Melville Settlement Agent

Conveyancing and settlement for property owners

Melville is part of Perth’s southern suburbs, roughly 10 km south-west of the Perth CBD. An accepted offer in Melville is the start of the settlement process, not the end of it, and the weeks that follow are where the detail matters.

With our office just up the road to the east, 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 Melville. 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.

Local knowledge that matters in Melville

Property in Melville is typically an established home on a suburban lot, so settlements here usually turn on getting the standard checks done properly and on time rather than on unusual title issues.

In practice, most Melville 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.

The work that comes across our desk most often here:

• established green-title transfers
• 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

The same applies in the surrounding suburbs: Willagee, Myaree, Alfred Cove, Attadale and Kardinya.

What we take care of for you

Between the accepted offer and settlement day sits several weeks of unglamorous, deadline-driven work. 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.

One practical tip for buyers: do not book removalists for first thing on settlement day. Settlement happens when the funds and documents are exchanged, and until it does, the keys are not yours to collect.

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.

What we can help you with

Whether it is a home, a block of land or a strata lot, we can help with:

• 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.
• Buying – Everything from the accepted offer through to registration of your name on the title.

Not sure which of these applies to your situation? Call and describe the property, and we will tell you what is involved.

In person or over the phone, your choice

We come to Melville clients rather than expecting them to come to us. From our Myaree office, just up the road 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:

What buyers and sellers ask us most

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.

Can I use a settlement agent if there is no real estate agent involved?

Yes. Private sales are common and we handle them regularly. Without an agent in the middle, having the contract and the paperwork done properly matters more, not less.

Don’t have time to get to an office?

Our services include Melville 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.