Selling a property

Selling a property is one of the most significant transactions in your life.

Set out below are things you should consider when deciding who to choose to help you with the sale of property.

Can “disasters” happen if you don’t choose the right lawyers?

Yes. We have seen examples of people paying money to fix mistakes made because they didn’t use the right lawyers. To give a few examples, people have –

  • exchanged contracts to sell the wrong property;
  • signed contracts which require them to pay 12 months land tax instead of obtaining an adjustment from the purchaser;
  • sold property without “prescribed” documents – which allowed the contract to be rescinded;

All of these problems could have been avoided if the right advice had been obtained from the beginning.

Do you need to understand how the conveyancing process works?

Yes. That’s why we prepared a Guide to Selling Property – a booklet which helps you to understand how and when things happen and much more. It also gives you a better understanding of the processes involved in the sale of property so that you can be more confident in your dealings with agents, banks and others involved.

Won’t using any “lawyer” give the same result?

Not necessarily. Different law firms have different approaches to conveyancing. If you shop around on price you can find some law firms which are “cheaper” for conveyancing than other law firms. You should look behind any price difference to see what you are actually getting for your money.

In our experience the firms which advertise the lowest price either have minimal solicitor input (the cheaper price is often brought about by having inexperienced junior, non-qualified staff working on your transaction) or they do not take the time to take full instructions from you about the property and also may not be available to advise you properly and answer all your questions. You should be able to make an informed decision for one of the most important transactions of your life.

At Bull, Son & Schmidt who does the work?

We have struck a balance between professional and support staff to ensure your interests are protected. Together they draft your contract, and our lawyers negotiate amendments explain the contract and the process to you and supervise all stages of the transaction. (For more information on what we do, see below).

Our experience and quality assurance – how it helps you

All our property para-legals have worked in conveyancing for many years. Our lawyers are experienced and practical – we don’t use solicitors straight out of university, and we don’t use your conveyancing matter as a training ground for inexperienced solicitors.

Where does Bull, Son & Schmidt fit in the range of legal costs in the market place?

We are not the cheapest and we are not the most expensive. We believe (and so do our clients) that we provide a quality service at a reasonable price.

You may have phoned around to different firms asking the cost of legal fees for selling a property. Some firms give a telephone quote for costs and disbursements immediately. At first glance that sounds good but unfortunately conveyancing just isn’t that simple.

To give a realistic and accurate figure for costs and disbursements it is important to talk to you about the transaction. To do any different is to adopt a “cookie-cutter” approach.

To give a specific figure for costs and disbursements without talking to you about the transaction is a fundamentally flawed approach. To give some examples:

  • Do you need an up-to-date survey? That could cost $700 but could make the difference between finding a real buyer or just a “tyre-kicker”.

Having said that, we understand that you want some realistic indication of cost and we can set this out before the matter starts. If you would like to get an idea of the cost, give us a call.

Where do legal costs fit in the big picture of costs when selling property?

It is important to keep some perspective on where legal costs fit into the total costs which are payable associated with selling a property. Your other costs are likely to include agents commission and marketing fees and removalist charges.

In contrast to these figures, the legal fees likely to be charged are minor by comparison.

How can BSS help?

If you haven’t got a copy of our Guide to Selling Property booklet – contact us and ask for one. We can send it out to you or you can pick it up from our office. It is free for clients.

If you need any assistance contact one of our lawyers at [email protected] or call 02 9439 5299 for a no-obligation discussion and for expert legal advice.