Buying a house isn’t just about paying the property’s value. There are other costs involved that all buyers should be aware of. 

A property lawyer from Pitt Street Conveyancing will be able to guide you through the process, as well as take care of most of the paperwork, phone calls and legwork for you. By engaging an experienced conveyancer, your interests will be protected and they will do everything they can to complete your transaction as quickly as possible. 

If you are considering engaging a conveyancer for your purchase, you’ll likely next have to consider “how much does conveyancing cost when buying a house?”. The process of buying property is no small feat, and it’s likely one of the biggest financial decisions you will make. The benefits of using a conveyancer is that they will take the stress out of buying property. 

 

How Much Does Conveyancing Cost When Buying a House?

The exact conveyancing fees you can expect will change from property to property and for each individual purchase. There’s no set figure, but you can get a free, no-obligation quote from us to give you a better idea of what to expect.

That’s the best thing about an experienced conveyancer – they will be able to provide a fully-personalised service and charge you only for the specific requirements of your individual purchase. 

 

Fees to consider when buying a house

There are a number of fees involved in buying a property, from acquiring legal documentation to paying duties and rates. Consider these expenses when budgeting for your purchase:

• The value of the property
• Conveyancing and the legal fees involved
• Stamp duty
• Building and pest inspection of the property
• Mortgage registration fee
• Transfer fee
• Loan application fee
• Mortgage insurance
• Council and utility rates (quarterly)

 

What is the process for buying a house?

There are many steps in the purchase process. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect and how Pitt Street Conveyancing assists you to ensure everything runs smoothly.

 

Before you exchange contracts with the vendor

• Speak to your lender and work out how much you can borrow and what you can pay for a property.
• Ask your lender for a loan pre-approval. This pre-approval will usually be conditional, so make sure you discuss your options with your lender.
• Once you have found your property and negotiated the price, contact us so we can arrange to review the contract and negotiate any amendments.
• Let your lender know that you have found a property and ask for an unconditional loan approval.
• Organise a pest and building report (if you’re buying a house) or a strata report (if you’re buying a unit, apartment, villa or townhouse). We can assist with this if needed.
• Once you are ready to proceed, you will have to organise the deposit, which is paid on exchange, and sign the contract. We will guide you through this process and arrange for contracts to be exchanged.

 

After you exchange contracts with the vendor

• Arrange to sign the loan and mortgage documents with your lender. We will help you satisfy any requirements.
• If you are a first home buyer you may be eligible for the First Home Owners Grant. You can check your eligibility here: www.osr.nsw.gov.au. We can assist you to complete and submit your application if you are eligible.
• We will order and check any remaining searches.
• We will liaise with you prior to the settlement date to obtain the funds for the payment of stamp duty and the balance of the settlement monies.
• We will arrange for the Contract and transfer to be stamped in readiness for settlement.
• We will liaise with your lender and the seller’s solicitor or conveyancer to coordinate settlement.
• Then arrange a final inspection of the property with the agent for the day of settlement.

 

Settling your property purchase

• You will then organise with the agent to collect keys and any alarm codes to your new property.
• We will attend the settlement and deliver to the seller’s solicitor the settlement money. In return, we will receive the certificate of title and signed transfer.
• We will let you and the agent know that settlement has taken place.

 

After settlement

• If you have purchased the property with the help of a mortgage, we will lodge the Transfer and Notice of Sale with the Department of Lands and then send you your Title Deed once registered.
• We will send you a letter reporting on the settlement.
• We will arrange to forward payments of council rates, water rates and strata levies (if appropriate) to the relevant authority.

 

If you have any questions about buying a property, and specifically surrounding the the cost of conveyancing when buying a house, get in touch with Pitt Street Conveyancing today for a free quote and to discuss your options.