Conveyancing Guides

Conveyancing Guides · Page 13

Practical, plain-English guides to conveyancing in Australia, covering settlement, contracts, stamp duty, title searches and the specific schemes available to first home buyers.

Browse the most-asked conveyancing questions by topic

7 October 2025

Using Equity in One Property to Buy Another

How lenders assess and register usable equity in an existing property when you use it to help fund the purchase of another one at settlement.

Planning Certificates Explained

What a planning certificate shows about zoning, hazards and development controls, and why reviewing one matters before you buy or sell a property.

Buying Property Near a Mine or Resource Project

What to check before buying near a mine or resource project, including tenements, access rights, noise and dust, and disclosure obligations.

WA Foreign Transfer Duty Surcharge Explained

How Western Australia's foreign transfer duty surcharge applies to foreign buyers of residential property, and who is affected by the extra duty.

ACT Commercial Transfer Duty Thresholds Explained

How commercial transfer duty works in the ACT, the tax-free threshold for lower-value transactions, and why that threshold keeps rising over time.

Documents You Need for Settlement: A Checklist

A clear checklist of the documents buyers, sellers and conveyancers need ready before settlement, from identification to loan and insurance paperwork.

Guarantor Home Loans and Title Implications

How a guarantor home loan affects title, mortgage registration and settlement, and what conveyancers need from a guarantor before contracts exchange.

Conveyancer vs Solicitor: What Is the Difference

Is a conveyancer a solicitor? No. Here is how a licensed conveyancer differs from a property solicitor, and which one you need when buying a house.

Professional Indemnity Insurance for Conveyancers Explained

Why conveyancers must hold professional indemnity insurance, what it covers, and how it protects clients if a mistake happens during a transaction.

A Checklist for Downsizing Sellers

A practical checklist for homeowners downsizing, covering timing, contract terms, finances and settlement coordination between your sale and next purchase.

Tasmania Foreign Investor Duty Surcharge Explained

How Tasmania's foreign investor duty surcharge applies on top of standard transfer duty when a foreign person buys residential property in the state.

Unapproved Structures Found During Due Diligence

What happens when a shed, deck, granny flat or other structure turns out to lack council approval during due diligence, and the options that follow.

Right of Carriageway Easements Explained

A right of carriageway is an easement letting a neighbour cross part of your land on foot or by vehicle. What it means and how it shows on title and plan.

What Happens If Special Conditions Aren't Met Before Settlement

What happens when a finance, inspection or other special condition in a property contract isn't satisfied in time, and what buyers and sellers can do next.

How Long Can a Settlement Be Delayed?

No fixed limit applies, but once the date passes the ready party can usually serve a notice to complete. Notices, interest and your options by state.

Using a Term Deposit as Security Instead of a Cash Deposit

How a term deposit can be used as security instead of a cash deposit, and what this means for your contract terms and the conveyancing process.

Undisclosed Easements Found After Exchange

What it means when an easement affecting your property is discovered after contracts are exchanged, and what options buyers and sellers realistically have.

Buying a Service Station Franchise Property

Key due diligence for buying a service station franchise property: environmental site checks, licensing, franchise agreement terms and GST treatment.

Buying a Self-Storage Facility

What buyers should check before purchasing a self-storage facility in Australia, from zoning and licensing to occupancy schedules and GST on the sale.

Buying a Strata Title Unit: A Buyer's Checklist

A strata purchase adds a strata report, by-laws and building fund checks to standard conveyancing. Here is what buyers should review before exchange.

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