Selling your own house in Canberra is absolutely achievable, and hugely rewarding! You keep a five-figure sum and show buyers the Canberra lifestyle you know and love. The ACT's up-front reports make it even easier: buyers get the facts before they commit, so conversations are focused and offers are confident. This guide covers paperwork, presentation, inspections and negotiation, the Canberra way. For prices and timing, see sell my home in Canberra: 2026 prices.
Step 1: get your paperwork ready (before you advertise)
- A conveyancer or lawyer, to prepare the contract and gather the required documents
- Crown lease, certificate of title and deposited plan (or units plan), gathered by your conveyancer
- A building and compliance inspection report
- A pest inspection report
- An energy efficiency rating (EER) statement from an accredited assessor
- Asbestos advice for older homes, as your conveyancer advises
- Building file documents, via your conveyancer
- Owners corporation details for units and townhouses
- An ATO clearance certificate, which is free and online
- An inclusions list
The full list is in the ACT legal and tax checklist.
Set your price with confidence
Open your PLBO property comparables report as soon as your paperwork is under way. It brings together recent sales of similar homes near you, so you can set a Canberra asking price backed by real evidence, not guesswork! Adjust for your home's standout features, set a clear asking price, note your private walk-away figure, and watch buyer response in your PLBO dashboard.
Step 2: present your home beautifully
Photos that stop the scroll
- Catch Canberra's light: crisp, clear mornings and golden autumn afternoons are magic.
- Show what Canberra buyers love: north-facing living, the heating, the study, the garden, solar panels and the leafy street.
- Style it warm: throws, lamps and a lit fireplace in winter; open doors to the deck in summer.
Signature, Royal and Vertex include professional presentation. On Essentials, upload your own photos, floor plan, video or virtual tour.
A listing that sells the lifestyle
Use Generate with AI for the first draft, then personalise it:
- A headline with the suburb and one standout feature, for example "Sunny Ainslie cottage, a stroll to the shops"
- Your EER, clearly shown, as ACT law requires
- The facts: block size, bedrooms, bathrooms, heating, solar, parking and year built
- Local detail: walking distance to the local shops, the light rail, schools, the lake, bike paths or Mount Ainslie
- Inspection times and how to request the contract and reports
Step 3: run inspections like a pro
- Two set times a week, Saturday mornings and a weekday evening work well.
- Use PLBO inspection registration.
- Warm it up: heating on in winter, windows open to the breeze in summer.
- Have the contract and reports ready to send to serious buyers.
- Offer video walkthroughs to interstate buyers relocating to the capital.
- Follow up within 24 hours through PLBO buyer messaging.
Step 4: negotiate with confidence
- Offers in writing through PLBO.
- Qualify buyers: finance approved? Have they read the reports?
- Compare the whole offer in PLBO's offer management, including the settlement date and whether a section 17 certificate will be provided.
- Respond promptly and warmly.
- Agree terms and exchange through your conveyancer. Cooling-off is five business days, unless waived with a section 17 certificate.
A sample Saturday inspection plan
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 9:30 am | Heating or cooling on, lights on, flowers out |
| 10:15 am | Helper arrives, registration open, report summaries ready |
| 10:30 am | Doors open! Welcome each group |
| 11:00 am | Doors close. Note keen buyers |
| Afternoon | Email the contract to interested buyers and send video walkthroughs to interstate enquirers |
| Evening | Review enquiries and offers, and celebrate! |
Your listing, everywhere buyers look
Your home goes live on PLBO and across Domain, view, homely, Soho, realty, onthehouse and allhomes*, reaching Canberra buyers, interstate relocators and buyers agents.
What you'll keep
At the ACT average commission of about 2.0% (AgentBridge, June 2026), an agent would charge roughly $20,755 on the $1,037,766 Canberra median. With PLBO you pay one upfront fee from $699 and keep 100% of your sale proceeds.
Ready to sell your Canberra home yourself? Choose your PLBO package, list in minutes, and keep that commission where it belongs: with you!
*Availability on allhomes.com.au may depend on the property's location, listing type and applicable portal requirements.