Property & Conveyancing in NSW
Conveyancing in NSW
Conveyancing is the legal work of moving a property from one owner to another. We do it as solicitors rather than just conveyancers, which means if your matter ever gets complicated, you already have a full law firm behind you. We act for buyers and sellers right across NSW.
Catron Simmons Lawyers are conveyancing solicitors in Bella Vista, acting across the Hills District and all of NSW. Whether you’re a first home buyer, an investor, downsizing, or selling the family home, we handle the contract, the searches, the duty and the settlement, and we’re a full law firm if anything turns into a dispute. Pick your path below, or read the detailed guides to buying a property in NSW and selling a property in NSW.
For buyers
Buying a property in NSW
We review the contract before you sign, run the searches and stamp duty, and get you safely to settlement. Plus first home buyer help and how the cooling-off period works.
Read the buying guide
For sellers
Selling a property in NSW
We prepare your contract for sale and get the disclosure right, check your agency agreement, discharge your mortgage and settle the sale. Plus what selling costs and CGT.
Read the selling guide
Solicitor or conveyancer?
What is conveyancing, and do you need a lawyer for it in NSW?
Conveyancing covers everything from checking or drafting the contract, to the searches and enquiries, to the transfer of title at settlement. In NSW both a licensed conveyancer and a solicitor can do this work. The difference is what happens when a matter isn’t simple, and as a full law firm we can deal with the wider legal issues and act for you if there’s ever a dispute.
The contract, done right
We review the contract before you buy and prepare it before you sell, so nothing onerous or missing trips you up later.
One firm for the whole matter
Because we also handle wills and estates and family law, a transfer tied to an estate, a trust or a separation stays with the one team.
A senior lawyer, every time
We’re a small Hills District firm, so you deal directly with an experienced solicitor and get a straight answer without the wait.
What we handle
Conveyancing matters we act on
From a first apartment to a complex transfer, we cover the full range of residential conveyancing in NSW.
House and apartment purchases
Contract review, searches, stamp duty and settlement for buyers across NSW. See the buying guide.
Sales and contract preparation
Compliant contracts for sale, disclosure, mortgage discharge and settlement for sellers. See the selling guide.
Off-the-plan and strata
Careful review of sunset clauses, defects, by-laws and levies. Read about strata title.
Transfers and related dealings
Transfers between family members, related parties and trusts, prepared correctly with the right duty treatment.
The conveyancing process, in short
Most matters run the same way: the contract is checked or prepared, contracts are exchanged and a deposit is paid (with a cooling-off period on most private-treaty purchases), then searches and adjustments are sorted before title transfers at settlement through PEXA. The detail differs depending on which side you’re on, so see the full step-by-step for buying or selling.
What it costs
How much does conveyancing cost in NSW?
Our professional fee is fixed and we quote it up front. Disbursements and government charges are separate and depend on the property, and we set them out clearly so nothing surprises you at settlement.
Our professional fee Fixed
A fixed fee for handling your matter end to end, quoted before you engage us. This covers our work only.
Searches & disbursements
Title searches, planning certificates, council and water enquiries and similar. Usually a few hundred dollars.
Government charges
For buyers, transfer (stamp) duty and registration fees. For sellers, your bank’s mortgage discharge fee.
Why Catron Simmons
Why choose Catron Simmons for conveyancing
40+ years’ combined experience
Decades acting for buyers and sellers across NSW, including the tricky titles and contracts a lot of firms would rather avoid.
Admitted to the Supreme Court
We’re solicitors who appear in court, so if a matter ever turns into a fight, you’re already with people who can run it.
A prosecutor’s eye for detail
With a background in prosecution, we read a contract the way the other side will, and pick up what’s easy to miss.
Local to the Hills, acting across NSW
We’re in Bella Vista and easy to get to, and set up to act for clients anywhere in the state.
Common questions
Conveyancing in NSW: your questions answered
What is conveyancing?
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of property from one person to another. It covers checking or preparing the contract, doing the searches and enquiries, sorting the adjustments and duty, and transferring the title at settlement.
Do I need a solicitor or a conveyancer in NSW?
In NSW both can do conveyancing. A licensed conveyancer handles the transaction; as solicitors we do that and can also advise on the wider legal issues and act for you if there’s a dispute. For anything that isn’t completely straightforward, a law firm gives you more protection.
When should I get a lawyer involved?
As early as possible. For buyers, before you sign or bid; for sellers, before you go to market, because in NSW your contract has to be ready first. Early involvement is when we can fix problems rather than just react to them.
How much does conveyancing cost?
We give you a fixed professional fee before you engage us. Disbursements and government charges, like search fees and stamp duty, are separate and depend on the property. Full breakdowns are on our buying and selling guides.
Do you act for both buyers and sellers, and across NSW?
Yes. We act for buyers and sellers, and although we’re based in Bella Vista in the Hills District, we act for clients right across NSW.
How long does conveyancing take?
The time between exchange and settlement is set in the contract, and six weeks (42 days) is the usual, though it can be shorter or longer by agreement.
How Can We Help You?
We are an experienced boutique firm with a client driven focus. Located in the Hills District at Bella Vista servicing Sydney wide. Catron Simmons Lawyers offer you the knowledge, confidence and the straightforward advice you require.
Alternatively, you can give us a call on 0407 171 626 (Alicia) or 0407 534 594 (Michelle). We are open Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm but contactable 24/7.