Short answer: in all three states we work in, selling a property with a pool or spa involves pool compliance paperwork, and getting it sorted before listing is nearly always the smarter move. The details differ by state.

Queensland

You generally need a current Form 23 Pool Safety Certificate to sell, issued by a licensed inspector after the pool passes. If you sell without one, the obligation shifts to the buyer with strict timeframes, and buyers price that risk into their offers. Shared pool certificates last one year, non-shared two years.

New South Wales

Sale contracts for properties with pools generally must include either a Certificate of Compliance, or in some cases a certificate of non-compliance that transfers the rectification obligation to the buyer, who then has 90 days from settlement to fix it. The pool must also be on the NSW Swimming Pool Register.

Victoria

Victoria runs a council-registered certification cycle rather than a point-of-sale trigger, but buyers and their conveyancers increasingly expect a current Form 23 Certificate of Barrier Compliance, and an out-of-cycle pool raises questions during due diligence.

Why fixing it before listing beats passing it on

  • A non-compliant pool in the contract is a negotiation lever for the buyer, and the discount they demand usually exceeds the cost of fixing the pool
  • Most failures are cheap: gate tension, latch height, moved furniture
  • A clean certificate with the contract removes a settlement risk entirely

Timing

Book the inspection as soon as you decide to sell, before photography and open homes. If something needs fixing you want it done on your schedule, not discovered by the buyer's building inspector. Our pre sale pool inspections are timed around listing and settlement dates, and agents get priority booking.

Not sure what your contract requires? Ask your conveyancer, then book the inspection. Rules and timeframes differ by state and contract, so confirm the specifics for your sale.

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