Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I use plainsales.com.au?

plainsales.com.au is a privately owned Australian business with over 30 years experience in the property industry. We offer a highly professional value for money agent assisted sales service and list your property on the leading industry websites.

How much is it to list a property?

Our home page sets out all our fees.

Why so cheap?

Typical agencies undertake property inspections. We don’t conduct the inspections saving vendors our time and them additional fees. We do however provide guidance and tips throughout our website on how best to present your property.

What are the risks?

The risks are no different to listing with your suburban real estate agent. You are actually listing with an online agent.

What is the difference between plainsales.com.au and ‘For Sale By Owner’ (FSBO) websites?

FSBO usually provide a very basic listing service on less popular sites or portals. plainsales.com.au as an agent, has access to the industries’ leading portals which are not all available to FSBOs

How do I list a property for sale?

Follow the easy 3-step process listed on our homepage.

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Photos ideally should not exceed 2MB and be in JPG or GIF format. Pdfs, animations or other formats are not accepted.

How do I pay?

Our secure payment facility accepts Credit or Debit cards

What If I don’t have a credit or debit card?

Contact us via our email address or phone number on our homepage for special arrangements.

What do I get for my money?

Upon receipt of payment plainsales.com.au will:

• List your property for 180 days on the plainsales website
• List your property for 180 days on the property portals nominated on our homepage
• Send you a 600mm wide x 900mm high “For Sale” sign for your own installation
• You will be able to download your own colour flyers for distribution

When will I receive my "For Sale" sign?

You should receive your plainsales.com.au ‘For Sale’ sign within 7 days, subject to availability. If you do not receive your sign within that time please contact us and we will advise of the delivery date.

Why are my contact details not advertised?

Private vendors cannot list properties on some industry websites. Licensed real estate agents can, consequently plainsales.com.au will field any initial enquiries.

Can I change my listing details once It has been uploaded?

Yes. Once logged in you can edit your listing. Any changes will take approximately 24 hours to update on third party websites.

How do I remove my listing once sold?

Once logged in you can remove your listing. Any changes will take approximately 24 hours to update on third party websites.

Enquiries

All enquiries from prospective purchasers will come through plainsales.com.au and then sent on to the email address you provided at registration. Realestate.com.au enquiries are dealt with by plainsales.com.au and then forwarded to you for your action.

What if I have problems listing a property?

Contact us and we will assist promptly.

How do I determine the value of my property?

Pricing your property for the market is one of the most important aspects of any sale. If you over price it then the chances are it will be overlooked in favour of more reasonably priced properties with the consequence of taking a lot longer to sell if at all. If you under price it, then yes it will sell, however you will have missed out on achieving its true value

There are a number of ways of obtaining an opinion of the value range your property may fall within and these are as follows:

• Market Valuation

  A full market valuation from a certified practising valuer who is registered with the Australian Property Institute will provide the most accurate opinion of value. This process involves a qualified valuer inspecting your property and comparing it against recently sold properties of a similar nature and location. The valuer will compile a professional report which has legal standing. For a standard residential property this will cost in the order of $350.

• Property Reports

  Property reports can be obtained from various sources over the internet. They require some input from the property seller such as address, number of bedrooms and other features. This method relies on sophisticated statistical modelling to determine an approximate value of your property. Standard reports start from around $70

• Self Assessment

  Self assessment using sales evidence of comparable properties can provide a rough guide to the price range in which your property fits. However you will need to be armed with the most current sales information as market conditions do fluctuate. Attend ‘Open for Inspections’ in your local area of similar properties until you get a ‘feel’ for where your property may sit.

• Remember

  “The right property sells itself” providing it is:

  • Well priced
  • Well presented
  • Marketed to the right buyer

The Sales Process

• Inspections

  Prospective purchasers wishing to inspect the property will be required to submit the details of the inspecting parties. This information will then be passed on to the vendor.

• Offers

  Before submitting an offer amount to you, the potential purchaser may wish to obtain a copy of the sale contract and have it examined by either a licensed conveyancer or solicitor. It may be prudent to have several copies available and even a ‘soft copy’ which can be sent electronically.

• Exchanging Contracts

  Exchanging sale contracts is the legal part of buying a home. Before exchange, the agreement is usually just verbal and not binding. Up until you exchange contracts, both the purchaser and the vendor have the right to change their minds. Once the purchaser has discussed the contract with their solicitor or licensed conveyancer and all the proper inquiries have been made, and after all the financial arrangements are in place, they will be ready to exchange contracts. There will be two copies of the sale contract: one for the purchaser and one for the vendor. You each sign one copy before they are swapped or ‘exchanged’. This can be done by hand or post and is usually arranged by your solicitor or conveyancer. At the time of the exchange you will be required to pay a deposit, usually 10% of the purchase price. Following exchange, you have a financial interest in the property so it’s wise to get it insured.

  NOTE - A contract has not been made and is not legally binding before the exchange of contracts and the payment of a 10% deposit.

  When you buy a residential property in NSW there is a five business-day cooling-off period after you exchange sale contracts. During this period you have the option to get out of the contract as long as you give written notice. The cooling-off period starts as soon as you exchange and ends at 5pm on the fifth business day. A cooling-off period does not apply if you buy a property at auction or exchange contracts on the same day as the auction after it is passed in. You can waive the cooling-off period by giving the seller a ‘66W certificate’. This is a certificate that complies with Section 66W of the Conveyancing Act 1919. The certificate needs to be signed by your solicitor or conveyancer. If you use your cooling-off rights and withdraw from the contract during the five business-day period, you will have to pay the seller 0.25% of the purchase price. This works out to be $250 for every $100,000.

• Pre-Settlement Inspection

  As the settlement date becomes closer, the purchaser’s solicitor usually recommends that their client carry out a “Pre-settlement Inspection”. This is the legal right that the purchaser may or may not choose to exercise, any day just prior to settlement. This is carried out by the purchaser and ensures that the purchaser is buying the property in a similar condition to when originally inspected prior to exchange of contracts.

• Keys

  Once your solicitor confirms that settlement has occurred, you will be required to provide immediate vacant possession for the incoming purchaser. It is a good idea to leave any keys (including spares) to the premises with your solicitor to handover at settlement. It is also useful to leave any relevant information on appliances etc. on the kitchen bench top.

• Settlement

  Settlement usually takes place about six weeks after contracts are exchanged. This is when you become the legal owner of the property. The balance of the purchase price and other adjustments are paid on this date.

• What Happens to My Money

  Upon settlement the bank cheques arranged by your solicitor are paid to the various recipients such as mortgagee, solicitor, council etc. The balance (assuming there is a surplus) of the money is paid to you by way of bank cheque or can be deposited into an account of your choice. Please advise your solicitor on your preferred method of receipt.