Settlement Agent Floreat

Offer accepted in Floreat? This is the next step

Located about 7 km west of the Perth CBD, Floreat forms part of Perth’s western suburbs. Once an offer on a Floreat property is accepted, the transaction moves from the real estate agent to a settlement agent, and that is where we come in.

With our office about 12 km to the south, we can meet you at home, including weekends, or handle everything remotely.

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 Floreat. 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.

The local detail behind your settlement

The property mix around Floreat is varied, and the difference between a green title, a survey-strata lot and a built-strata apartment changes the settlement process quite noticeably.

The consequence for buyers in Floreat is that the paperwork tells you what living there will cost and what you are allowed to do. Levies, planned works and by-law restrictions on things like pets, parking or short-stay letting are all worth reading before the contract becomes unconditional.

Settlements we regularly handle around here include:

• investment properties sold with tenants in place
• strata company information, certificates and by-laws
• adjusting strata levies and identifying any special levy
• off-the-plan and staged-completion apartment purchases
• survey-strata rear lots and shared driveway arrangements

Everything else is routine: title search, council and Water Corporation enquiries, duty through State Revenue Online, settlement figures, then settlement itself. Done in the right order, it is unremarkable, which is the point.

The same applies in the surrounding suburbs: conveyancing in Wembley, West Leederville and City Beach.

Who does what once your offer is accepted

The job of a settlement agent is to transfer ownership of the property and to make sure nothing is missed on the way. 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.

Where a strata company is involved, request the information the day the contract is signed. It comes from a third party, it takes as long as it takes, and it is the most common cause of a late settlement.

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.

Settlement services we provide

For your property, we can help with:

• Lodgement at Landgate – Preparation and lodgement of documents for registration.
• Strata settlements – Apartments, villas and survey-strata lots, including strata information and levy adjustments.
• Home settlements – Transfers of established houses, duplexes, townhouses and villa strata, for buyers and for sellers.
• Buying – Everything from the accepted offer through to registration of your name on the title.
• Selling – Private homes, commercial property and deceased estates, with documents signed at a time that suits you.
• Green title and strata title subdivision – Settlements on newly created lots, including subdivision work.
• Title searches – Shelley can search a title and explain what is registered against it before you commit.

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.

Appointments to suit you

Our office is about 12 km from Floreat, which makes home appointments easy, including outside business hours and on weekends. We will bring the documents to you, explain what you are signing and complete the verification of identity check sellers require.

Everything can also be done remotely if you would rather not meet in person. Settlements in WA are completed electronically, so there is nothing to attend on the day. Call Shelley on 0428 336 878.

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

Are strata levies adjusted at settlement?

Yes. Levies, along with council rates and water, are apportioned to the settlement date, so each party pays for the period they own the property. It appears on the settlement statement and we go through it with you.

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.

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.

Don’t have time to get to an office?

Our services include Floreat 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.