Settlement, handled
Buying, selling or going off the plan in New South Wales. A lawyer reviews your contract before you sign, and runs the transaction through to settlement.
A conveyancer cannot advise you on legal issues outside the transaction. A lawyer can.
What actually happens, and when
A conveyance is a series of dated steps. Missing one costs money, and some of them cannot be undone.
Contract review
Before you sign or make an offer.
Exchange
Contracts swap and a deposit is paid.
Cooling-off
A short window applies to many residential purchases.
Finance and searches
Unconditional approval, plus searches and certificates.
Settlement
Funds and title transfer, usually electronically.
The dates are not fixed
The cooling-off period and the steps that apply depend on the contract, the property and whether the purchase is at auction. Do not rely on a figure from a website, including this one.
General information, not legal advice. This page sets out how the law generally applies. It does not take account of your circumstances, and you should get advice about your own situation before acting on it. The official sources this page is written from are listed on it; where they differ from anything here, they are the authority.
Buying and selling are different jobs
If you are buying
The contract is drafted by the seller’s side. Our job is to find what it does to you before you are bound by it.
- Contract and section 10.7 planning certificate reviewed before you sign
- Strata report and building report advice for the property type
- Special conditions negotiated where they matter
- Settlement figures checked and adjustments verified
If you are selling
You cannot market a property in New South Wales without a contract prepared and the required documents attached.
- Contract for sale prepared with the prescribed documents
- Advice on disclosure obligations and what must be attached
- Responding to the buyer's requested amendments
- Settlement coordinated with your bank and agent
Property transactions
Houses, units and townhouses, including auction purchases where there is no cooling-off.
Preparing the contract and attachments, then running the sale to settlement.
Longer settlements, sunset clauses and the disclosure rules that apply to off-the-plan contracts.
What a strata search reveals, and which findings should change your offer.
Transfer duty, and whether a first home or other concession may apply to you.
The steps in order, the traps, and what the paperwork actually commits you to.
Real conversations.
Clear next steps.
Explain where you are now, ask the questions that matter to you, and understand what to prepare next.
Recognition of
Jameson Law.
Recognition received by Jameson Law and its team. My Conveyancing Lawyer is a service of Jameson Law. Award years and categories are shown on the original badges.
Read before you sign anything
What a contract review actually checks
The clauses, certificates and attachments that decide what you are buying. Also on this site: what to have ready before a contract review.
Cooling off, and when there is none
Why buying at auction removes the safety net, and what that means for your finance.
Off-the-plan: sunset clauses and disclosure
What can change between signing and completion, and what protection you have.
Common questions
Lawyer or conveyancer?
Licensed conveyancers can carry out conveyancing. A lawyer can also advise on issues that sit outside the transaction, such as a dispute, an estate, a trust or a company structure. If your matter is straightforward, either may suit; if anything is unusual, the difference matters.
How long does settlement take?
The settlement period is set by the contract and is negotiable before exchange. Off-the-plan contracts run much longer. We will tell you what your contract provides.
Do I get a cooling-off period?
Many residential purchases in New South Wales have one, but it does not apply to purchases at auction, and it can be waived. The length and the conditions depend on the contract and the legislation, so check rather than assume.
What is transfer duty going to cost me?
Transfer duty is calculated by Revenue NSW on the value of the property, and concessions may apply to first home buyers and some other purchasers. Use the Revenue NSW calculator for an indication and we will confirm the position for your purchase.
Send us the contract
If you have a contract for sale, send it through and we will quote and tell you what to look at first.