Tips for working with your solicitor during conveyancing
It’s essential to choose a solicitor who specialises in property law and conveyancing. They will conduct the many searches on your behalf and will also check there are no issues with caveats, covenants and easement surveys.
Keep in mind your solicitor will not visit the property. You need to be their eyes and ears and provide them with as much information as possible so they can undertake any additional searches that may be necessary – if the property is near a railway line, they can conduct a Rail search and if it is near a service
station, a contaminated land search. Your solicitor may not necessarily undertake the relevant searches if you do not highlight any potential risks.
Based on the information you provide, here are some of the checks your solicitor may conduct:
• Title search
• Survey plan search
Standard local council search (rates, resumptions, notices to undertake work)
• Department of Transport search (for possible resumptions)
• Land Tax search In the case of a body corporate:
• Body Corporate Information Certificate (basic body corporate search)
• Certificate of Classification search
• Community Management Statement search (by-laws and exclusive use areas)
• Body corporate records search. Depending on the property you are purchasing, it might be wise to obtain
additional searches, for example:
• Contaminated lands search – if there is a possibility that a toxic
activity may have been conducted on the site
• Rail (or relevant State equivalent) search – if the property adjoins or is near a railway line
• Building approvals search There are many traps when signing a contract, which can be very costly. Ensure you find a reputable property lawyer and provide them with as much information as possible regarding the property.
