d36 property
Prepared for Ben Ackland · September 2026

Sell Castlereagh, buy the keeper, no bridging loan.

Here's the proposal I promised on the call. Two transactions, one bloke running them, no junior staff and no handoffs. I do the legwork, you make the calls that matter.

$17M+
Purchased for clients
Avg 45 days
To secure
$5M+
Vendor advocacy sales
34
Five star reviews
01Your brief

What you asked for, in short

Sell 902/209 Castlereagh Street, then buy a 1 or 2 bed apartment in Sydney. You said 20 years in this one, so we take the time to get it right rather than rushing at something that nearly works.

Non negotiables

  • Parking that works: proper transfer space, ideally in building and owned
  • Bathroom that works: open shower, toilet beside it, turning space, minor renos fine
  • A view, ideally over water
  • Breathing space: flat surrounds, green space nearby, never hard up against a main road

Strong preferences

  • Central, with accessible Metro, light rail or train nearby
  • Open balcony, open plan living, generous glass
  • Pool with accessible entry and exit
  • Two or more lifts
  • 2 bed 2 bath an option, second room rentable
Barangaroo, Pyrmont, Woolloomooloo, Manly feel right but we're not boxed in. Open to a change up, as long as it's the right change up. Budget $2.1M all in, headroom beyond that strictly for the place that ticks nearly everything.
02Sequencing

Sale and search both start in October. No bridging loan.

Plan is early to mid October for the sale, search kicking off shortly after. Both can come forward if you want to move sooner, just say the word. Search to exchange usually runs 45 to 60 days, so the buy can land while the sale is still going. That's fine. We just sequence it so your sale money is locked in before you're committed to anything.

Both tracks, side by side
OctoberNovemberDecemberJanuary +
The sale
Prep → campaign → exchange → settle
The buy
Search live → 45 to 60 days → inspect → DD → exchange
One rule: your sale exchanges before your purchase does. Get that order right and a bridging loan is off the table, no matter how the rest plays out.

Found first, not yet sold

Long settlement on the purchase, fast track the sale underneath it. Sale money locked first, always.

Sold first, nothing found yet

No stress. You're a cash buyer, Canberra covers the gap, and we don't buy the wrong place to beat a clock.

03The plan

Six phases. I'm across every one of them.

Two transactions at once is a decent amount of work. None of it lands on you. Here's how it runs and what I'm doing at each stage, so you always know where things sit.

1
Early to mid Oct

Both tracks kick off

I interview and shortlist selling agents, and your brief goes in front of my Sydney agent network the same fortnight. You get the shortlist, my pick, and the reasoning behind it. You make the call.

2
Whenever you're ready

Prep and launch

Could be late September, could be later. I line up storage, styling and any repairs worth doing, deal with the agent and trades direct, and sign off the campaign. You pack a bag and go.

3
Oct to Dec

Campaign and search, together

Weekly updates from me on both fronts. Buyer feedback and where the sale price is landing, plus what's come up in the search. I walk every contender in person against your access checklist before it ever reaches you.

4
45 to 60 days in

Shortlist and due diligence

3 to 5 places worth your time. Each one with strata, building and contract reviewed, comparable sales, and an honest case for and against. Conveyancer, inspectors and broker all lined up so nothing waits on you.

5
Sequenced right

Negotiate and exchange

I negotiate both sides. The sale to the best number, the purchase to the best terms. Sale exchanges first, and if the timing collides we use long settlements to line the two up. No bridging loan.

6
Through to keys

Settlement and beyond

Both settlements coordinated with your conveyancer, start to finish. Then I'm still on the phone. Trades for the bathroom, strata questions, whatever comes up once you're in.

04How we work

Same method, both sides of the deal

$200k+
Saved for one buyer
3 to 5
Contenders, not dozens
19 suburbs
Across 3 states
10+ years
Hands on in property

Selling with us

  • I sit on your side of the table. The selling agent works for the sale. I work for you, and I'm the one who picks them
  • Agents interviewed, not just appointed. Three to four shortlisted, each one questioned on their comparable sales, their buyer book and their real numbers, not their pitch
  • Commission and marketing negotiated down before anyone signs, and their performance managed through the campaign so the effort doesn't drop off after week two
  • Only the prep that pays for itself. I've run dozens of renovations and know what lifts a price and what's just spend. No overcapitalising
  • Independent price guidance the whole way, my read on the market rather than the agent's number, and every offer answered with comparable evidence behind it
  • Settlement coordinated end to end with your conveyancer, so nothing sits waiting on you while you're in Canberra
Kilsyth: $85k above expectationsPreston: above quoted rangeThomastown: $78.5k above medianReservoir: $300k+ uplift

Buying with us

  • You only see serious contenders. 3 to 5 vetted options instead of dozens of open homes, and we secure in weeks while the industry average sits at 6 to 12 months
  • We search wherever the stock sits. On market, off market, whatever's out there. The brief decides what we chase, not where it happens to be listed
  • Your checklist gets measured, not eyeballed. Car space width, bathroom turning space, lift count and maintenance history, the walk to the nearest cafe. All checked by me before you see it
  • Full due diligence before you commit. Building, strata minutes, contract and owners corp records, with a pre vetted inspector, conveyancer and broker bench behind it
  • Negotiation is where the money is. Every offer priced off comparable evidence, plus auction bidding and strategy if it goes that way
  • 19 suburbs, 3 states, every buying method. Auction, private negotiation, on market and off. We've done all of it
Mansfield: saved $200k+Lalor: $60k under askingBacchus Marsh: secured in 4 daysMill Park: $70k under budget
05Fees

What it costs

The sale
$0 to you

My fee comes from a commission split with the selling agent, whose commission I negotiate down for you anyway. You see the split in writing before any agent is appointed.

The purchase
$30,000 + GST flat
most Sydney agents charge 1.8% to 2%, $37,800 to $42,000 at your budget

$5,000 retainer when the search kicks off, $25,000 only when we exchange on your home. Flat and capped, so it doesn't move if the right place lands above $2.1M.

Third party costs (conveyancing, strata and building reports, sale marketing) are at cost, paid direct, every quote across your desk first.
06Next moves

Three things, then we're rolling

  • Me: agreement to you this week covering both parts, and I start scoping selling agents for Castlereagh Street
  • You: read this, push back on anything, sign when you're comfortable. Then lock in your move out logistics for October
  • Together: a quick call once I've got the agent shortlist, and a chat with a broker so we know your exact buying power early

Dineth Ekanayake · Director, d36 property
0404 901 345 · dineth@d36property.com.au · www.d36property.com.au
WhatsApp me any hour, you know I'm awake.