Herne Hill Settlement Agent and Conveyancer

Who handles the paperwork on a property transfer

Herne Hill sits within the Swan Valley, roughly 20 km north-east of the Perth CBD. Buying or selling property is straightforward when the paperwork is handled properly, and stressful when it is not.

Our office is roughly 30 km to the south-west. Home appointments are usually workable, and remote settlements are just as straightforward.

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 Herne Hill. 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.

Settling Herne Hill property: the local picture

Herne Hill sits in the semi-rural belt on Perth’s eastern edge, where blocks are bigger, outbuildings are common and properties are sometimes used for more than just living in.

For sellers around Herne Hill, it pays to have the title checked at the point of listing. Where something needs correcting, doing it while the property is on the market is far less pressured than doing it against a settlement date.

Around here that usually means:

• sheds, outbuildings and structures added over time
• duty and GST treatment where land has been used for a business or production
• easements, access arrangements and boundary questions on rural-residential blocks
• shire rates and levy adjustments at settlement
• larger parcels, sometimes more than one lot on a single title

We would rather ask an awkward question in week one than explain an awkward answer in the final week, so the enquiries go out as soon as we have the contract.

Neighbouring areas we work in include settlement agent West Swan, Millendon, Middle Swan, Dayton and Brabham.

The paperwork, explained

Settlement is a process with a fixed date and a lot of moving parts. The list is long: title searches, enquiries to the council and Water Corporation, strata information where relevant, verification of identity, preparation of the transfer, duty assessment, settlement figures, settlement itself, then notification to the authorities and registration at Landgate.

Sellers need to complete a verification of identity check before a transfer can be registered. It is quick, but it has to be done by someone authorised, and leaving it to the last week creates unnecessary pressure.

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

Licensed in all aspects of conveyancing in Western Australia, we handle:

• Private sales – Where there is no agent involved, we handle the transaction between the parties.
• Transfer duty through State Revenue Online – We arrange stamping, so duty does not need to be paid before settlement.
• Application by survivorship – Transferring a property into the surviving owner’s name.
• 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.
• Vacant land settlements – Land purchases and sales, including contracts that are conditional on the title issuing.
• Title searches – Shelley can search a title and explain what is registered against it before you commit.

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

We are based in Myaree, roughly 30 km from Herne Hill. For clients here we are happy to come out for a home appointment, including on weekends, or to run the whole settlement remotely, whichever fits your week better.

Working remotely does not change the service. Documents are sent and explained by phone, signing is done electronically, and settlement in Western Australia is completed online, so nobody attends in person. Give Shelley a call on 0428 336 878 to discuss it.

We offer cost-effective and stress-free settlement

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

Frequently asked questions

I am buying acreage near Herne Hill. Is settlement different?

The principles are the same, but there is more to check. Water supply arrangements, easements and access, outbuildings, and how the land has been used all need looking at, and where a property has been used commercially the duty and GST position can differ.

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.

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 Herne Hill 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.