Eight steps from tidying up to settlement, with what to expect at each one. A short, practical run-through for anyone selling a house online for the first time.
Blog – Expert Tips & Insights on Real Estate
Featured Articles
A Rental History Check is Vital for Landlords | PropertyNow
References are easy to stack in a tenant’s favour. A rental history check gives you the record instead: what a database listing means, and what else to look at.
How to sell commercial property without an agent
You can sell your own commercial property and skip a hefty commission — but it’s a different game from selling a house. Here’s how it differs (buyers, yield, GST, leases) and a step-by-step guide to doing it privately.
Latest Articles
What Is a Rental Ledger? A Landlord’s Guide (With Example)
Your tenant’s new agent asks for a rental ledger and you realise you’ve never kept one. Here’s what a rental ledger is, what it looks like, and how to keep one yourself.
How to sell your house fast in Australia (without giving it away)
You need this sold. Not eventually, not when the market picks up. Sold. Maybe…
How to complete an entry condition report (and protect your bond)
The condition report is the one bit of move-in paperwork it’s tempting to rush. Don’t. It’s the “before” picture that decides who pays at the end. Here’s how to do it properly, and what every state expects.
Bond lodgement explained: a state-by-state guide for self-managing landlords
The tenant’s paid the bond, so where does the money go, and by when? Bond lodgement rules differ in every state. Here’s the maximum bond, the authority and the deadline, all in one place.
How to write a rental ad that attracts great tenants
Most rental ads lease the property eventually. A little deliberate effort puts yours at the front of the pack: here’s what to cover, headlines that work, and the advertising rules most guides skip.
Residential lease agreements explained: a state-by-state guide for private landlords
Here’s something that surprises a lot of first-time landlords: you don’t actually write a…
Self-managing vs a property manager: which is right for you?
Should you run your own rental or pay a property manager 5–10% of the rent to do it? Here’s an honest comparison — what a PM really does and costs, what self-managing involves, and a quick way to decide which suits you.
Success Stories: Angela from South Stradbroke Island
Two agents, twelve months, no sale. Then Angela listed her boat-access-only island home herself and sold it in 26 days, to buyers who never set foot on it.
How long does it take to rent out a property privately?
Worried that renting out your place yourself means it sits empty for weeks? The data says otherwise: most well-priced rentals lease in about two to three weeks — and private landlords are just as fast as anyone. Here’s what really drives the timeline.
The questions buyers ask at inspections (and how to answer them)
Sell privately and the buyers’ questions come straight to you. The good news: they’re predictable. Here are the ones that come up again and again at inspections — and how to answer each honestly without talking down your own position.
How to write an end-of-tenancy condition report (and protect your bond claim)
When a tenant moves out, the exit condition report is the document that decides whether you can fairly claim from the bond. Here’s how to write one that holds up — and the fair-wear-and-tear-vs-damage line landlords most often get wrong.
Private treaty vs auction: which is right for your property?
Auction or private treaty? It’s the first big decision when you sell — and it shapes your cost, timeline and stress. Here’s the honest guide to which method actually suits your property and your 2026 market
How much rent should I charge? Pricing your rental without a property manager (2026)
Price it too high and it sits empty; too low and you leak money every week. With no property manager to hand you a number, here’s how to work out fair market rent yourself — and where to get the comparable data free.
The EOFY checklist for self-managing landlords (2025–26)
Self-managing your rental means no property manager hands you a tidy tax summary at year-end — it’s on you. Here’s the plain-English EOFY checklist: what to do before 30 June, what you can claim, and what you can’t.
Do you need a conveyancer to sell your house privately? (2026 guide)
Worried about the legal side of selling your own home? You’ll still want a conveyancer — but it’s more straightforward than you’d think. Here’s what they handle, who can do it in your state, and what it costs in 2026.
Real Estate Agent Commission by State (2026)
What you’ll pay an agent to sell your home depends less on the agency than on your postcode. Here’s commission state by state in 2026, what it means in real dollars, and how it compares to a flat fee.
Rental document management made easy
Leases in email, certificates in a drawer, the bond receipt somewhere. Here’s how to keep every tenancy document in one place, filed against the right property.
How to screen tenants: a landlord’s guide to choosing well (2026)
One property, a stack of applications, and no agent to lean on. Here’s how to screen tenants the thorough, fair way — the checks that matter, what you can and can’t legally ask, and the 2026 privacy rules.
5 Inspiring Success Stories of Selling a House Privately and Saving Big
Five recent sellers on doing it themselves: the hesitation, the favourite moments, the hard parts, and the advice they’d give you. In their own words.
Success Stories: How One Couple Saved $75,000 with PropertyNow
Debbie and her partner sold their own home and kept more than $75,000 in commission and marketing costs. On buyers mistaking them for agents, and the offer they turned down.
Success Stories – Amanda from Braddon
Amanda and Heidi sold their Braddon home themselves for $1.5 million, under offer after eight days, and saved around $45,000 to $50,000 in ACT agent fees.
Success Stories – Cameron
Cameron’s second private sale with us. On dealing with buyers direct at home opens, and a lower cost of sale that took a serious chunk off the mortgage.
Success Stories – Melissa from Rosewood
Melissa was hesitant about selling while working full time, and had her Rosewood property sold in thirteen days. On going live earlier in the week, and leaning on family.
Success Stories – Jeff and Kerri from Walcha
Jeff and Kerri sold their Walcha property without a computer, on a phone they were still learning, to a buyer from Sydney. On lowball offers, and holding their nerve on price.