Key takeaways for sellers
- Empty, clean, everything handed over. Vacant possession means the home cleared of your belongings and rubbish, clean, with every key, remote, fob and code left for the buyer.
- Keys go through the agent, not you. Settlement is electronic, so the agent releases the keys to the buyer once your conveyancer confirms settlement has completed.
- Don't book the removalist for the settlement window. Settlement can run late in the afternoon, so leave a buffer, and photograph your final meter readings on the day.
What does "handing over" mean when you sell?
At settlement, ownership transfers and you give the buyer possession. In most residential sales that means vacant possession: the property empty of people and your belongings and ready for the buyer to move in. If it is sold subject to an existing tenancy, you hand it over with the tenant in place instead.
What do you need to leave, and what can you take?
- Vacant possession — all furniture, rubbish and personal items removed from the whole property, not just the main rooms. That includes the garage, shed and subfloor.
- Everything included in the contract — fixtures and any chattels listed as included (blinds, dishwasher, light fittings) stay, and must be in working order.
- Nothing taken that was included, and nothing excluded left behind.
- All access, not just the front-door key — every set of keys, plus garage remotes, security fobs, swipe cards, mailbox keys, alarm codes and any smart-lock master codes.
- The paperwork — manuals and warranties for included appliances, plus any build certificates and house plans, left for the buyer.
- Reasonable condition — the same condition as at the contract date, fair wear and tear excepted.
What about smart-home devices and digital accounts?
This is the part sellers most often forget. Before you leave, reset or hand over any electronic door codes, and unlink smart devices from your accounts: video doorbells and cameras (Ring, Eufy, Nest), smart locks and thermostats, and any solar-inverter or utility apps tied to the property. Leave the hardware and the manuals in place, but make sure it is disconnected from your logins so the buyer can set it up as their own.
When and how do the keys change hands?
You don't attend settlement; it happens electronically between the conveyancers and lenders. The agent usually holds the keys and releases them to the buyer once settlement is confirmed. The agent can't hand them over just because someone says the money has been sent — they wait until your conveyancer confirms settlement has completed (in NSW that confirmation is a formal "order on the agent", these days usually issued automatically through PEXA).
What time do you have to be out?
Two deadlines matter, and they are not the same: your physical move-out, and the legal settlement moment when the money is paid. You need to have vacated and given vacant possession by the time settlement completes — there's no separate move-out time in the standard contracts. In Queensland, settlement itself must happen between 9am and 4pm on settlement day; in NSW and Victoria it's whenever the settlement is booked, usually in the afternoon. And don't treat the date itself as guaranteed: in Queensland either party can push settlement back by up to 5 business days just by giving notice, and in any state a late hiccup can roll it. If you've locked in your own move for settlement day and settlement shifts, you can end up paying a removalist to sit on a full truck while you scramble for a hotel — leave a buffer.
What happens at the final inspection?
Shortly before settlement the buyer is entitled to a final (pre-settlement) inspection to confirm the property's condition, that included items are present and working, and that agreed repairs are done. How it works varies: in NSW the buyer gets one inspection in the 3 days before completion, in Victoria any reasonable time in the 7 days up to and including settlement day, and in Queensland one pre-settlement inspection. A problem found — damage, missing inclusions, the property not vacant — can hold settlement up: the buyer's side may refuse to settle until it's fixed or negotiate a retention or price adjustment, and can pursue compensation afterwards. None of that is automatic, so the cheapest fix is making sure there's nothing to find: property empty and cleaned, included appliances connected and working, evidence of agreed repairs kept.
Can the buyer move in before settlement?
Sometimes a buyer asks for early access, to store furniture or start work before settlement. It can be done, but only under a formal licence agreement, not a handshake: the buyer occupies as a licensee with no tenancy rights, the agreement spells out who insures and maintains the property, and it must require the buyer to move out if settlement falls through. Have your conveyancer draft it before you hand over any keys.
Your handover checklist, in order
In the week before:
- Book the removalist, allowing a buffer after the expected settlement date rather than on the exact day.
- Arrange mail redirection and start transferring or disconnecting utilities.
The morning of settlement:
- Property empty, clean and rubbish removed from the house, garage, shed and subfloor.
- All included fixtures and chattels present and working.
- Photograph the electricity, gas and water meters.
- Every key, remote, fob, swipe card and code collected together for the agent, with manuals and plans.
- Smart devices reset and unlinked from your accounts.
After settlement completes:
- The agent releases the keys to the buyer.
- Confirm your utility accounts are closed at the meter readings you took.
General information for residential sellers in VIC, NSW and QLD, not legal advice.
