Conveyancing is the process of transferring legal title of property from one person to another. So once you’ve found a property, a professional conveyancer can act on your behalf to review the contract of sale and, provided you proceed, lodge legal documents and settle the property purchase for you.
Conveyancing can also be done by a solicitor.
Anyone can do their own conveyancing, and DIY kits are available, although they generally provide only guidance material. It's critical to make sure your understanding of the contract is 100% correct, so think carefully about the risks involved and consider whether you'd be better off employing a full-time conveyancer or solicitor who has professional indemnity insurance to protect you should they make a mistake.
If you do choose to use a conveyancer, they must hold an appropriate licence in order to do your conveyancing work. You can generally perform a licence check on your state or territory’s Fair Trading (or equivalent) website – ask the conveyancer for their licence name and number to complete this.
Note that a conveyancer can usually only give you advice about the property transfer, whereas if you use a solicitor for your conveyancing work then they can advise you about the property transfer as well as other potentially related legal matters such as sales contract terms and tax.
Conveyancing typically involves, among other things:
Costs will vary between solicitors and conveyancers. In addition to the service fee, you’ll also need to pay ‘disbursements’ that might include items such as a title search. It’s a good idea to ask your conveyancer to provide you with a breakdown of all likely costs before you set them to work for you.
Home-in offers market-leading conveyancing, with contracts reviewed in six business hours and a dedicated buying assistant who’ll respond to your queries within one business hour – built to ensure a less stressful , secure, and simpler home buying experience.
Things you should know
This article is intended to provide general information of an educational nature only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice. As this information has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should, before acting on this, consider the appropriateness to your circumstances.
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