5 things your conveyancer should do for you

All in all, a conveyancer is there to look after YOU during the stressful process of buying or selling a property. We are not all expected to be property whiz kids - meaning, conveyancers are aware that most people do not possess conveyancing qualifications, and therefore are not quite sure of what they have to do during a property transfer process.

There are five main things a conveyancer should do for you while they are under your appointment. Keep these in mind as the main reasons why you have appointed a conveyancer in the first place, and ask the conveyancer for regular updates if you don't understand how the process works.

1. Carry out a Title Search on your property

The first thing your conveyancer should do when you are buying a property is to carry out a title search to ensure the seller is really the owner of the property - you can never be too careful.

A simple title search is often enough to find any other issues that the property or the transfer process might have.

2. Detail the service fees for conveyancing

Get a quote from your conveyancer before you appoint them to the job. If the conveyancer has a decent idea of what transaction you are trying to achieve, they should have a very good idea of how much the process will cost you.

Get these details in writing first, so that there are no unpleasant surprises when the final bill comes in.

3. Tell you the steps to take next and keep you informed

It is the role of your conveyancer to let you know how the process is progressing. Your conveyancer will negotiate settlement dates on properties and those sorts of things. If you notice your conveyancer is not giving you regular comprehensive updates - ask them to do so. It is your right, and it is an integral part of the service you are paying money for.

4. Detail Government fees or payments

Things such as the First Home Owners Grant are the responsibility of your conveyancer to negotiate, and to provide you with the necessary paperwork.
As a rule, the conveyancer should also detail any government costs separately to their own conveyancing costs within your initial fee quote.

5. Ensure the property is transferred into or out of your name

Whether you are buying or selling a property, before you pay the final invoice to your conveyancer ask to see proof of the property title transfer. If you are buying the house, it should now be in your name. If you have sold the house, it should now be in the name of the next buyer.

Before hiring a conveyancer it's a good idea to check that they will cover all of these standard tasks for you.