Every step from before you list to the day your money lands: who does what, when it happens, and where the traps are. Find your stage and see what comes next.
Stage 1 of 8
A contract and Section 32 must be finalised before your property can be sold.
NextstepTell us about the property and how you plan to sell. We order the title searches and certificates the law requires, then draft your Section 32 and Contract of Sale. The Section 32 is your legal disclosure to buyers: title, covenants, easements, owners corporation, notices, outgoings.
Watch out. Selling at auction? Buyers sign on the spot with no cooling-off, so the contract and Section 32 must be final before auction day.
NextstepWe draft both documents and send them to you to check and sign. A buyer cannot sign until they are ready. Getting them right up front prevents disputes and delays later.
Settlement length, deposit amount, what is included and excluded, and any special conditions you need. Your choices here shape the rest of the timeline, so raise anything unusual with us early.
Your property cannot be sold without a finalised contract and Section 32. We prepare both, for a fixed fee. Get your quote in under a minute.
Get your fixed-fee quote›Stage 2 of 8
The property is sold, but a few things still need your attention right away.
Usually 10%, held in the agent’s trust account until settlement. If the deposit is not paid on time, the buyer is in breach: penalty interest can apply, and in serious cases the contract can be ended. Tell us if you hear the deposit is late.
The buyer can withdraw within 3 clear business days of signing a private sale contract. If they do, they forfeit the greater of $100 or 0.2% of the price, and the rest of any deposit comes back to them. Once cooling-off passes, the sale is locked in.
Risk stays with you until settlement is complete, not the buyer. If the property is damaged before settlement you are responsible for rectification, and substantial damage can even give the buyer a right to end the contract. Do not rely on any insurance the buyer holds.
Watch out. Do not cancel your building insurance until we confirm settlement is complete.
Everyone selling property in Australia needs a clearance certificate from the Australian Taxation Office. Without it, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price at settlement and pay it to the ATO, whatever your actual tax position. Each seller needs their own. Email us a copy as soon as it arrives.
Watch out. Certificates can take up to 28 days, so apply today. Selling as a trustee, executor or company? Check the names and capacity with us before applying.
Stage 3 of 8
If the contract has conditions, they are the buyer’s to satisfy. Mostly, you wait.
If the contract is subject to finance, the buyer must get unconditional loan approval by the due date. If they cannot, they may validly end the contract with the correct written notice, and the deposit comes back to them. We watch the dates and tell you the moment anything moves.
A building and pest condition lets the buyer end the contract for major structural defects found in time. Maintenance items do not qualify. If an issue is raised, we refer it to you with options before anything is agreed.
NextstepOnce cooling-off has passed and any conditions are met, the contract is unconditional. Both sides are committed to settling. We let you know the moment it happens.
Stage 4 of 8
Once the contract is unconditional, we get to work. Most of it happens behind the scenes, but a few steps need you.
We will send you a secure onboarding link, which covers uploading your identity documents, completing a short verification questionnaire, and signing the client authorisation that lets us sign the Transfer of Land on your behalf. Checks required under Australia’s anti-money laundering laws run in the background. They apply to every buyer and seller, through every firm, and occasionally prompt a follow-up question, for example about who owns or controls a company or trust. Settlement cannot proceed until onboarding is complete, so start as soon as the link arrives.
Settlement cannot happen until your lender is ready to release the mortgage, and lenders can take several weeks. Tell yours the property has sold, authorise them to deal with us directly, include every loan account number, and make sure every borrower and any guarantor signs the discharge authority. If you would like the deposit released to you early under section 27, tell us when you request your discharge.
Watch out. If there is any chance the payout exceeds your net sale proceeds, tell us urgently. Lenders confirm payout figures only a day or two before settlement.
NextstepWe prepare the Transfer of Land and lodge your details with the State Revenue Office. You will get an email titled “Invitation to sign Duties Form”. It is legitimate. Check the details and click Agree, or tell us if anything is wrong.
NextstepSettlement happens electronically through PEXA. The PEXA Key app is the secure channel for nominating the account for your sale proceeds and receiving settlement updates. We also confirm your account details with you verbally.
Property settlements are a common target for email fraud. Our account details will not change during your transaction. If an email asks you to redirect money or reports changed bank details, do not act on it. Call us on a number you already have first.
Already a client?
Check your emails from us for what needs you, or reply to any of them if something is unclear.
Stage 5 of 8
The numbers get real.
Do not pay council rates, water, owners corporation fees or land tax in the three weeks before settlement. Adjustments are calculated in this window, and payments made during it can become overpayments that stay with the property. From settlement day, those bills belong to the buyer.
NextstepThe statement of adjustments apportions rates, water and any owners corporation fees between you and the buyer at settlement day. We check it, send it to you with a full breakdown of your proceeds, and ask you to approve it before settlement.
NextstepYour lenderYour lender confirms the mortgage payout a day or two out. The payout, agent’s commission, our fee and adjustments come out of the sale price, and we confirm your net proceeds before settlement day.
Stage 6 of 8
One last inspection by the buyer. Keep the day itself flexible.
The buyer is entitled to inspect at any reasonable time during the 7 days before and including settlement day. The property must be in substantially the same condition as the day the contract was signed, fair wear and tear excepted. Leave it clean and tidy, keep every inclusion in place, and remove anything excluded.
Unless the contract says otherwise, the buyer is entitled to vacant possession at settlement. Be fully moved out, and leave all keys, remotes and manuals with your agent.
The exact time of settlement can move on the day. Build in as much flexibility as you can.
Stage 7 of 8
Settlement happens electronically, with nothing for you to attend. Go about your normal day. We notify you the moment it completes.
NextstepYour lenderMoney and title change hands in PEXA. The buyer’s funds come in, your mortgage is paid out, and the transfer registers. We confirm the moment it completes.
Once we confirm settlement, the agent hands the keys to the buyer. The property is theirs.
NextstepYour net sale proceeds are deposited to your nominated account on settlement day. Mortgage payout, agent’s commission, our fee and adjustments have already come out of the sale price.
Stage 8 of 8
A few legal, financial, and practical tasks still need attention. We handle most of them.
NextstepWe notify council, the water authority and any owners corporation of the change of ownership. Rates and levies from settlement day are the buyer’s responsibility.
Disconnect electricity, gas and internet in your name from settlement day, and cancel your building insurance once we confirm settlement is complete. You may also want to request mail redirection from Australia Post.
Selling a major asset changes your estate position. This is a natural time to consider your estate planning. We would be happy to help you with this.
NextstepBuying next? Send us the contract and Section 32 before you sign. We review them free, same day, and we can line the two settlements up.
Your property cannot be sold without a finalised contract and Section 32. We prepare both, for a fixed fee.
Already a client? Everything on this page happens automatically on your file. Check your emails from us for what needs you.
General information about Victorian residential conveyancing, current at July 2026. It is not legal advice about your purchase. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.