Private house sales are booming across Victoria! Owners love the savings and control, and buyers love dealing directly with the person who knows the home best. Here's how private sales work for both sides, and how PLBO brings them together.
Where Victorian private house sales are listed
- PLBO: private listings where buyers message the owner directly
- Seven major portals: PLBO listings appear on Domain.com.au, view.com.au, homely.com.au, soho.com.au, realty.com.au, onthehouse.com.au and allhomes.com.au*, alongside agent listings
- Buyers agents: they search PLBO for private-sale opportunities
- Social feeds and notifications: depending on the owner's package
For buyers: what you get in a Victorian private sale
| Protection | How it works |
|---|---|
| Section 32 before signing | discloses title, planning, outgoings, building permits, services and owners corporation details |
| Cooling-off | 3 clear business days from signing; $100 or 0.2% (whichever is greater) retained if you cool off; exceptions include auctions |
| Written contract | conditions such as finance or inspection written in |
| Deposit in trust | commonly 10%, held in trust |
Sources: conveyancing.com, conveyancing.com.
How to buy a private house in Victoria
- Browse private listings on PLBO and message the owner.
- Get the Section 32 and have your conveyancer review it.
- Arrange finance approval and a building and pest inspection.
- Make a written offer: price, deposit, conditions and settlement date.
- Sign the contract, then note your cooling-off dates.
Great questions to ask the owner
- What do you love most about the home and the neighbourhood?
- What's been renovated, and when?
- How warm is it in winter, and what heating is there?
- What are the council rates, water and energy bills like?
- What's included in the sale?
- What settlement date suits you?
For sellers: why private sales work in Victoria
- The savings are substantial. At the Victorian average commission of about 2.0% (AgentBridge, June 2026), selling a $1,041,205 Melbourne median home costs about $20,824 in commission. PLBO costs $699 to $3,699 including GST.
- Buyers are well informed. The Section 32 gives them what they need to act confidently.
- You keep control of price, inspections and terms.
What Victorian buyers love to see from private sellers
- A complete Section 32 ready at the first inspection
- Clear inspection times and quick replies
- A price backed by your PLBO property comparables report
- Great photos and a floor plan
- The deposit held in trust
PLBO's dashboard makes it all easy, with buyer messaging, inspection registration and offer management together.
Bringing buyers and sellers together
- Selling? Start with sell my house privately in VIC.
- Buying? Browse private listings on PLBO.
- Buyers agent? See PLBO for buyers agents.
*Availability on allhomes.com.au may depend on the property's location, listing type and applicable portal requirements.