Geelong Conveyancing and Property Lawyers

A lot of Geelong’s new housing is in its growth areas, and a contract for land or a house and land package carries risks that a contract for an established house does not.

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

Buying land or house and land

Armstrong Creek and the Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas are the city’s main growth areas. Before you sign a contract for a lot that is not yet registered, check:

• The plan. How much the developer can change the lot’s size, levels and easements before registration.
• The sunset date. What happens to your deposit and your price if registration runs late.
• The covenants. Design guidelines and building deadlines that bind you once you own the lot.
• The build contract. If it is a package, the land contract and the building contract are separate documents with separate risks.

The Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution that applies in seven Melbourne councils does not apply in Greater Geelong. Windfall gains tax can still apply to land that has been rezoned, and a seller cannot pass an assessed liability on to the buyer.

Buying an established home

• Section 32. The vendor statement is given before you sign. If it is missing, incomplete or inaccurate, the contract is not binding on the buyer.
• Older suburbs. Heritage overlays in areas such as Newtown and Geelong West limit what you can alter.
• The coast. Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads are inside the City of Greater Geelong. Torquay is in Surf Coast Shire, with a separate planning scheme.

Victorian contract basics

The cooling-off period is 3 clear business days from the day you sign, and you forfeit the greater of $100 or 0.2% of the price if you withdraw. There is none at auction. Since 1 October 2026 the agent must disclose the seller’s reserve price at least 7 days before an auction or fixed-date sale.

Selling a Geelong property from interstate

The Section 32 must be complete and accurate. On a contract under the threshold the seller’s land tax cannot be passed on to the buyer. Every seller needs an ATO clearance certificate, or the buyer must withhold 15% of the price at settlement. You sign from home.

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. Victorian duty can apply, so get advice first.

Lawyer or conveyancer?

A conveyancer can handle a simple purchase well. Land and house and land contracts are written by the developer’s lawyers and run to many pages of special conditions. A property lawyer can tell you which ones matter, ask for changes, and act for you if the lot or the timing is not what was promised.

Questions about conveyancing in Geelong

Does the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution apply in Geelong?

No. It applies in Cardinia, Casey, Hume, Melton, Mitchell, Whittlesea and Wyndham.

What should I check in a contract for unregistered land?

The sunset date, how the deposit is held, how much the plan can change, and the covenants and building deadlines that come with the lot.

How long is the cooling-off period?

Three clear business days from the day you sign. You forfeit the greater of $100 or 0.2% of the price if you withdraw.

Is Torquay covered by the same planning rules as Geelong?

No. Torquay is in Surf Coast Shire, which has its own planning scheme.

Do I need to come to Geelong?

No. Documents are signed where you live and settlement is electronic.

Related: Property lawyers Geelong | VIC interstate conveyancing | Interstate conveyancing | Melbourne | Contract review | Property lawyers Australia