Skilled Conveyancing Services Pty Ltd

FIRST HOME BUYER
First Home Buyer Advice
Are you a first home buyer?

Being a first home buyer can be daunting. There are so many terms and concepts to get your head around. We'll help you understand them all so you can buy your first home with confidence.

Don't let buying your first home give you a headache. We'll simplify it for you.
We help you by:

Explaining how to check out a property thoroughly
Going through all the buying traps you need to be aware of
Explaining what Government Grants are available to you
Checking over the Vendors Statement before you sign
Protecting you with special conditions in your contract

Don't sign anything until you speak to us for "first home buying advice."
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SELLING HOME OR PROPERTY
We can assist you with selling home or property, including:

sale by auction or by private treaty
residential property
vacant land
commercial property
off-the plan subdivisions
units and houses under construction
property development
subdivisions from dual occupancy to multi developments
retirement unit

The most important document when you are selling your home is the Vendor Statement or Section 32. Your home cannot be sold without this. When selling your home, Skilled Conveyancing can assist you with the following important matters:

Preparing the Section 32 Vendor Statement (in most circumstances we can produce this in 24 hours)
Notifying the bank to prepare discharge documents once settlement has occurred
Accessing the early release of the deposit money if you are buying a new home
Applying for current rate and planning certificates before an auction

Don't get caught up in red tape. With our expert knowledge of conveyancing procedures and laws, let us help make selling your home easy.
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TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP is where you are transferring your property from one owner to two or similar, and is commonly used in situations where:-

one person transfers ownership to two (ie husband to husband/wife);
two people transfer ownership to one (ie husband/wife to wife);
mother and father transfer ownership to child or children.

A transfer of ownership between husband/wife, de facto couples, or couples living in a same sex relationship are exempt from stamp duty.

A transfer of ownership between all other persons will be subject to stamp duty. The stamp duty will be assessed by the State Revenue Office based on the current market value of the property
*********************************************************************SUBDIVISIONS
A Plan of Subdivision is usually drawn by a Licensed Surveyor who will on your behalf, liaise with the Council with respect to the Town Planning Permit and Plan of Subdivision requirements, liaise with the relevant service providers with regard to services to the property and attend to the lodgment of the plan with Council for certification.

Once the Plan of Subdivision has been certified by Council, we can assist you by preparing the Application for Subdivision, obtaining your mortgagee's consent to the subdivision (where necessary), and attend to having the Plan of Subdivision lodged at the Land Titles Office for registration purposes and the issue of separate Certificates of Title.
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OWNERS CORPORATION
Owners Corporation (formerly Body Corporate)


The new Owners Corporation Act 2006 was introduced from 21 December 2007 introducing new powers and functions which are aimed to ensure better management for the increasing number of multi dwelling and multi storey dwellings in the State of Victoria.

When a Plan of Subdivision containing common property is registered at the Land Titles Office, an Owners Corporation is created. One of many Owners Corporations can be created in any subdivision of land or buildings.

Owners Corporations manage common property and services in residential, commercial, retail, industrial or mixed use developments.

All Owners Corporations have statutory duties and powers as set out in the Owners Corporations Act 2006.
WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE BUYING A PROPERTY MANAGED BY AN OWNERS CORPORATION?
We suggest that before purchasing a property managed by an Owners Corporation you read thoroughly the Owners Corporation Certificate which will be incorporated as part of the Vendors Section 32 Statement. It is the responsibility of the owner who is selling the property to ensure that the Certificate is available to you before you sign a Contract.

The Certificate and the Owners Corporations Register contain important information about the fees, the allocation of lot liability and lot entitlements for the apartment or unit you are purchasing or any legal liabilities.

You should check:

The cost of living in the Owners Corporation
How well the Owners Corporation operates
The details contained within the Plan of Subdivision – you should check the boundaries of the lot and common property, location of easements and whether the allocation of lot entitlements and liabilities is fair and reasonable
The contents and conditions within the contract
The matters contained within the Owners Corporations rules
Any leases/licences of common property

LOT ENTITLEMENTS AND LOT LIABILITIES

The lot entitlements and lot liabilities are set out in the plan of subdivision.
“Lot entitlements” refers to your share of ownership of the common property and determines your voting rights.

“Lot Liability” represents the share of Owners Corporation expenses that each lot owner is entitled to pay. These entitlements and liabilities are determined by the developer at the time of subdivision.

COMMON PROPERTY

Common property includes any parts of the land, buildings and air space that are not lots on the Plan of Subdivision. Common property may include gardens, passages, alleys, pathways, driveways, stairs, lifts, foyers and fences. The common property is collectively owned by the lot owners as tenants in common. Floor coverings and fixtures within a lot are usually the property of the lot owner.