There's no sale certificate - and that's the trap
Victoria attaches nothing pool-related to the contract. The obligation runs with the pool: registered with council, certificate of barrier compliance current on the 4-year cycle. Buyers' conveyancers request the evidence anyway - registration details and the lodged certificate - and treat gaps as red flags.
Selling with an overdue Form 23
An overdue certificate discovered mid-campaign means an urgent inspection, possible rectification, and lodgement - all while a buyer waits. Worse, it advertises neglect and invites price-chipping. Check your due date with council before listing; if it's inside 12 months, just do it early - the certificate is a marketing asset ("barrier compliance current to 2030").
Selling an unregistered pool
Unregistered pools surface in council searches and stall everything: registration, then inspection, then lodgement, on a settlement clock, with fines available for the registration failure itself. If your pool or spa was never registered, fix that this week - walkthrough here.
Timing for the Victorian market
Inspection $200-$450, fixes if needed (60-day window), lodgement within 30 days of issue. Melbourne availability is good; regional and Peninsula books out around holiday periods. Start the moment you decide to sell - Victoria's process has the most steps and the least tolerance for compression.