MyRate Education Centre

Conveyancing

When taking a home loan you are advised to enlist the help of a solicitor or a conveyancer. They will look after the transfer of ownership for the title/property for you.

It’s up to you to make a choice between a solicitor and a conveyancer, but you should consider the level of expertise: a conveyancer focuses only on conveyancing.

When should you get a solicitor/conveyancer?

• Get your finance pre-approved first so you can look around for properties within your budget.
• After pre-approval and before you sign the contract of sale, you should find a solicitor/conveyancer.

Be sure to choose someone who:

• Can provide the level of service you’re after
• Is accessible/local
• Is someone you can communicate with easily and that you are comfortable with – this will save you a lot of stress!

Once you have made that decision, their duties include:

• Checking your loan documents (ideally, however not all will do this)
• Checking the contract of sale
• Liaising between yourself and the lenders solicitor
• Performing title searches
• Acting as your legal representative for the transaction
• Checking if there are any rates outstanding on the property (e.g. water, council…)
• Checking the contracts for adverse clauses
• Helping you understand the process, and answering any questions you have