The Lakes Settlement Agent and Conveyancer

Who handles the paperwork on a property transfer

The Lakes lies roughly 45 km east of the Perth CBD, within the Perth Hills. Buying or selling property is straightforward when the paperwork is handled properly, and stressful when it is not.

With roughly 52 km between The Lakes and our Myaree office, everything is handled remotely: documents by email, explanations by phone, signing electronically. Call us to talk it through.

Buying or selling a house is a lengthy and complex process and obtaining professional advice will help ensure your smooth and successful property settlement in The Lakes. The main job of a settlement agent is to transfer the ownership of the property and depending on whether you are buying or selling has various different components.

How local property shapes the settlement process

Around The Lakes the lots are generally bigger and the ground steeper than on the plain, and that changes what has to be checked before settlement rather than what the house looks like.

That means the title search on a The Lakes property earns its keep. Easements, rights of carriageway, bushfire-related notifications and encumbrances are all more common on hills titles than on a standard suburban block, and every one of them needs to be identified and explained before settlement rather than discovered afterwards.

Around here that usually means:

• checking that sheds, workshops and other structures line up with the approvals held
• shire rates and emergency services levy adjustments at settlement
• properties on onsite wastewater rather than a scheme sewer connection
• transfers where the land is bush-adjacent and the title carries bushfire-related notifications
• title searches on larger and irregular parcels, including access and rights of carriageway

Practically, that means we order the title search early, read what is registered against the land rather than skimming it, put the questions to the shire in writing, and tell you in plain terms what each item means for you. Where something needs attention, you will hear about it while there is still time to do something about it.

We settle property across this pocket of Perth, including settlement agent Gorrie, Beechina, Chidlow, Mount Helena and Swan View.

What happens between offer and settlement day

Most of what a settlement agent does happens quietly in the background, which is exactly how it should feel. We check the title and anything registered on it, deal with the council, Water Corporation and any strata company, complete the verification of identity requirements, prepare and lodge the transfer, arrange transfer duty through State Revenue Online, produce the settlement statement, settle, and notify the authorities of the change of ownership.

Rates, water and strata levies are adjusted at settlement, so a buyer reimburses the seller for the portion of the year already paid. It surprises people, so we set it out clearly in the settlement statement rather than leaving it as a line item.

The one thing we ask is that you come back to us quickly when we need something. Everything else, including settlement itself, is handled at our end.

Licensed for all aspects of conveyancing in WA

The full range of settlement and conveyancing services is available to The Lakes clients:

• Lodgement at Landgate – Preparation and lodgement of documents for registration.
• Home settlements – Transfers of established houses, duplexes, townhouses and villa strata, for buyers and for sellers.
• Title searches – Shelley can search a title and explain what is registered against it before you commit.
• Vacant land settlements – Land purchases and sales, including contracts that are conditional on the title issuing.
• Selling – Private homes, commercial property and deceased estates, with documents signed at a time that suits you.
• Buying – Everything from the accepted offer through to registration of your name on the title.
• Application by survivorship – Transferring a property into the surviving owner’s name.

Shelley handles these personally rather than passing them down a chain, which is why clients tend to deal with the same voice from start to finish.

How it works when you are further out

The Lakes is roughly 52 km from our Myaree office, so we look after clients here remotely, and it works well. Documents are sent to you, explained over the phone, and signed electronically. Verification of identity can be completed without a trip to an office, and we will tell you exactly what is needed.

Settlement itself is completed electronically in Western Australia, so there is nothing to attend on the day and no need for anyone to travel. Distance genuinely does not change the service, only the way we get the paperwork to you. Call Shelley on 0428 336 878 and we will talk through how it would work for your property.

We offer cost-effective and stress-free settlement

We are licensed in all aspects of conveyancing in Western Australia. Other services that we offer:

Quick answers for buyers and sellers

What should I check on the title of a hills property?

More than you would on a standard suburban block. Access arrangements, easements, rights of carriageway and any notifications registered against the land all matter on larger hills parcels. We search the title and explain what is on it in plain terms before you are committed.

Who tells the council and Water Corporation about the change of ownership?

We do, as part of the settlement. You do not need to contact them yourself, although you will want to arrange your own connections for power, gas and internet.

What does a settlement agent cost for a The Lakes property?

Our fee depends on the property and what the transaction involves, so we quote before you commit. Ask for a quote and you will get a clear figure rather than an estimate that moves later.

Don’t have time to get to an office?

Our services include The Lakes home appointments, including weekends to sign confusing documentation and to conduct a verification of identity check for sellers to avoid going to Australia post. However, we are also able to work remotely to do all this over the phone or in person.