Settlement Agents for Whitby Buyers and Sellers

Settlement agents for buyers and sellers

Located roughly 40 km south of the Perth CBD, Whitby forms part of Perth’s southern 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.

From Myaree it is roughly 32 km to Whitby, so we can either come to you or handle the signing by phone, email and electronic signature.

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 Whitby. 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 local detail behind your settlement

Around Whitby, contracts frequently involve new lots, recently created titles or land where the deposited plan is still working its way through, and that changes how settlement dates behave.

Typical local settlements look like this:

• house-and-land contracts and the timing between land settlement and build start
• new-lot titles created from a deposited or survey-strata plan
• first home buyer duty concessions and grant timing, confirmed with RevenueWA
• developer covenants and design guidelines noted against the land
• keeping finance approval valid while titles are pending

It also changes what we check. A new lot means confirming the plan has been registered and the title has issued in the correct name, that the developer’s requirements have been satisfied and that any design covenants noted against the land are understood by the buyer before settlement.

The rest is the standard sequence: searches, council and Water Corporation enquiries, duty through State Revenue Online, settlement figures and settlement itself, all prepared so that when the title does issue, nothing is holding things up.

The same applies in the surrounding suburbs: conveyancing in Karrakup, Mundijong, Cardup, Byford and Jarrahdale.

Who does what once your offer is accepted

Conveyancing is the work of transferring ownership properly, and most of it is invisible to the parties. We check the title and anything registered on it, deal with the council, Water Corporation and any strata company, complete the verification of identity requirements, prepare and lodge the transfer, arrange transfer duty through State Revenue Online, produce the settlement statement, settle, and notify 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.

Because settlements are completed electronically in WA, where you live in relation to our office makes no difference to how your settlement is handled.

Conveyancing services, start to finish

Not every transaction is a straightforward house sale, so we cover the rest of it too:

• Buying – Everything from the accepted offer through to registration of your name on the title.
• Transfer duty through State Revenue Online – We arrange stamping, so duty does not need to be paid before settlement.
• Strata settlements – Apartments, villas and survey-strata lots, including strata information and levy adjustments.
• Selling – Private homes, commercial property and deceased estates, with documents signed at a time that suits you.
• Title searches – Shelley can search a title and explain what is registered against it before you commit.
• Private sales – Where there is no agent involved, we handle the transaction between the parties.
• Lodgement at Landgate – Preparation and lodgement of documents for registration.

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

Settling a property from anywhere in WA

We are based in Myaree, roughly 32 km from Whitby. 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:

Quick answers before you call

Am I eligible for first home buyer concessions?

That depends on the property, the price and your circumstances, and the rules are set by RevenueWA rather than by us. Tell us what you are buying and we will point you to the current position rather than quoting figures that change.

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.

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 Whitby 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.