How to Sell Your House Privately in the ACT: Your 8-Week Plan

Selling your house privately in Canberra is exciting, and this plan maps it out week by week so you always know what's next! The key ACT ingredients are a complete contract with its required documents before you advertise, your energy efficiency rating (EER) in every ad, and presentation that shows off Canberra living. Keep the ACT legal and tax checklist handy.

The three foundations of a great ACT private sale

1. Contract and reports ready first: building and compliance, pest and EER
2. A confident price backed by your PLBO property comparables report
3. Presentation that sells the Canberra lifestyle: warmth, light, gardens and the leafy streets

Week 1: set up your sale

• Choose your PLBO package: Essentials ($699), Signature ($1,699), Royal ($2,699) or Vertex ($3,699). Compare them on sell my house privately in ACT.
• Engage a conveyancer or lawyer to prepare the contract and gather the required documents (Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act 2003).
• Book your building and compliance inspection and pest inspection.
• Book your EER assessment with an accredited assessor.
• Asbestos advice: ask your conveyancer whether it applies to your home (typically older homes).
• Apply for your ATO clearance certificate online. It's free (ATO).

Week 2: price and prepare

• Open your PLBO property comparables report. Recent sales of similar homes near you, all in one place!
• Set your asking price with confidence and note your walk-away figure.
• Refresh the home: fix the small items your building report mentions, touch up paint, tidy the garden and service the heating.
• Organise photos: professional from Signature up, or your own on Essentials. Canberra's crisp blue-sky days are perfect!
• Confirm the contract is complete with every required document attached.

Week 3: go live

• Build your listing in the PLBO dashboard with Generate with AI, and add your EER rating.
• Publish! Your home goes live on PLBO and across Domain, view, homely, Soho, realty, onthehouse and allhomes*, plus buyers agents, Facebook campaigns and targeted notifications, depending on your package.
• Set two inspection times a week, plus video walkthroughs for interstate buyers relocating to the capital.

Weeks 3 to 6: inspections and conversations

• Reply to enquiries the same day through PLBO buyer messaging.
• Register every group with PLBO inspection registration.
• Share the contract and reports with serious buyers. Canberra buyers love having everything up front!
• Follow up within 24 hours.
• Check your momentum after two weekends.

Weeks 5 to 8: offers, exchange and cooling-off

• Collect offers in PLBO's offer management: price, deposit, conditions and settlement date.
• Compare the whole offer, including whether the buyer's lawyer will provide a section 17 certificate.
• Agree terms and exchange through your conveyancer. The deposit is held in trust.
• Cooling-off: five business days, unless waived with a section 17 certificate.

Settlement

• Keep the home as it was sold, and insured.
• Let your conveyancer calculate adjustments for general rates, water and sewerage, and any owners corporation levies.
• Hand over keys and celebrate! You keep 100% of your sale proceeds.

Your inspection-day checklist

• Heating on in winter, windows open to the breeze in summer
• Lights on, blinds up to show off that north-facing light
• Garden trimmed, leaves swept, front door sparkling
• Contract and reports ready for serious buyers
• Your top three features ready to mention, such as the EER, the solar panels or the walk to the town centre

Your plan at a glance

Ready to kick off week one? Choose your PLBO package. The Canberra DIY guide adds local tips.

*Availability on allhomes.com.au may depend on the property's location, listing type and applicable portal requirements.