Conveyancing for Buyers

Buying a property is one of the biggest financial commitments most people make, and in New South Wales you have a choice in who handles the conveyancing behind it. NSW licenses conveyancers as a distinct profession, so your matter can be carried out by a licensed conveyancer, regulated by NSW Fair Trading, or by a solicitor. An independent licensed conveyancer or solicitor acts for you from the moment you are ready to sign through to the day you collect the keys.

The first job is the contract. Your conveyancer or solicitor reviews the contract for the sale of land, checks the special conditions, confirms the finance and building-and-pest dates, and makes sure your cooling-off rights are clear. Most residential contracts bought by private treaty in NSW carry a 5 business day cooling-off period that runs from exchange of contracts and ends at 5pm on the fifth business day. It does not apply to property bought at auction, and the vendor may keep 0.25% of the purchase price if you rescind during cooling-off, so getting advice early matters.

Once the contract is in place, the conveyancer runs the title search and property searches to confirm the legal owner and to reveal any encumbrances, easements or caveats that could affect what you are buying. They check the prescribed documents attached to the contract, including the section 10.7 planning certificate, calculate transfer duty (the NSW state tax on a property purchase that used to be called stamp duty, administered by Revenue NSW), and check whether any concession applies. They liaise with your lender and the other side, prepare the transfer documents, and complete settlement electronically through PEXA, the online platform used to lodge documents and transfer ownership.

This service suits anyone buying a home or unit in Sydney, from first-timers to seasoned buyers, and it works for houses, townhouses and strata-titled apartments alike. Where you are buying a unit or apartment, the conveyancer also reviews the strata records, levies and owners corporation disclosure that apply to strata title, because those can carry costs and obligations a standard house contract does not.

On price, many independent conveyancers quote a fixed professional fee for a routine purchase, so you know the cost of the work up front. That fixed fee typically covers standard professional work on a straightforward transaction. Government charges, search fees, transfer duty and other disbursements (third-party costs paid on your behalf) are additional and vary by property, so they are set out separately and in writing before you engage anyone. We never set or charge that fee ourselves; you can speak directly with the right professional.

If you would like a fixed-fee quote for a Sydney purchase, share a few details and you can request a quote from a licensed conveyancer or solicitor, usually within one business day.