Mandurah Conveyancing and Property Lawyers

Mandurah is a waterside city an hour south of Perth, built around the Peel Inlet and a network of canal estates. For a buyer in another state, the first document is an Offer and Acceptance form from the agent, and in WA that form is the contract.

Optimum Lawyers is a Parramatta property law firm that acts on Western Australian purchases, sales and transfers for clients who live in other states. Settlement is completed electronically.

How a Mandurah purchase runs

The selling agent usually writes your offer on the standard Offer and Acceptance form, and once the seller accepts it you are bound. WA law does not require a cooling-off period, so the only protection is the conditions written into the offer: finance, building inspection, timber pest, and anything specific to the property. WA Consumer Protection warns that some finance wording treats a loan offer as approval, which can make the contract binding earlier than you expect.

Checks that are specific to Mandurah

• Canal homes. Check the title for any easements or restrictions over the waterway frontage, and whether jetties and other structures were approved.
• Flood and coastal risk. Low-lying land around the estuary and the canals can be exposed. Get an insurance quote for the address before your conditions run out.
• Strata and survey-strata. Many villas and townhouses are strata or survey-strata. The seller must give you the prescribed disclosure before you sign.
• New estates. Land in the newer estates can carry restrictive covenants and developer building guidelines.

Lawyer or settlement agent?

WA has a long-established settlement agent profession, and on a straightforward purchase a good settlement agent does the job well. A property lawyer can also advise on the offer before you sign, negotiate its conditions, and act for you if the sale is disputed. With no cooling-off, that advice has to come before the seller accepts.

Selling a Mandurah property from interstate

At least two RCDs must protect the power and lighting circuits before the title transfers, and compliant mains-powered smoke alarms must be in place before the sale. For a strata lot, the buyer must get the prescribed disclosure before signing. Every seller needs an ATO clearance certificate, or the buyer must withhold 15% at settlement.

Transfers without a sale

We also act on transfers between partners, after a separation, from a deceased estate, and into or out of a trust or self-managed super fund. WA duty can apply even where no money changes hands, so get advice before anything is signed.

What clients say about our WA work

“Wisam and team are fantastic, supported a tenanted dual-occupancy WA settlement and delivered well!”

Mia Charles, Google review

Questions about conveyancing in Mandurah

Is there a cooling-off period when you buy in Mandurah?

No. WA law does not require one. You can ask for a cooling-off clause in your offer, but the seller does not have to accept it.

Do I need a settlement agent or a lawyer?

Either can handle a WA settlement. A lawyer can also advise you on the contract and act for you if something goes wrong.

What does a WA seller have to do before transfer?

Install at least two RCDs and have compliant smoke alarms, and give the prescribed disclosure if the property is a strata lot.

Can a NSW law firm act on a WA property?

Yes. NSW and WA are both part of the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

Related: WA interstate conveyancing | Perth | Bunbury | Contract review | Property lawyers Australia