Often the most difficult part of purchasing a home is finding one that suits your requirements and needs. Are there enough bedrooms? Where is it located? Is it within your budget?
But once you’ve found a property you’re interested in – what comes next?
Conditions
You may need to insert conditions to suit your needs as a purchaser and protect your interests.
At Greenhalgh Pickard we can prepare a complimentary contract review as part of our conveyancing service and review the conditions you wish to insert prior to you making an offer.
This can make you feel more comfortable with the transaction!
Funds
Depending on your circumstances you may need to borrow from a lender. In addition to the purchase price, you will also need to contribute transfer duty to the Queensland Revenue Office (“QRO”) and title registration fees to Titles Queensland. We will calculate these payments for you and pay these fees as part of the settlement process.
If you’re planning to live in the property, you may be eligible for a home, or first-home concession on transfer duty, which will reduce the amount payable to the QRO.
Acceptance
If the seller accepts your offer, you and the seller enter into a contract. Congratulations! You now need to prepare for settlement. If your contract is conditional you need to satisfy these conditions (ie undertaking a building and pest inspection).
We will guide you through all of the necessary steps as the transaction progresses for you and communicate with the seller’s solicitor and agent.
Settlement
Prior to settlement we will order searches to calculate outstanding balances associated with the property (e.g., rates, water). Any debts owing on the property will be paid out at settlement and ensures you inherit the property free of these outstanding balances. Standard searches are incorporated into our fixed-fee structure; however, you may wish to order additional searches to know more about the property. We will always inform you of the additional searches available and confirm if you would like to order any.
With the e-conveyancing mandate coming into force on 20 February 2023, settlement will most likely occur via PEXA (Property Exchange Australia). PEXA is an electronic lodgment network and doesn’t require the physical signing of transfer documents or exchanging of cheques. Greenhalgh Pickard has been using PEXA for years and it is already standard for us to use PEXA, meaning the mandate will be a smooth transition for us!
Settlement involves the transfer of the property on the title and discharging or adding any mortgages as required. So, your lender will be invited to participate in the electronic settlement and help facilitate the financial aspect of settlement. Without getting too technical, the lender will upload the loan funds required to settle and the transfer document will get lodged electronically at the same time as money exchanges “hands”.
The beauty of e-conveyancing is that we can act for any property conveyance in Queensland regardless of location and we don’t need to schedule a time to meet the bank’s representative. This removes complications and time-delays that in-person meetings can cause and makes it more likely for settlement to occur on time! We will notify you and the agent when settlement occurs, and the property is officially yours!
Contact Greenhalgh Pickard today for a conveyancing quote.
Greenhalgh Pickard’s Conveyancing Team
