How much does it cost to sell a house in Kingaroy?
Updated: 3 days ago
Selling a house in Kingaroy usually costs you agent commission, marketing, and a solicitor or conveyancer, plus the searches needed for Queensland's Form 2 seller disclosure. Then there's a handful of smaller items: a smoke alarm upgrade if the house isn't compliant, a mortgage discharge fee, and council rates and water adjusted at settlement. Commission in Queensland has no legal cap. It's negotiable, and it has to be agreed in writing before your agent starts.
The good news is that sellers in Queensland don't pay transfer duty (stamp duty). The buyer does. Below is what each cost is, when it's paid, and which parts are particular to selling in the South Burnett.
What costs will I pay when I sell in Kingaroy?
Agent commission
When: At settlement, from the sale proceeds
Who sets it: Negotiated with your agent
Notes: No statutory maximum in Queensland since the Property Occupations Act 2014
Marketing
When: Agreed before the campaign
Who sets it: Your marketing plan
Notes: Must be agreed in advance. For the first 10 homeowners who list with me before Christmas, I cover the marketing myself.
Solicitor or conveyancer
When: Usually at settlement
Who sets it: Your solicitor's quote
Notes: Prepares or reviews the Form 2 and handles settlement
Title search and survey plan
When: Before the buyer signs
Who sets it: Titles Queensland fees, plus your solicitor's charges
Notes: Statutory fees from 1 July 2026: $25.71 for a title search and $27.56 for a survey plan image
Smoke alarm upgrade
When: Before transfer
Who sets it: Your electrician or supplier
Notes: Required for contracts signed after 31 December 2021
Pool safety certificate
When: Before the buyer signs, or a Form 36 notice instead
Who sets it: A licensed pool safety inspector
Notes: Only if there's a pool
Mortgage discharge fee
When: At settlement
Who sets it: Your lender
Notes: Ask your lender for the figure
Rates and water adjustment
When: At settlement
Who sets it: South Burnett Regional Council charges
Notes: Worked out by the solicitors on both sides
ATO clearance certificate
When: Before settlement
Who sets it: Free from the ATO
Notes: Without one, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price
I haven't listed a commission rate or a legal fee, because both depend on your property and your campaign. I'll set out my fees in writing, and your solicitor or conveyancer can quote you theirs.
How is commission worked out in Queensland?
Commission has been deregulated in Queensland since the Property Occupations Act 2014 started in December 2014. There's no maximum rate. There's no "standard" rate either. What the law does require is that the commission is set in writing when you appoint your agent (qld.gov.au).
A few practical points from the Office of Fair Trading guidance:
Most agency agreements make commission payable once the sale goes unconditional. If the sale falls through after that point, you may still owe it.
Because of that risk, the Queensland Government suggests setting the buyer's deposit at no less than the commission.
Ask me for a written proposal. It sets out the total cost, the marketing plan, and the price I expect to achieve, backed by recent comparable sales.
Which costs are paid up front, and which at settlement?
Most of the big costs come out of the sale proceeds at settlement: commission, legal fees, the mortgage payout, and the rates adjustment.
The costs that can land before you have a buyer are:
Preparation. Repairs, cleaning, gardening, and any styling you choose.
Marketing. Photography, portal listings, signboards, and paid social advertising, unless your agent covers them.
Disclosure searches. Your solicitor will usually order the title search and survey plan before the campaign starts, because the Form 2 has to be given to a buyer before they sign.
Compliance items. Smoke alarms, and a pool safety certificate if you have a pool.
For the first 10 homeowners who list with me before Christmas, I'm covering the marketing expenses out of my own pocket. That takes the second item off your pre-sale list. Ask me for the written terms before you sign anything.
What costs are specific to selling in the South Burnett?
Two local items catch a fair few people out.
Council rates are adjusted at settlement. South Burnett Regional Council issues rate notices twice a year, in October and April, and keeps a 10% discount for paying within 30 days of the notice being issued (2026-27 Budget, reported by southburnett.com.au, 16 July 2026). If you've paid ahead, you get the unused portion back from the buyer at settlement. If you're behind, it comes out of your proceeds. Interest on rates left unpaid after 60 days is 9% for 2026-27.
Water charges have to be on the Form 2. Since 1 August 2025, the seller disclosure statement must show the amount payable for water services under the most recent water notice, or an estimate if there isn't a separate notice (Property Law Regulation 2024, section 8). In town, that comes from your council notice. Council set residential consumption charges for 2025-26 at $2.09 per kilolitre for the first tier, and the 2026-27 Budget lifted water consumption charges by a further 6%. Keep your latest notice handy, so your solicitor can complete that part quickly.
If you're on acreage with tank or bore water and no council water account, the estimate rule applies instead. Tell your solicitor early. That way it won't hold up the paperwork.
Do I pay tax when I sell?
There's no transfer duty for the seller, but two tax items can still apply:
Capital gains tax. Your main residence is generally exempt, but an investment property, a holiday house, or land you never lived on may not be. Talk to your accountant before you list, not after.
Foreign resident capital gains withholding. For contracts signed from 1 January 2025, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price on every property sale, whatever the value, unless you give them an ATO clearance certificate by settlement (ATO). The certificate is free, can take up to 28 days, and lasts 12 months. Apply when you first decide to sell.
How do I work out what I'll walk away with?
Use this simple checklist with your own quotes:
Expected sale price (from a proper appraisal, not the median)
minus mortgage payout and discharge fee
minus commission (from your written agreement)
minus marketing you've agreed to pay
minus legal or conveyancing fees
minus repairs, compliance items, and preparation
plus or minus the rates and water adjustment
equals the amount you can put towards your next move
I'll fill in the commission and marketing lines for you in writing. If you're one of the first 10 homeowners to list with me before Christmas, your marketing line is zero, because I'm paying for it myself.
Key figures (as of 6 October 2026)
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Want a written cost estimate for your home?
I've spent most of my life in the South Burnett, and I appraise homes across Kingaroy, Nanango, and Wondai. Book a free appraisal through my Sell page and I'll give you a likely price range and a written breakdown of the costs that apply to you. My Costs of selling page and the short answers on my FAQ are there if you'd like to read more first. For the paperwork side, see What paperwork do you need to sell a property in the South Burnett?.
General information only, not legal, financial, or tax advice. Figures are dated and sourced, and your situation may differ, so check with a qualified professional before you act.
Sources
qld.gov.au, Commissions (Office of Fair Trading), last updated 29 Oct 2020, checked 6 Oct 2026: https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/selling-a-home/before-you-put-your-home-on-the-market/commissions-and-costs
REIQ, No such thing as 'standard' commission: https://www.reiq.com/articles/property-sales/no-standard-commission-queensland ; ABC News, 1 Dec 2014, Real estate price guides banned as agent commissions deregulated in Queensland: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-01/qld-real-estate-agents-commission-deregulated,-price-guide-ban/5930700
Titles Queensland, Titles Registry Fees FY 2026 to 2027 (Land Title Act items 6(b)(ii) and 7(a)(ii)), checked 6 Oct 2026: https://www.titlesqld.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Titles-Registry-Fees_FY-2026-to-2027.pdf
Queensland Fire Department, Smoke alarms, checked 6 Oct 2026: https://www.fire.qld.gov.au/prepare/fire/smoke-alarms
QBCC, Buy, sell or lease a property with a pool (Form 36), checked 6 Oct 2026: https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/swimming-pools/buy-sell-lease-property-pool
ATO, Australian residents and clearance certificates, checked 6 Oct 2026: https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/investments-and-assets/capital-gains-tax/foreign-residents-and-capital-gains-tax/foreign-resident-capital-gains-withholding/australian-residents-and-clearance-certificates
southburnett.com.au, Council To Spend $155m In 2026-27, 16 Jul 2026: https://southburnett.com.au/news2/2026/07/16/council-to-spend-155m-in-2026-27/
South Burnett Regional Council, 2025-2026 Rates & Charges fact sheet: https://www.southburnett.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/2/forms-and-fact-sheets/documents/fact-sheets/2025-2026-rates-charges.pdf
Property Law Regulation 2024 (SL 2024-0211), s 8(n), version 7 Jan 2026: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/2026-01-07/sl-2024-0211
qld.gov.au, Seller disclosure scheme, last updated 21 Jul 2025, checked 6 Oct 2026: https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/seller-disclosure-scheme
Your Investment Property (CoreLogic data), Kingaroy 4610, 12 months to June 2026, accessed 6 Oct 2026: https://www.yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au/top-suburbs/qld/4610-kingaroy
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