Settlement Agents for Menora Buyers and Sellers

Settlement agents for buyers and sellers

Menora sits about 3 km north of the Perth CBD, in Perth’s inner 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.

With our office roughly 14 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 Menora. 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.

What is typical of titles and transfers here

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

Typical local settlements look like this:

• adjusting strata levies and identifying any special levy
• off-the-plan and staged-completion apartment purchases
• survey-strata rear lots and shared driveway arrangements
• established green-title homes with older notifications on the title
• investment properties sold with tenants in place

The difference matters. A strata settlement means obtaining information from the strata company, checking levies and any special levies, understanding what the by-laws allow and adjusting the levies at settlement. Those documents come from a third party and they are the single most common reason an otherwise simple settlement runs late, so we request them as soon as the contract is signed.

So the order of work matters. Strata information is requested immediately, the title search goes out at the same time, and the rates, water and levy figures are chased rather than waited on. Adjustments are then calculated to the day and set out clearly in your settlement statement.

We also act for buyers and sellers nearby in conveyancing in Inglewood, Dianella, Coolbinia, Mount Lawley and Joondanna.

What you can expect from us

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

Rates, water and strata levies are adjusted at settlement, so a buyer reimburses the seller for the portion of the year already paid. It surprises people, so we set it out clearly in the settlement statement rather than leaving it as a line item.

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.

Our conveyancing services

For your property, we can help with:

• Court order transfers – Transfers arising from a separation or family court order.
• 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.

Every one of these is quoted before we start, so you know the cost before you commit to anything.

Signing documents without the trip

Not everyone can get to an office between nine and five, and you should not have to. Our office is in Myaree, roughly 14 km from Menora, and we offer home appointments, including weekends, to sign documentation and to complete the verification of identity check sellers need, so there is no trip to Australia Post.

If it is easier to do everything remotely, that works too. Settlements in Western Australia are completed electronically, so you will not need to attend settlement itself. Call Shelley on 0428 336 878 to arrange a time that suits you.

We offer cost-effective and stress-free settlement

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

Your questions answered

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.

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.

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 Menora 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.