Home » Buy a property

Buy a property

We act for buyers from contract review through searches and finance to settlement and registration.

Buying a property is usually the largest thing you will ever sign. Between the offer and the keys sit a contract you are bound by and searches that have to come back in time. Then a settlement that either happens on the day or doesn’t. We act for purchasers so the contract is sound and settlement completes when it should.

Speak to a lawyer What is included

Contract read before you commit

You find out what the contract actually obliges you to do while you can still change it.

Searches explained, not just ordered

You get told in plain terms what the searches disclose and whether it affects your plans for the property.

Settlement held to the date

We keep the lender, the vendor's solicitor and the PEXA workspace to the settlement date so the purchase completes when it should.

What actually happens between your offer and the keys

Land in Australia is held under the Torrens system, where the register is the title. You don’t own the property when you sign, and you don’t own it when you pay. You own it when the transfer is registered at the land titles office and the stamp duty has been paid.

Everything in between is the conveyance. Reviewing and negotiating the contract, ordering searches that show what is actually attached to the title, satisfying the finance condition, and settling. Most settlements now happen electronically through PEXA, so the money and the title move at the same moment. That moment is the one that cannot be undone, which is why the work sits in front of it.

Speak to a lawyer

What searches do I need when I buy?

The standard set is a title search, council rates, water, and a search of what is registered or noted against the title. The property and the contract can add more. We order what your particular title needs and tell you what the results mean for you.

Should I get advice before I sign the contract?

Yes, because before you sign you have the most room to change things or walk away. The vendor has to disclose prescribed information about the property, and each state sets its own rules for what is disclosed and when. The cooling-off period also varies, both in how long it runs and when it starts. Send the contract to us before you sign and we will tell you which deadlines apply.

What is PEXA and how does it affect my settlement?

PEXA is the electronic platform used for most property settlements in Australia. The funds and the title transfer are processed together in an online workspace on settlement day. We run the workspace for you and confirm when the transfer has registered.

How much stamp duty will I pay?

Stamp duty is paid by the buyer on the dutiable value of the property, on a sliding scale based on the price. Concessions apply in some cases, including for eligible first home buyers. We calculate the duty and your total settlement figure well before the day so there are no surprises.

Your purchase is only as sound as the contract behind it

Contract review, searches and settlement management are not formalities. Each one protects money you cannot get back once the title has changed hands.

The contract binds you the day you sign it, not the day you settle

You have found the property and agreed a price. But nobody has read the contract on your behalf. You don’t know which searches matter for this title, and settlement is a process you have never run.

The worry underneath is simple. You are about to commit more money than you ever have, and you cannot tell whether the document protects you or only the vendor.

We will review your contract and tell you which conditions or terms need attention.
We will order the appropriate searches and report on what they disclose before your conditions expire.
We will manage your finance condition and keep your lender to the settlement date.
We will run settlement through PEXA and confirm your title is registered.

You want the property, not an education in conveyancing

You have found it, you have agreed the price, and now you are being asked to sign. The steps between offer and settlement are unfamiliar, and each one has a deadline attached to someone else’s diary.

A condition that isn’t drafted properly can undo the purchase. So can a search that lands after your cooling-off has run, or a lender who isn’t ready on the day. You have already started planning your life around this. You want it managed, so the only thing you think about on settlement day is picking up the keys.

What's included in your property purchase service

Speak to a lawyer

Contract of sale review and advice before you sign.
Search ordering and a plain-English report on what they disclose.
Finance condition management and lender coordination.
Settlement coordination through PEXA.
Title registration and written confirmation that it is done.

What goes wrong when nobody reads the contract first

Buyers who sign without advice get locked into conditions that don’t do what they assumed. A finance clause with no real escape, a cooling-off period already spent, a special condition written by the vendor’s agent.

Searches ordered late are worse, because the problem they would have found is still there and you now own it. An encumbrance, an outstanding council notice, or an easement running through the part of the block you were going to build on. After settlement there is usually no recourse against the vendor.

And if the lender is not ready on the day, settlement fails. You pay penalty interest from that moment. In a hot market, a vendor with a better offer starts counting the days until they can terminate.

How we hold the purchase together from contract to title

We read the contract before you sign and tell you plainly which conditions need changing and which are normal. Where you have already signed, we work out what room the contract still gives you.

We order the searches, read them against the title, and report before your conditions expire rather than after. We keep your lender to the settlement date and chase them when they slip.

On the day we run the PEXA workspace, confirm the funds and the transfer move together, and confirm the title is registered in your name. You get told when it is done, not left to wonder.

Three steps from offer to registered title

Contract reviewed, searches read, settlement completed on time.

Review the contract

We read the contract of sale against the title and tell you which conditions, encumbrances and special terms need attention before you commit.

Search and prepare

We order the searches, report on what they disclose before your conditions expire, hold your finance date, and prepare the settlement documents.

Settle and register

We run settlement through PEXA and confirm the title is registered in your name.

Purchaser-side conveyancing, from the contract to the registered title

Most of the risk in a purchase is front-loaded into a document you are asked to sign quickly. Often at an open inspection, before anyone has looked at the title. We would rather see the contract before you sign it than explain afterwards what you agreed to.

We act for purchasers on residential and commercial transactions. We read the contract against the title and the searches. We hold the finance and cooling-off dates, and we run the PEXA workspace on the day. We are an ISO 9001 accredited practice. How your matter is run, who does the work and what you get told are all defined and externally audited.

Our great lawyer guarantee

Six principles we hold to, whatever you bring us and however long it takes.

Take the time

We listen carefully to understand what you want to achieve, then step you through the advice and the documents.

Share our knowledge

We pass on as much as we can, so you can make your own informed decisions.

Stick to our knitting

We only do what we are good at, so you never pay for our learning.

Work as one team

Someone is always available to answer your question or point you the right way.

Fair pricing

A fixed or capped quote for advice and documents, so you do not carry the price risk.

It is your show

We are in it for a front row seat to witness your success, not for our egos.

Ready to have your contract looked at

The best time to get advice on a purchase is before you sign. The second best time is now. We act for purchasers from the contract review through to the registered title. Send us the contract and we will tell you where you stand.

Speak to a lawyer 1300 654 590