Settlement Agents for Hilton Buyers and Sellers

Settlement agents for buyers and sellers

Part of Perth’s southern suburbs, Hilton sits roughly 15 km south-west of the Perth CBD. 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, about 4 km to the north-east, 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 Hilton. 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 kind of settlements we handle here

Suburbs like Hilton 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

In practice, most Hilton settlements come down to doing the routine work well: searching the title, checking for anything registered against it, obtaining the rates, water and any strata figures, arranging duty and having everything ready before settlement day rather than on it.

None of this is complicated, but all of it is time sensitive. Most settlements that run late do so because something was requested a fortnight later than it should have been, not because the transaction was difficult.

We also act for buyers and sellers nearby in conveyancing in O’Connor, Samson, White Gum Valley, Beaconsfield and Fremantle.

The work behind a settlement that runs on time

Once a contract is signed, a series of searches, enquiries and payments have to happen in the right order. Searching the title and any restrictions on it, arranging for anything that should not stay on the title to be removed, obtaining rates, water and levy figures, preparing the settlement statement and the transfer, attending to duty, completing settlement and notifying the authorities afterwards, all sit with us rather than with you.

If settlement is going to be late, the contract usually has something to say about it, including interest. Telling us early gives us room to sort it out; telling us on the day does not.

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:

• 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.
• 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.

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

We come to Hilton clients rather than expecting them to come to us. From our Myaree office, about 4 km away, we can meet you at home, including on weekends, to go through the documents and complete the verification of identity check required of sellers.

Prefer to keep it simple and do it all by phone and email? That is entirely workable. Settlement itself is completed electronically in WA, so nobody has to attend in person. Call Shelley on 0428 336 878 to sort out a time.

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.

How long does settlement take?

The settlement date is set in the contract rather than by us, and in Western Australia it is commonly somewhere between 30 and 60 days from an accepted offer. We work backwards from that date, and we will tell you early if anything threatens it.

Can you act for me if I am selling and buying at the same time?

Yes, and it is common. Where a sale and a purchase are linked, the two settlements need to be coordinated carefully, which is easier when one agent is running both.

Don’t have time to get to an office?

Our services include Hilton 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.