COST OF SELLING REAL ESTATE

Selling a house is undoubtedly a major life event. But, while the idea of new beginnings should leave sellers excited for their next chapter, moving can sometimes be a challenging and emotional process.

This is, in part, caused by the unavoidable and seemingly hidden costs of selling a house. To make your journey less stressful, understanding these costs before beginning the process is essential. This way, you are not blindsided by any extra or unexpected expenses.

MAINTENANCE COSTS

Before selling a property, it is very important to make sure that your house is in the best possible condition. The saying goes that you only get one chance to make a first impressions & this is imperative in the sale of your largest asset in order to get the highest possible price. This often means performing maintenance tasks both inside and outside of the home.

Taking the time to ensure that maintenance issues have been attended to does cost money. However, this is an important step in the process of selling a house and therefore achieving the best possible sale price.

A house that appears run-down may struggle to sell or receive offers at a considerably lower level. To negate this, you will have to fix plumbing issues that have left water marks on the roof. In addition, fresh coats of paint will need to be applied to cracked and marked walls.

Maintenance might also encompass having a full exterior house clean, pools and tennis courts professionally cleaned & garden maintenance fully completed. Sellers may even need to clean roofs and gutters. We will advise you on what maintenance works are crucial and what can be left for the new owners. Our complimentary concierge service is designed especially for this purpose to take the leg work away from you so you can focus on the tasks that matter.

LEGAL COSTS

There are legal costs associated with selling. Namely, engaging a conveyancer or solicitor to legally transfer ownership of the home from the seller to the buyer. The conveyancer or solicitor helps sellers manage everything from the sales contract to other legal fees. We are have connections with local & national professionals in this field that we are more than happy to recommend.

AGENTS COMMISSION

When it comes to selling a house, the agent's commission makes up a key component of the overall cost of selling. A real estate agent is hired to provide their industry expertise and exclusive contacts to help you sell your home.

Depending on the real estate agent you engage, sellers can enter into several commission methods. Agents may ask for a flat fee or operate off a tiered commission. These methods will be discussed and agreed upon before any contracts are signed.

MARKETING COSTS

In most real estate agencies, marketing costs are separate from an agent’s commission. With this in mind, in the modern-day, marketing campaigns encompass both digital and print media in order to be successful.

Digital marketing can include:

Digital brochures
Real estate portal listings
Social media posts
Professional photography
Drone footage

Print marketing can involve:

Signage
Property brochures
Newspaper and magazine advertisements
Professional copywriting

While there are many marketing techniques, the agent will not employ every single one. Instead, marketing campaigns will be tailored to your specific property, location and target buyers. With this in mind, marketing can cost anywhere between hundreds and thousands of dollars.

However we have an advertise now pay later plan that you can use to create the marketing plan you really want and pay for it after the sale of your property.

MOVING FEES

Moving costs can easily be forgotten. However, it is worth mentioning that they will almost always be incurred. This is because sellers will need help moving furniture and boxes from their old house into their new property. Moving costs can be a fixed or hourly rate. Again, we are happy to recommend local, reputable options for this.

STAGING / STYLING YOUR PROPERTY

Before putting your house on the market, we may recommend property styling. This could be because the house is brand new and has no furniture or needs added appeal to present a premium offering that attracts premium offers. Our complimentary concierge service is designed especially for this purpose to take the leg work away from you so you can focus on the tasks that matter.

COMPLETING YOUR SALE

Selling a home marks a major life transition. With so many emotions and feelings of stress tied into the moving process, Queenstown Lakes Realty will help make this transition as seamless as possible.

While the moving process and the associated costs may seem overwhelming, we can help break down the many components of selling a home. Helping take the stress out of moving.

Whether you are preparing to sell or looking for more information, we are waiting to assist you. We offer you experience alongside excellent market knowledge that helps make the selling process as smooth as possible. A little help from our team can be invaluable when selling your home.