Selling an Apartment or Unit in Kingston and Bayside

Identify exactly what the buyer will own

‘Apartment’, ‘flat’ and ‘unit’ are marketing descriptions, not complete title explanations. The plan of subdivision establishes the lot boundaries, common property and any accessory lots such as car spaces or storage. A courtyard, balcony, roof space, driveway or parking bay may be part of the lot, common property, or subject to a right of use. Confirm the documents before describing an area as private, on title or exclusive.

Also establish whether one or several owners corporations apply. Mixed developments can have an unlimited owners corporation and additional limited owners corporations allocating rights and costs to particular groups of lots. Fees shown in an old advertisement or rates folder are not a safe substitute for current records. A clear title and owners corporation brief prevents corrections after buyers have formed an impression.

Choose comparable sales from the right set

Start inside the same development when recent, genuinely similar sales exist, then widen carefully. Compare internal area, floor level, orientation, natural light, outlook, balcony utility, lift or stair access, bedroom separation, parking, storage, age, renovation standard and building facilities. A ground-floor unit with a large courtyard is not automatically comparable to an upper-level apartment with a view, even if both have two bedrooms.

Owners corporation costs and the condition of shared assets can also shape a buyer’s decision, so explain material differences rather than making a simple price-per-square-metre claim. The agent’s estimated selling price must be reasonable under Victorian law, and residential campaigns require a Statement of Information with the prescribed price and comparable-sale details. An automated estimate cannot inspect the lot, records or common property.

Get the owners corporation file ready before launch

For a property in an owners corporation, the seller must include an owners corporation certificate and accompanying documents in the Section 32 statement. Buyers may examine current fees, insurance, rules, proposed works, fee increases and potential or existing legal claims. They may also want to inspect the register, financial statements, budgets and meeting records. Ask the conveyancer what is required and request documents early enough to deal with gaps.

Read the material as a buyer would. Note unpaid fees, a special levy, major façade or roof work, lift maintenance, water ingress, insurance issues, cladding questions or unresolved disputes. Not every issue is a reason to delay a sale, but known material facts must not be concealed. Have the legal adviser determine the disclosure and contract response; the marketing should never minimise a documented issue with an unsupported phrase such as ‘nothing to worry about’.

• Current owners corporation certificate and required attachments.
• Rules, recent minutes, budget, financial statements and insurance information where available.
• Annual fees, any special fees and the status of amounts owing for the lot.
• Maintenance plans, known major works, quotations and relevant notices.
• Accurate lot, car-space and storage identifiers from the registered plan.

Prepare the lot without overstepping into common property

Inside the apartment, focus on light, circulation and scale. Use furniture that allows buyers to see the room dimensions, clear kitchen and bathroom surfaces, clean glazing and balcony areas, and resolve small maintenance items within the seller’s responsibility. If a study nook, second bedroom or storage cage is tight, accurate measurements are more persuasive than exaggerated photography.

Common hallways, gardens, lobbies, façades and driveways may not be under the seller’s control. Do not repaint, install signage, prune shared landscaping or stage common areas without the necessary permission. Raise presentation concerns with the owners corporation or manager early. If building works are underway, agree on truthful photography and inspection arrangements rather than using old images that no longer represent the property.

Show the apartment and location accurately

The visual plan should answer practical questions: where morning or afternoon light enters, whether the balcony can hold a table, how the living and kitchen zones connect, where a car and bicycle go, and how the storage is accessed. A measured floorplan should distinguish enclosed internal space from balconies, terraces, car parks and storage. Do not digitally remove permanent outlook obstructions or imply water views that are not available from normal standing positions.

Local benefits should be tied to the address. Apartments near Mentone or Parkdale stations may offer a different daily pattern from units closer to Beaumaris Concourse, Black Rock village or the foreshore. Confirm routes and use plain descriptions instead of invented travel times. If noise from a rail line, arterial road, retail use or shared facility is relevant, buyers should be able to experience and investigate it rather than being given an absolute ‘quiet’ claim.

Plan access with the building, residents and occupants

Apartment inspections need an access plan. Confirm entry and lift arrangements, visitor parking, key or fob management, loading restrictions for styling, rules affecting auction signage and where groups can wait without blocking residents. If the property is tenanted, comply with the applicable notice and access requirements and coordinate photography, inspections and settlement timing with professional advice.

At each inspection, capture questions about fees, pets, renovations, parking, storage, short-stay rules, facilities and upcoming works. Answers should come from current documents or the appropriate professional, not memory. A buyer who receives consistent information is better placed to obtain legal advice and make a considered offer.

Select a method that fits the buyer pool

Auction can work when several buyers can complete their owners corporation and contract review within a common campaign deadline. Private sale may suit a distinctive apartment, an investor-focused property, a tenanted lot or a campaign where buyers need more time to assess documents and conditions. The building type alone does not decide the method.

Before advertising, set a process for document questions, pre-auction or private offers, price updates and buyer follow-up. Victorian price advertising and Statement of Information rules apply to apartments and units just as they do to houses. If new evidence or a rejected written offer changes the legal pricing position, the agent must respond in accordance with those rules.

Check planning controls at the exact address

A strata title does not remove planning considerations. The building may sit within a Heritage Overlay, Design and Development Overlay, Special Building Overlay or another control, and work to a balcony, window, façade or vegetation may involve both planning permission and owners corporation approval. Generate a current Planning Property Report for the parcel and seek advice on anything relevant to future works or campaign claims.

Match the title, plan, owners corporation certificate, floorplan and advertising copy. If they describe the courtyard, car space or storage differently, stop and resolve the inconsistency.