Settlement Agents for Forrestdale Buyers and Sellers

The settlement side of buying or selling

Located roughly 25 km south of the Perth CBD, Forrestdale forms part of Perth’s south-eastern 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.

We are based in Myaree, roughly 17 km to the north-west, and home appointments are part of the service.

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 Forrestdale. 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.

Forrestdale in practice: the settlement work we do here

Forrestdale is an established Perth suburb, and its settlement work reflects that: mostly straightforward transfers of established homes, with subdivision and rear-lot activity in the pockets where blocks allow it.

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

Where a Forrestdale property has been created out of a larger block, the settlement involves the newer lot’s own title and any shared arrangements that came with the subdivision, such as a common driveway or shared services. Those are easy to deal with when identified early.

So we front-load the work. Searches and enquiries go out as soon as we have the contract, which leaves room to deal with anything unexpected long before settlement day.

We also act for buyers and sellers nearby in Piara Waters settlements, Hilbert, Harrisdale, Champion Lakes and Haynes.

Who does what once your offer is accepted

A settlement agent takes over once the offer is accepted and carries the transaction through to registration. That means searching the title and any restrictions on it, arranging for anything that should not remain on the title to be removed, obtaining rates, water and strata figures, preparing the settlement statement and transfer documents, arranging duty, completing settlement and notifying the authorities of the change of ownership.

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.

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.

Conveyancing services, start to finish

For your property, we can help with:

• Application by survivorship – Transferring a property into the surviving owner’s name.
• Court order transfers – Transfers arising from a separation or family court order.
• Home settlements – Transfers of established houses, duplexes, townhouses and villa strata, for buyers and for sellers.
• 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.

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.

Meeting and signing, made simple

Our office is roughly 17 km from Forrestdale, 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

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.

What happens if the other side is not ready on settlement day?

It happens, and the contract usually deals with it, including interest for the delay. The important thing is that you tell us as soon as you know, because a problem raised early can normally be worked around.

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.

Don’t have time to get to an office?

Our services include Forrestdale 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.