Residential Buying Settlement Services

Ideally, you should engage a settlement agent before signing the Offer and Acceptance. This allows us to review the contract and advise you on any potential issues or necessary amendments. However, we can still assist you effectively if you've already signed the contract. The earlier you engage us, the more we can help protect your interests.

Real estate agents market properties and facilitate the sale between buyers and sellers. They help you find a property and negotiate the purchase price and conditions. Settlement agents (or conveyancers) handle the legal transfer of property ownership after you've agreed to purchase. We manage the legal documentation, conduct searches, coordinate with banks, and ensure the property legally changes hands at settlement.

The standard settlement period in Western Australia is 30-42 days from contract acceptance, though this can be negotiated between buyer and seller. Some settlements can be completed in as little as 14 days if all parties are prepared, while others might take longer if there are complex issues to resolve. The settlement date is specified in your contract, and we work diligently to ensure everything is ready by that date.

No, you don't need to attend settlement in person. As your settlement agent, we attend on your behalf and handle all aspects of the settlement process. With e-conveyancing through PEXA, many settlements now occur electronically, eliminating the need for physical attendance altogether. We keep you fully informed throughout the process and notify you immediately once settlement has been completed.

Settlement delays can occur for various reasons, including finance issues, document errors, or incomplete conditions. If a delay occurs, we immediately identify the cause and work with all parties to resolve it as quickly as possible. We keep you informed throughout and, if necessary, negotiate an extension of the settlement date. In some cases, penalty interest may apply if one party causes the delay, but we work to minimize any financial impact.

We conduct various searches to protect your interests, including title searches, local government searches, water corporation searches, and strata searches (if applicable). These searches reveal important information about the property, such as encumbrances, easements, zoning restrictions, outstanding rates, and planned developments that might affect the property. Identifying these issues before settlement allows us to address them appropriately and ensure you're fully informed about your purchase.

Beyond the purchase price, buyers should budget for: settlement agent fees, transfer duty (stamp duty), Landgate registration fees, search fees, mortgage registration fees (if applicable), and adjustments for council rates, water rates, and strata levies. Our settlement statement provides a detailed breakdown of all costs before settlement. First-time homebuyers may be eligible for stamp duty concessions, which we can advise on.

The pre-settlement inspection (usually conducted a few days before settlement) allows you to verify that the property is in the same condition as when you agreed to purchase it and that all included fixtures and fittings are present. You should check that all appliances are working, any agreed repairs have been completed, and the property is clean and vacant (unless otherwise agreed). If issues are identified, we can negotiate with the seller's representative to resolve them before settlement.