HOLD Tips
    HOLD·2 min read
    HIGH IMPACT30 MIN+

    Before you sell, calculate what selling will actually cost

    Keep the property through difficult periods.

    Best for: Owners weighing up whether selling solves the problem

    Owners compare their monthly cash-flow pain against the sale price. The honest comparison is against the net position after every cost of selling — and after considering what it would cost to re-enter the market later.

    Why this matters

    Selling costs are large, mostly invisible until settlement, and permanent. Knowing the real number before listing turns 'should I sell?' from a feeling into a comparison.

    POTENTIAL IMPACT

    Selling costs typically run 3–5% of the sale price before tax

    What to check

    • Agent commission on a realistic sale price
    • Marketing costs
    • Legal and conveyancing costs
    • Loan discharge or break costsBreak costs on a fixed loan can be significant — get the payout figure in writing.
    • Your potential tax position on saleAsk your accountant — don't estimate this yourself.
    • Moving or reinvestment costs, where relevant
    • The future cost of getting back into the marketStamp duty and purchase costs on a comparable property later.

    Who can help

    Selling agent

    A realistic (not flattering) appraisal, commission and marketing quote.

    Lender or broker

    The loan payout figure including any break costs.

    Accountant

    Your potential tax position if you sold this financial year.

    TAKE ACTION · WORKSHEET

    Three emails, one week

    View selling-cost worksheet

    Build the real number before you list.

    What selling actually costs: Realistic sale price − agent commission − marketing − legal/conveyancing − loan discharge or break costs − tax position (from your accountant) = what you'd actually walk away with. Then ask: what would it cost in stamp duty and purchase costs to buy back into a similar position in five years?

    USE AI TO HELP

    Use AI to build the real walk-away number before you list.

    Best prompt for this issue

    Add your numbers and they'll be built into the prompt below. Leave anything blank to keep a placeholder.

    Calculate what selling my investment property would actually cost. Realistic sale price {salePrice}, with the commission, marketing, legal, loan discharge figures I provide. Show the walk-away amount before tax, list what my accountant needs to determine separately, and estimate what re-entering a similar market position later would cost in stamp duty and purchase costs. State all assumptions.

    Quick modes

    WHAT TO PROVIDE

    • realistic appraisal (not the flattering one)
    • agent commission and marketing quotes
    • loan payout figure
    • conveyancing quote

    ASK AI TO GIVE YOU

    • a short summary of the situation
    • the main issue
    • missing information
    • risks to investigate
    • questions to ask
    • the next three actions

    Privacy: do not paste passwords, tax file numbers, bank account details or other sensitive personal information into an AI tool. If a document contains personal details it doesn't need, redact them before uploading.

    What happens next

    Put the walk-away number next to the monthly shortfall you're trying to escape. Sometimes selling is still right — but now it's a decision, not a reaction.

    Important considerations

    • This worksheet doesn't calculate your personal tax outcome — your accountant does that from your actual position.
    • This is general information, not personal financial or legal advice. Confirm specifics with your own adviser before acting.

    THE HOLD QUESTION

    Do you know what you'd actually bank from a sale — or just what the sign out the front would say?

    NOT SURE WHAT TO ASK AI?

    Ask a Better Property Question

    Most people don't need more AI — they need to ask AI better questions. Type your question (or skip it) and copy a prompt that makes any AI tool ask you the right things first.

    I am trying to understand this property issue. Before answering, identify any important information that is missing. Ask me only the questions that materially affect the answer. Once I respond, explain the issue in plain English, separate facts from assumptions, identify the main risks and give me the next three actions. Flag anything that should be confirmed with a qualified professional.

    Privacy: do not paste passwords, tax file numbers, bank account details or other sensitive personal information into an AI tool. If a document contains personal details it doesn't need, redact them before uploading. This is a way to prepare — not financial, tax or legal advice.

    Not sure what else to review?

    Run the Annual HOLD Check

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