What Documents Do You Need to Sell a House in Victoria?

Quick answer: To sell a house in Victoria you need a vendor statement (Section 32), a contract of sale, a Statement of Information for advertising, a signed sales authority with your agent, and an ATO clearance certificate. Depending on the property, you may also need an owners corporation certificate, building permits from the last seven years, a pool or spa compliance certificate, and an owner-builder defects report.

Most of these are prepared by your conveyancer or solicitor. Your job is to gather the information they need, early.

Why early? Because the most common delay we see at One Group Realty isn’t finding a buyer. It’s a buyer who’s ready to sign on a Saturday while the Section 32 is still waiting on a council certificate.

The Complete Checklist

Here’s everything in one place. Tick off what applies to you.

Many of your buyers will be first home buyers, who read these documents closely (our first home buyer guide tells them to). Now, the detail on the ones that cause the most questions.

1. The Section 32 Vendor Statement

The Section 32 is named after section 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962. It’s the vendor’s legal disclosure document, and a buyer must receive it before they sign a contract. If it’s wrong or incomplete, a buyer may be able to end the contract, even after signing.

A Section 32 includes:

• Title details: who owns the land, plus any mortgages, caveats or covenants.
• Easements and restrictions: drainage and sewerage easements are common in northern estates, and many Mernda and Wollert estates also have design covenants.
• Outgoings: council rates, water rates and land tax.
• Planning information: zoning and any planning overlays.
• Building permits: any issued in the past seven years.
• Notices: government or authority notices affecting the land.
• Services: which of electricity, gas, water, sewerage and telephone are connected.
• Owners corporation information, if relevant.

The RACV’s Section 32 explainer gives a buyer’s-eye view of the same list, which is useful for understanding what buyers will be checking.

Conveyancers typically charge a few hundred dollars for the Section 32 on its own, or include it in their overall fee.

What goes wrong: sellers forget about the pergola, carport or bathroom renovation they did in 2021. If a permit was needed and not obtained, it’s better to find out now than when a buyer’s building inspector asks about it.

2. The Contract of Sale

This sets out the price, deposit, settlement date, special conditions and chattels included in the sale (dishwasher, blinds, the garden shed). Your conveyancer drafts it. Your agent will fill in the buyer’s details and the agreed terms once you accept an offer.

Take the chattels list seriously. We’ve seen a deal wobble over a $400 wall-mounted TV bracket. Write down what’s staying and what’s going.

3. The Due Diligence Checklist

Victoria requires agents and vendors to make a due diligence checklist available to buyers of residential property. It’s a standard Consumer Affairs Victoria document that prompts buyers to check things like zoning, flood risk, owners corporations and building permits. You don’t need to fill it in. You just need to make it available at inspections and online.

4. The Statement of Information

If your home is advertised for sale, it needs a Statement of Information. The rules come from Victoria’s underquoting laws, and they’re strict:

• An indicative selling price, either a single figure or a range no wider than 10%.
• The three most comparable sales, with addresses, dates and prices.
• The suburb median house or unit price.

It must be available at inspections, in online listings, and sent within two business days if a buyer asks. Consumer Affairs Victoria explains the rules here. Your agent prepares it, but you should read it. (If you’re still choosing who that agent will be, see how to choose the best real estate agent in Epping.) The price range should match the agent’s appraisal of what your home will sell for.

5. The Sales Authority

This is your agreement with the agent. It sets out the commission, marketing costs, the sale method, the listing period and the agent’s estimated selling price. Read it before you sign, and check whether commission is quoted including or excluding GST.

For a full breakdown of what’s typical, read How Much Commission Do Real Estate Agents Charge in Australia?.

6. The ATO Clearance Certificate (Don’t Skip This One)

This catches a lot of Victorian sellers out. Since 1 January 2025, the foreign resident capital gains withholding rules apply to every property sale in Australia, whatever the price, and the withholding rate is 15%.

If you’re an Australian resident for tax purposes, you avoid the withholding by getting a clearance certificate from the ATO before settlement. Without it, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price and send it to the ATO. On a $750,000 Mernda home, that’s $112,500 you’d have to claim back through your tax return.

Applying is free and done online through the ATO’s clearance certificate page. Processing can take a few days to a few weeks, so apply as soon as you decide to sell. Certificates are valid for 12 months.

7. Title, Council and Water Certificates

Your conveyancer orders these. The title search comes from LANDATA, Victoria’s land registry service. Council certificates show rates owing and any notices. In the north, that’s usually the City of Whittlesea (Epping, Mernda, South Morang, Wollert, Doreen) or Hume City Council (Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Kalkallo). Water certificates come from Yarra Valley Water.

You don’t need to do anything here except approve the cost, which is usually a few hundred dollars all up.

8. Building Permits and Owner-Builder Paperwork

Did you add a room, a deck, a garage or a pergola? Build a carport? Knock out a wall? If building work needing a permit was done in the past seven years, the permit details belong in the Section 32.

If you did the work yourself as an owner-builder and it cost more than $16,000, Victoria has extra rules. If you sell within six and a half years of completing the work, you need a defects report from a registered building practitioner and domestic building insurance for the buyer. Check your obligations with the Victorian Building Authority before listing.

9. Pool and Spa Documents

Swimming pools and spas in Victoria must be registered with council, and the barrier needs a certificate of compliance. Buyers and conveyancers ask for these. If yours isn’t registered, sort it out before listing. It’s a common, avoidable delay.

10. Owners Corporation Certificate

If your home is a unit or townhouse in a shared development, you’ll need an owners corporation certificate showing fees, any special levies, insurance details and planned works. Your OC manager issues it, usually for a fee, and it can take up to 10 business days.

11. Mortgage and Identity Paperwork

Tell your lender you’re selling. You’ll need to sign a discharge authority so they can release the mortgage at settlement, and some lenders take up to three weeks to process it.

For electronic settlement, your conveyancer must verify your identity. Have your passport or driver’s licence, plus proof of ownership, ready.

Extra Documents for Special Situations

Some sales need more paperwork than usual:

• Deceased estates: the executor usually needs a grant of probate (or letters of administration if there’s no will) before the property can settle. Probate can take several months in Victoria, so talk to the estate’s solicitor before listing.
• Separation or divorce: if the sale is part of a property settlement, you may need consent orders or the written agreement of both owners. Both registered owners must sign the contract.
• Selling with a renter in place: you’ll need a copy of the current lease, the bond details and, if you want vacant possession, the correct notice to vacate with a valid reason under Victoria’s rental laws. Our guide for northern-suburbs landlords explains the notice rules.
• Power of attorney: if someone is signing for the owner, the conveyancer will need a certified copy of the enduring power of attorney.

What Else Helps (Even If It’s Not Required)

Some documents aren’t legally required but make a buyer more comfortable and speed things up:

• A pre-sale building and pest report, particularly for homes built before 2000.
• Recent utility bills and solar panel details, because energy costs come up at almost every open home now.
• Appliance warranties and manuals, especially for newer homes in Mernda, Wollert and South Morang.
• Builder’s warranty documents, if your home is less than 10 years old.
• Plans and a floor plan, which buyers use to check furniture fits.

How Long Does It Take to Get Everything Ready?

Usually one to three weeks. The Section 32 depends on council and water certificates coming back. An OC certificate and ATO clearance can add time.

Our advice: start the paperwork when you book your appraisal, not when you sign with an agent. It costs very little to get your conveyancer started early, and it means you can launch as soon as the photos are ready. Our guide to selling your house fast in Epping and Mernda explains why that first fortnight matters so much.

Need Help Getting Started?

At One Group Realty we can recommend local conveyancers who know northern-suburbs estates, and we’ll coordinate the Statement of Information and marketing so your listing goes live on time. Start with a free appraisal or see how we sell homes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents do I need to sell my house in Victoria?

You need a Section 32 vendor statement, a contract of sale, a Statement of Information if advertised, a due diligence checklist, a sales authority with your agent, and an ATO clearance certificate. Some homes also need building permits, OC certificates or pool compliance documents.

What is included in a Section 32?

Title details, mortgages and covenants, easements, council and water rates, land tax, zoning and planning overlays, building permits from the last seven years, notices, connected services and owners corporation details.

Who prepares the Section 32 in Victoria?

A conveyancer or solicitor usually prepares it for the vendor. The vendor is legally responsible for its accuracy.

How much does a Section 32 cost?

Typically a few hundred dollars, often between $300 and $800, or it’s included in the conveyancer’s overall fee.

Do I need an ATO clearance certificate to sell my house?

Yes, if you want to avoid 15% withholding. Since 1 January 2025 the rule applies to all property sales regardless of price. Australian residents apply free through the ATO.

Can I sell my house without a Section 32?

No. A buyer must receive the Section 32 before signing. If it’s missing or materially wrong, the buyer may be able to end the contract.

What is a Statement of Information in Victoria?

It’s a document every advertised home needs, showing an indicative price (range up to 10%), three comparable sales and the suburb median. It’s designed to stop underquoting.

Do I need building permits to sell my house?

You must disclose permits issued in the last seven years in the Section 32. If work was done without a required permit, get advice before listing.

What extra documents do owner-builders need when selling?

If you sell within six and a half years of completing owner-builder work worth more than $16,000, you need a defects report and domestic building insurance for the buyer.

How long does it take to prepare documents to sell a house?

Usually one to three weeks, depending on council, water, OC and ATO turnaround times. Start when you book your appraisal to avoid delays.