City Peak Conveyancing · Guides · NSW
NSW buying guides: contracts, finance and settlement
Everything to check before you sign, bid or settle on a NSW property.
For buyers
Buying in NSW
Pre-Settlement Inspection Checklist (NSW)
A pre-settlement inspection is your final look at the property, usually in the last few days before settlement, to check that it is in the same condition as when you…
Read guide →02 · BuyingWhat Happens If You Cannot Get Finance in NSW?
In NSW, the standard contract for sale does not make your purchase conditional on finance, so if you exchange and your loan is not approved, you are still bound to…
Read guide →03 · BuyingHow Much Deposit Do You Need to Buy in NSW?
The standard deposit on exchange in NSW is 10% of the purchase price, paid to the seller's agent or conveyancer to hold in trust until settlement. You can ask the…
Read guide →04 · Buying & sellingThe NSW Contract for Sale Explained
Most NSW property sales use the standard Contract for the Sale and Purchase of Land published by the Law Society of NSW and REINSW, plus special conditions added by…
Read guide →05 · BuyingSection 66W Certificate in NSW
A section 66W certificate is a document signed by the buyer's own solicitor or licensed conveyancer that waives the 5 business day cooling off period on a NSW…
Read guide →06 · BuyingBuying Off the Plan in NSW
Buying off the plan means signing a contract for a property that has not been finished, or sometimes not started. NSW gives off the plan buyers extra protections: a…
Read guide →07 · Buying & sellingConveyancer or Property Lawyer in NSW?
In NSW, both licensed conveyancers and solicitors can handle the legal work of buying or selling property. A licensed conveyancer specialises in property…
Read guide →08 · BuyingJoint Tenants vs Tenants in Common in NSW
If you buy property with someone else in NSW, you hold it either as joint tenants, where you own it together and the survivor automatically takes the whole property…
Read guide →09 · BuyingChanging the Buyer's Name After Exchange in NSW
Once contracts are exchanged in NSW, the people named as buyers are legally bound, and changing who buys, adding someone or changing ownership shares usually needs…
Read guide →10 · Buying & sellingExchange vs Settlement in NSW
Exchange of contracts is when the buyer and seller each sign identical copies of the contract and it becomes legally binding, usually with the buyer paying the…
Read guide →11 · BuyingFirst Home Buyers in NSW: A Plain English Guide
First home buyers in NSW may pay no transfer duty, or reduced duty, under the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme, depending on the property's value and whether you…
Read guide →12 · Buying & sellingPassed In at Auction in NSW: What Happens Next?
A property is passed in when bidding stops below the seller's reserve price. The highest bidder is usually invited to negotiate first, and if a contract is signed…
Read guide →13 · Buying & sellingSelling and Buying at the Same Time in NSW
The most common way to sell and buy at the same time in NSW is to line up both settlements on the same day, linked in PEXA so the sale funds pay for the purchase. It…
Read guide →14 · BuyingCooling Off Period in NSW: How It Works and What It Costs
When you buy residential property in NSW by private treaty, you usually get a cooling off period of five business days after exchange, or ten business days for off…
Read guide →15 · BuyingStrata Reports in NSW: What They Show and What They Miss
A strata report is an inspection of the owners corporation's records, done before you buy an apartment, townhouse or strata duplex in NSW. It shows levies, special…
Read guide →16 · BuyingBuying a Duplex in NSW: Torrens, Strata, Community or Company Title?
A new duplex in NSW is usually sold either as Torrens title, where each half has its own separate title and no owners corporation, or as strata title, where the two…
Read guide →17 · Buying & sellingSettlement Day in NSW: How Long It Takes and What Happens
In NSW, settlement usually happens about 6 weeks (42 days) after contracts are exchanged, although the parties can agree on a shorter or longer period. On the day,…
Read guide →18 · BuyingTitle Insurance in NSW
A practical guide to Stewart Title information, the questions to ask and the limits to understand before you decide.
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Whether you're buying, selling, or still working out whether the contract in your inbox is any good — send it through. We'll come back to you with something useful.
City Peak Conveyancing
- Phone
- 02 8999 3380
- Post
- PO Box 126
Padstow NSW 2211 - Hours
- Monday to Friday
9:00am – 5:00pm
Sending us a contract?
Email the full PDF from the agent — including the annexures and the planning certificate — to info@citypeakconveyancing.com.au, and let us know if there's an auction or offer date we're working to.