling own home online using real estate sites
A Step by Step Guide on How to Sell your House without Agents:
