So you want to sell.
Here is where to start.

Are you planning to sell in 4 weeks or 4 months? Even a rough timeline helps everyone around you plan. Most pre-sale work takes 2 to 4 weeks once approved.

If you have a mortgage, your broker needs to know. There may be break costs, discharge fees or refinancing to consider. LendingPlace can walk you through this — it is a 15 minute conversation.

Your agent and conveyancer will need these. If you cannot find them, your solicitor or Queensland Land Registry can help. Do not wait until listing week to chase this.

Look at what similar homes in your suburb have sold for in the last 90 days — not the asking price, the sold price. realestate.com.au and domain.com.au both show this. Your agent will give you a formal appraisal, but go in informed.

Do not just go with whoever knocks first. Get at least 3 appraisals. Ask each one: what similar properties have you sold in this suburb in the last 6 months? What is your marketing strategy? How do you communicate with sellers during a campaign?

Before you sign anything, understand the commission rate, the marketing costs, the exclusivity period, and what happens if the property does not sell. If anything is unclear, ask. This is a contract.

Your agent will set a photography date and a listing date. Everything else — the works, the styling, the access — works backwards from those two dates. Get these confirmed in writing before anything else starts.

That crack in the ceiling. The bathroom grout that has gone brown. The fence paling that needs replacing. The door that sticks. Write them all down — even the ones you stopped noticing years ago. Buyers will notice every single one.

Stand across the road and look at your home. This is the first thing every buyer sees — online and in person. Peeling paint, an overgrown garden, and a stained driveway tell a buyer the property has not been cared for before they have even walked through the door.

These two rooms make or break a sale. Buyers look at grout, sealant, taps, handles, and tiles more than anywhere else. A deep clean is not enough if the grout is black or the sealant is cracked — those need to be replaced.

Timber floors that have not been polished in years look dark and tired. Sanded and polished hardwood is one of the highest-impact improvements you can make — buyers comment on it at every inspection.

Submit your list to Lstng and we will come back with a clear, itemised quote — usually within a few hours. You approve it in writing before anything starts. No surprises.

Painting and plastering always come first. Everything else — floors, grouting, cleaning — happens after. Getting the sequence wrong means redoing work. Lstng sequences every job correctly from the start.

Once painting is dry, floors get sanded and polished, bathrooms get grouted and resealed. The order matters — floor polishing after painting means no dust contamination on fresh paint.

The outside gets done last — pressure washing driveways, paths and the house exterior, lawn mowing and garden tidying. This is what buyers see first and what the photographer needs for kerb appeal shots.

Every single task Lstng completes is photographed before and after at the same angle. You receive a complete record of every job done — useful for your agent, your buyer, and your own records.

A professional end-of-lease style clean the day before photography. Skirting boards, windows, inside cupboards — everything. Do not do this yourself the morning of. You will be exhausted and miss things.

Remove personal photos, excess furniture, anything on benches and floors. Buyers need to imagine their life in your home — not see yours. Hire a storage unit for a few weeks if you need to.

If your agent is using a property stylist, they need access the day before photography. Make sure Lstng and your agent have the property handed over and ready in time. The stylist should walk into a blank canvas.

Lights on throughout. Blinds and curtains open for natural light. Toilet seats down. Bins out of sight. Cars off the driveway. Fresh flowers if you have them. These details matter in photography.

Do not be home during inspections. Buyers cannot relax and picture themselves in a home when the owner is there. Take the kids, take the dog, go for a walk. Let your agent do their job.

Beds made every morning. Bench clear. Bins emptied. Floors clean. You do not know when a private inspection request will come in. The property should be able to be shown at 30 minutes notice.

If your agent says buyers are commenting on something, listen. If they say the price needs adjusting, have the conversation. The market is always right — your agent is your best source of real-time intelligence.

Once you have a signed contract, your conveyancer takes over. Make sure your mortgage discharge is underway, utilities are arranged to be transferred, and the property will be in the same condition at settlement as it was at sale.