Most sellers budget for the agent and forget the rest. Here's the complete list of what a Queensland sale actually costs, so nothing surprises you at settlement.
1. The selling fee — the item you control most
A traditional agent's commission in Queensland commonly runs in the twos-to-threes per cent range — tens of thousands of dollars on a typical Brisbane home — plus marketing charged on top. A flat-fee platform replaces that with a fixed amount in the hundreds. This single choice moves more money than every other line item combined.
2. Marketing and advertising
In a traditional campaign, vendor-paid advertising — portal listings, photography, signboards, sometimes print — is typically billed to you separately from commission, often running to several thousand dollars. Check whether any quoted fee includes the portal listing and photography or treats them as extras.
3. Conveyancing and legal
Unavoidable in every sale: professional fees plus search disbursements. Get a fixed-fee quote upfront.
4. Mortgage discharge costs
If the property is mortgaged, your lender charges a discharge/settlement fee, and there's a government registration fee to remove the mortgage from the title. If you're on a fixed rate, ask your lender about break costs before you commit to a sale date — on recent fixed loans these can be genuinely large.
5. Presentation: the discretionary spend that pays for itself (sometimes)
Cleaning, minor repairs, gardening and possibly staging. Small presentation spends usually return their cost; large renovations right before sale usually don't. Fix what's broken, refresh what's cheap, and stop.
6. Compliance items
Queensland sellers need compliant smoke alarms at contract and settlement, and a pool safety certificate where there's a pool — budget for an electrician or pool inspector if you're not certain you comply.
7. Moving and the gap between homes
Removalists, cleaning the old place, connection fees at the new one — and if your settlement dates don't line up, short-term storage or accommodation. Sellers consistently underestimate this cluster.