Conveyancing can be complicated but put simply, it refers to everything that needs to be checked, searched, signed, and certified to make you the new legal owner of a property. This protects the new owner of a house from any unwanted surprises, such as tax bills, structural defects, or zoning issues.
Our team specialises in conveyancing and is supported by reliable, experienced lawyers. That means you’re in safe hands, no matter how complicated things get.
We have all the up-to-date knowledge and conveyancing expertise to help you with the three main phases of the conveyancing journey.
Contract
Before you sign on the dotted line, we recommend you get one of our lawyers to review your Contract for Sale and the Form 1 (or Vendor’s Disclosure Statement). Sellers and agents have their own interests in mind, but we’re able to champion yours. We’ll make sure everything is in order. Our lawyers can guide you through the terms of the contract and give you advice on any special conditions, which means no nasty surprises (like finding out that you have to contribute towards the Sellers Land Tax!).
Get a building and pest inspection
When you buy a property, it means you accept it in its current condition, including any defects you may not have seen when you first visited the property. With our thorough review to guide you, you receive a full picture of the property before you commit to the purchase.
When you buy a property, it means you accept it in its current condition. This includes any defects you may not have seen when you first visited the property. So, to help you make an informed decision about your next property purchase, we recommend getting a building and pest inspection from qualified inspectors. This provides a full picture of the property before you commit to the purchase.
Searches
To know the full story about the property you want to buy, you’ll need searches. The most important reason you’ll want searches done is because they can uncover any outstanding debt attached to the property – debt that may be passed on to you!
Searches are also checks with local councils and authorities that tell you all the details about the property. They provide information about the zoning of the building, body corporate or strata information, heritage listings, copies of the property plans and any major construction projects coming up (like a new highway being built nearby).
Without searches, you won’t know whether you’re making a good property investment decision or a costly mistake.
In this final phase of your property settlement journey, the title deed is legally transferred into your name, so you’re the official new owner.
Settlement
Settlement is where everything comes together. There is quite a lot of important paperwork to complete and lodge, a lot of money changing hands, and several people who need to stay informed – such as the real estate agent, the seller’s conveyancer, the financial institutions, authorities and land registry. One of our lawyers will be your representative to all these different people to make the process streamlined and smooth. We’ll make sure all the right documents are signed and everything is filed correctly to the right government department.
Across South Australia, to make the entire process more convenient for you, we use PEXA, which allows settlement to happen electronically for everyone involved. PEXA makes it possible for payments of fees and funds transfers to be paid automatically. It’s just another way we help to get you to a successful and on-time property settlement.
Conveyancing isn’t just something that happens in the background when you buy a property – it’s what makes buying a property possible! From a contract review, to searches, and reaching settlement – conveyancing covers all the essential behind-the-scenes work, which is why you need the right people by your side to complete the process correctly and legally.
We’re here to guide you through that vital work, answer any questions you may have, and help make the process as easy as possible.
This article is provided for general information purposes only. Its content is current at the date of publication. It is not legal advice and is not tailored to meet your individual needs. You should obtain specialist advice based on your specific circumstances before taking any action concerning the matters discussed in this article.
