The owners of 10 Rymill Place in Mawson live interstate. When they decided to sell, their first question was a simple one: who looks after the sale when we can't be there? This is how we answered it, and how their home sold before auction in 22 days. The final price is in the video.
The home and the market
10 Rymill Place is a freestanding 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home on its own 345 square metre block, with a double garage and a double carport. It sits at the end of a quiet Mawson cul-de-sac, close to the Mawson shops and Southlands.
Most 2 bedroom homes that sell in Mawson are townhouses in a complex. A freestanding home on its own title, with no body corporate, is much rarer. That gave this home a different set of buyers: people upsizing from a unit, downsizers who still want a garden, and buyers who simply don't want strata.
Selling from interstate
We sell a lot of homes for owners who live interstate or overseas. The key is that someone local runs every part of the sale, and the owners can see all of it as it happens.
For this sale we became the owners' team on the ground. We organised the preparation, managed access and every inspection, and even sold furniture they didn't need on Facebook Marketplace. The owners had regular market updates from us and their own live campaign page. It showed how the campaign was tracking whenever they wanted to check. They never had to get on a plane.
The building report
The building report showed some defects. We didn't hide them or hope buyers wouldn't notice. Some were repaired before launch, and we gave buyers the invoices for that work. For the rest, we explained each defect to every buyer and gave them plenty of time to speak with the building inspector directly.
When buyers understand what they're buying, they get comfortable. They stop discounting for the unknown and start competing on what the home is worth to them.
The decisions
We went live on 1 October with an auction set for Saturday 24 October. A written offer arrived on day 9. We didn't rush to accept it. We kept the auction date as a firm deadline and kept private inspections running, because a deadline is what brings serious buyers to their best price.
Two genuine buyers put forward their best offers. On day 13, a couple upsizing into Mawson came in with the strongest one, and the sellers accepted. We exchanged on Friday 23 October, 22 days after launch and the day before the auction would have been held.
The lesson
If you can't be here to sell, make sure the team you choose can be. Being away doesn't have to cost you money. It does mean you need people on the ground you can trust, and a way to see everything they are doing.
Watch the full story and see recent 2 bedroom sales in Mawson.
Questions sellers ask us
Can I sell my Canberra home while I live interstate or overseas?
Yes. We run the preparation, access, inspections and negotiation locally, and keep you updated with regular market updates and a live campaign page. Most of the paperwork can be signed electronically, so you rarely need to travel.
What should I do about defects in my building report?
Deal with them before buyers find them. Repair what makes sense, keep the invoices, and explain the rest openly. Give buyers time with the inspector. Buyers who understand the report stop discounting for the unknown.
Should I accept an early offer before auction?
Not automatically. An early offer tells you there is demand. Keeping the auction date as a firm deadline, and inspections running, gives every serious buyer the chance to make their best offer.
What are 2 bedroom homes in Mawson selling for?
Most 2 bedroom sales in Mawson over the past year were townhouses selling between $640,000 and $670,000 (Stash sold data). Freestanding homes on their own title are rarer and attract a different set of buyers.
Thinking of selling?
Whether you live in Mawson, elsewhere in the Woden Valley, or a long way from Canberra, we'd be happy to show you how we would run your sale.
Book a free sales strategy, get a free market update, or call Victoria McLaughlin and the Agent Team on 0489 276 122. You can also see the stories behind our recent sales.
