Selling your house in the Blue Mountains or Lithgow?

How we help you sell

Most selling pages ask for your details and stop there. Here is exactly what you get when you ask us about selling your home:

• A free appraisal and property report. Your home is checked against multiple property data sources and recent local sales, not one website's estimate.
• Our approved local agent, with 10+ years' experience. Someone who knows your street, what buyers in your area pay extra for, and what puts them off.
• An honest price. A realistic range based on real sales, not an inflated number designed to win your listing.
• A clear plan. What to fix, what to leave, when to list and how to sell, in plain English.
• No pressure. Whether you sell next month, next year or not at all is your decision.

Selling a house in NSW, step by step

1. Get your free appraisal. Start with a realistic price range for your home, based on recent sales of similar homes nearby.
2. Choose how to sell. Private treaty, auction or expressions of interest. Your agent explains which suits your home and the current market.
3. Sign an agency agreement. In NSW an agent must have a written agency agreement with you before acting. It sets out the commission, the marketing costs and how long the agreement runs. Read it carefully and ask questions before you sign.
4. Get the contract for sale ready. Your solicitor or conveyancer prepares it before the home goes on the market, with documents such as the section 10.7 planning certificate, title search and sewer or drainage diagram.
5. Prepare and present the home. Repairs, cleaning, the garden, photos and, in the mountains, a warm home on inspection day.
6. Market it and hold inspections. Online listings, signage, and your agent's own list of buyers already looking in your area.
7. Negotiate and exchange. Your agent negotiates offers with you. On exchange, private treaty buyers usually get a 5 business day cooling-off period, unless they waive it.
8. Settle. Settlement is 42 days under the standard NSW contract unless you agree a different date. You hand over the keys and the sale is complete.

What it costs to sell

Your appraisal, report and advice from us are free. When you do sell, these are the costs to plan for:

• Agent's commission. Negotiable, and written into the agency agreement before any work starts.
• Marketing. Online listings, professional photos, floor plans and signage. Ask for an itemised quote.
• Conveyancing or legal fees. For the contract for sale and settlement.
• Preparation. Any repairs, cleaning, gardening or styling you choose to do.
• Loan costs. If you have a mortgage, your lender may charge a discharge fee.
• Tax. Your main home is usually exempt from capital gains tax, but investment properties and some situations are not. Check with your accountant.

Ask every agent for all costs in writing before you sign anything. A good agent is happy to show you.

Local issues that affect a sale here

Selling in the Blue Mountains or Lithgow is not the same as selling in Sydney. These are the questions local buyers ask, and having answers ready helps you sell with confidence:

• Bushfire prone land. Much of the mountains is mapped as bushfire prone, and it shows on the section 10.7 planning certificate. Buyers ask about the BAL rating, insurance and vegetation clearing. Have any BAL assessment or building approvals ready.
• Heating and insulation. Winters are long in the upper mountains. How warm the home feels on inspection day, and how it is heated, matters to buyers.
• Septic and on-site sewage. Homes outside the sewer network use on-site systems. Keep your council approval and service records handy.
• Mine subsidence districts. Parts of Lithgow sit in declared Mine Subsidence Districts. It also shows on the planning certificate, and buyers will ask about approvals for any building work.
• The block and access. Steep driveways, slope and sun all change what a home is worth, sometimes more than the house itself.
• The commute. Walking distance to a station on the Blue Mountains Line is a real selling point for Sydney commuters.

Want the detail for your area? Our suburb guides explain what drives value in each town, and what adds value before you sell covers the work that pays back.

How long does it take to sell?

Allow a few weeks to prepare, then a campaign of several weeks on the market, then settlement. The biggest factors are the price, the presentation and the time of year. Homes that are priced realistically from day one usually sell fastest, and for the best result. Your local agent can give you a realistic timeline for your street.