How Long Do Conveyancing Searches Take?

How long do conveyancing searches take?

Most searches take between a few minutes and about two weeks, and they run side by side rather than one after another. Your conveyancer orders them together, so the slowest certificate sets the pace, and that is usually one from a council, a water authority or an owners corporation.

Searches rarely hold up a well-planned settlement, because they fit inside the settlement period written into the contract. Our guide to how long conveyancing takes shows where searches sit in the overall timeline.

The work is also split between the two sides. The seller's conveyancer orders many of the core searches before the property is marketed, because most states require them to be attached to the contract or given to the buyer before signing. The buyer's conveyancer then checks those documents and orders anything extra, such as land tax, water account and updated strata searches, once the contract arrives.

How long does each search and certificate take?

The table shows the usual turnaround for the common searches, with the names used in NSW, Victoria and Queensland where they differ. Where the law sets a deadline, the table says so; the rest vary by provider and area.

Other searches depend on the property, such as flood, bushfire, heritage or contaminated land checks. For what the first and most basic search shows, see our guide to title searches.

Which searches come with the contract in each state?

In NSW, Victoria and Queensland, the seller must hand over key searches before the buyer signs, so the buyer's conveyancer can start reviewing straight away instead of waiting for results.

• NSW: a residential property cannot be offered for sale until the contract has been prepared, and the contract must attach the title search, drainage diagrams, the council planning certificate and any registered easements, covenants or restrictions affecting the lot.
• Victoria: the seller must give the buyer a Section 32 vendor statement before the buyer signs. It covers title, mortgages, easements, zoning and outgoings such as rates, and must include an owners corporation certificate for units and townhouses. See the Section 32 vendor statement explained.
• Queensland: since 1 August 2025, the seller must give a disclosure statement and prescribed certificates before the buyer signs, including the title search and survey plan, any pool safety certificate, and for units the community management statement and body corporate certificate.
• Other states: what the seller discloses differs, so the buyer's conveyancer or settlement agent may order more of the searches after the contract is signed. Our guide to seller disclosure requirements by state compares them.

Even when searches come with the contract, the buyer's conveyancer often orders some again closer to settlement, because a certificate shows the position only on the day it was issued.

How long do strata and owners corporation certificates take?

Strata certificates have deadlines set by law, which makes them more predictable than council searches. The clock starts when the owners corporation or body corporate receives the request and the fee.

• NSW: the owners corporation must give a strata information certificate within 14 days of receiving the application, under section 184 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.
• Victoria: an owners corporation must issue its certificate within 10 business days, under section 151 of the Owners Corporations Act 2006.
• Queensland: the body corporate must give a body corporate certificate within 5 business days, under section 205 of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997.

The certificate covers levies, special levies and other financial details for the lot. Many buyers also want a wider look at the scheme's records, such as meeting minutes, the capital works or sinking fund and any building defects. That is a separate strata inspection, and its timing depends on how quickly the records are made available.

Victorian buyers should also check the date on the certificate in the Section 32, because statements are sometimes prepared up to 12 months before the sale, and ask for an updated one before settlement. Our guides to owners corporation certificates and strata reports explain what to look for.

How long do conveyancing enquiries take?

Enquiries, called requisitions on title in NSW, are the formal questions the buyer's conveyancer sends to the seller's side, and they are usually answered well before settlement. How long they take depends on the contract and on how quickly the seller's conveyancer replies.

• NSW: under the standard contract, a form of requisitions attached to the contract is treated as already made. Other general questions about the property or title must be raised within 21 days after the contract date, or within 21 days after the seller serves the document they arise from.
• Other states: questions are raised under the terms of the contract or informally between the conveyancers. Because the seller's disclosure documents answer many questions upfront in Victoria and Queensland, it pays to raise anything else before signing.

Some answers can only be finalised near the end, such as confirming the seller's mortgage will be discharged, how the keys will be handed over and the final adjustment figures. If a reply is slow, your conveyancer will chase the other side, and anything that affects whether you proceed should be settled before the contract becomes unconditional. Questions about the contract itself are best raised before you sign; see how long a contract review takes.

What makes searches take longer?

Searches run late mostly at councils, water authorities and strata managers, where requests are handled by people rather than automatically. The usual reasons are:

• backlogs at a council, particularly in busy periods or while mapping or planning controls are being updated
• requests that need manual checking, which is more common for new developments, recently subdivided land and older properties
• errors in the application, such as a wrong lot and plan number, which hold things up until they are corrected
• a strata manager who is slow to provide records, or a small self-managed scheme with no manager at all
• a land tax charge that has to be cleared before a clean certificate can be issued
• the Christmas and New Year shutdown, when many offices close

Search delays are only one cause of a slow file. Finance, linked sales and the other side not being ready are covered in why conveyancing takes so long.

How to get searches back faster

Ordering early does more than anything else, because most of the waiting is time spent in a queue.

• Sellers: order before listing. Having the contract or disclosure documents ready means a buyer can sign as soon as they are ready.
• Buyers: engage a conveyancer before you sign. They can order extra searches the day the contract arrives.
• Pay for priority where it matters. Many councils offer urgent planning or rates certificates for an extra fee, which is worth considering on a short settlement.
• Give strata details early. The lot and plan number and the strata manager's contact details let the certificate be requested straight away.
• Leave room for land tax. Revenue NSW asks for clearance certificate applications at least 14 days before settlement.

ConveyDirect arranges fixed-fee quotes in every state and territory and responds within two business hours, so your conveyancer can have searches ordered before the deadlines start running. For a purchase, see residential purchase conveyancing.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules, fees and timeframes change and differ between states, so confirm your own situation with a licensed conveyancer, settlement agent or solicitor.