Settlement Agents for Alfred Cove Buyers and Sellers

Settlement agents for buyers and sellers

Alfred Cove sits about 10 km south-west of the Perth CBD, in Perth’s southern suburbs. When a property goes under offer, someone has to search the title, deal with the rates and water, arrange duty and get the transfer registered. That is our job.

Our office is in Myaree, just up the road from Alfred Cove, and we can come to you to sign documents, including on weekends.

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 Alfred Cove. 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.

What is typical of titles and transfers here

Suburbs like Alfred Cove sit in Perth’s middle ring, where the original blocks have gradually been developed and the titles now show a mix of original green title and newer survey-strata lots.

Typical local settlements look like this:

• survey-strata rear lots and shared driveway arrangements
• villa and townhouse strata settlements, including levy adjustments
• rates, water and levy adjustments calculated to the settlement date
• older titles carrying notifications or encumbrances worth explaining before settlement
• subdivided lots being sold individually

That mix is why we do not treat any two Alfred Cove settlements as identical. An original green-title home, a rear survey-strata lot and a villa in a small group all settle differently, and the checks that matter change with each.

Practically, that means the title search goes out immediately, enquiries to the council and Water Corporation follow, strata figures are requested where there is a strata company, and the adjustments are calculated to the day so nobody pays for a period they did not own.

We handle settlements in the adjoining suburbs too, including conveyancing in Myaree, Melville, Ardross, Applecross and Booragoon.

What a settlement agent actually does

Once a contract is signed, a series of searches, enquiries and payments have to happen in the right order. We search the certificate of title and check what is registered against it, raise enquiries with the local shire or council, Water Corporation and any strata company, prepare and lodge the transfer documents, attend to transfer duty through State Revenue Online, calculate the adjustments so rates, water and levies are shared fairly to the day, and complete settlement electronically.

The dates that catch people out are usually not the settlement date. Finance and building inspection conditions have their own deadlines earlier in the contract, and missing one of those causes far more trouble than anything that happens in the final week.

Electronic settlement is now the standard process in Western Australia, so nobody has to physically attend a settlement any more. It happens online, and we confirm it with you as soon as it is done.

Conveyancing services, start to finish

Licensed for all aspects of conveyancing in WA, the work we take on includes:

• Strata settlements – Apartments, villas and survey-strata lots, including strata information and levy adjustments.
• Green title and strata title subdivision – Settlements on newly created lots, including subdivision work.
• 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.
• Title searches – Shelley can search a title and explain what is registered against it before you commit.
• Transfer duty through State Revenue Online – We arrange stamping, so duty does not need to be paid before settlement.

If what you need is not on that list, ask anyway. Most property questions have a straightforward answer, and it costs nothing to find out.

Signing documents without the trip

Not everyone can get to an office between nine and five, and you should not have to. Our office is in Myaree, just up the road from Alfred Cove, and we offer home appointments, including weekends, to sign documentation and to complete the verification of identity check sellers need, so there is no trip to Australia Post.

If it is easier to do everything remotely, that works too. Settlements in Western Australia are completed electronically, so you will not need to attend settlement itself. Call Shelley on 0428 336 878 to arrange a time that suits you.

We offer cost-effective and stress-free settlement

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

Common questions from clients

Can you tell me what is registered against a property before I make an offer?

Yes. A title search is inexpensive and quick, and it will show ownership, encumbrances and any notifications. It is a sensible first step if anything about the property is unclear.

Do I have to attend settlement?

No. Settlements in Western Australia are completed electronically, so neither buyers nor sellers attend in person. We complete it online and confirm it with you as soon as it is done.

When do I need to appoint a settlement agent?

As soon as your offer is accepted, and ideally before. The earlier we have the contract, the sooner we can order searches and raise enquiries, which is where the time goes.

Don’t have time to get to an office?

Our services include Alfred Cove 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.