As part of the conveyancing process your solicitor will calculate a settlement amount, which is the amount the buyer must pay for the property at settlement, taking into account adjustments for things such as, rates, water charges and body corporate fees. Your solicitor will provide you with a settlement statement prior to settlement that details how the settlement amount has been calculated.

As a specialist property law and conveyancing law firm we deal with a lot of buyers, some who are experienced investors, whilst many are new to the property market and very unsure about the process. Our job is to make the buying process as easy as possible for you, so we thought we’d put together a few tips on making an offer on a property.

Good public transport can improve the livability of an area, and indirectly increase property prices by increasing the demand there is to live there. It’s essential infrastructure in any metropolitan area.

We’ve written before about the different searches a solicitor will undertake as part of the conveyancing process when you purchase a property. One of these searches that must be undertaken as part of the process is a land tax clearance search. If you are taking out a mortgage to finance your purchase your mortgagee will require this prior to settlement, but in most cases your solicitor will undertake this search even if you are not taking out a mortgage in order to avoid you taking on a land tax liability.

You only have to open a newspaper, turn on the TV, or do a quick Google search to see the latest news on the growth of property prices along the east coast. While Sydney is grabbing the headlines, more recently the Gold Coast has streaked ahead, with a huge growth in prices being attributed to the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Finding houses to buy or rent is easy. Finding the perfect house to buy or rent that suits the specific wants and needs of everyone who’ll live in it is the real challenge.

As part of the conveyancing process, your solicitor will undertake several searches of the property that you are buying to ensure the property is free from defects and all costs are accounted for prior to settlement. One of the searches they will undertake is a council rates and water search.

The distinction between fixtures and chattels is incredibly important when it comes to property law and conveyancing, as under the law fixtures are part of the land and will remain with it, meaning when you purchase the property you also purchase these fixtures as part of the transaction.