Conveyancing Brisbane: Buy or sell with confidence
Whether you’re buying or selling property, we’ll explain the contract in plain-English, manage key dates and responsibilities, and keep you updated at every milestone so you’re never left guessing.
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring property ownership from one party to another. In Queensland, that process changed on 1 August 2025 when the Property Law Act 2023 introduced a mandatory seller disclosure scheme (Form 2) for residential sales. Miss a document or a clause, and the contract can be terminated up to settlement. Our Brisbane conveyancing team reviews the contract before you sign, handles the paperwork, and walks you through every milestone from finance approval through to settlement day.
We work with buyers and sellers across Queensland including Ascot, Hamilton, Clayfield, Nundah, Banyo, Nudgee, Virginia, Kedron, Stafford, Chermside and surrounding Brisbane northside suburbs. You won’t be left guessing. We’ll explain the “why” behind the advice, give you clear next steps, and keep you updated as things progress.
What we help with
We support clients with the full range of residential conveyancing that North Brisbane buyers and sellers come across, plus the investment and family transfer work that sits around it.
Buying and selling property
- Residential and commercial conveyancing (purchase and sale after you sign)
- Contract reviews (before you sign)
- Drafting contracts and special conditions (before you sign)
- Related party transfers
- Review of Off-the-plan contracts
Seller disclosure and due diligence
- Preparation of Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statements
- Thorough due diligence to identify and manage risk early
Leases and property agreements
- Commercial and retail lease advice
- Lessor or lessee representation for new leases or subleases
- Amendment of leases
- Renewal of leases
- Surrender of leases
- Assignment of leases
Retirement Village, Manufactured Homes and Aged Care
- Review of Retirement Village documents (before you sign) and assisting with settlement
- Review of Manufactured Home documents (before you sign) and assisting with settlement
- Review of Aged Care documents
Property finance and security
- Bank guarantee and indemnity advice
- Personal Property Securities (PPSR) advice
Protecting your position
- Caveats
- Easements
You won’t be left guessing. We’ll explain the “why” behind the advice, give you clear next steps, and keep you updated as things progress.
What you’ll need
- A copy of the contract (or draft contract) or other relevant documents
- Property address and key dates (if known)
- Agent details (if applicable)
- Your ID details (for verification)
- Finance details (if a loan is involved)
- Any special conditions or concerns you want us to know and advise you about
Don’t worry if you don’t have everything yet, we’ll tell you what’s needed next.
Who we help
Our conveyancing work sits in the middle of the biggest financial decisions most people make. We help:
- First home buyers who are navigating their first contract, cooling-off period and stamp duty concession.
- Upsizers and downsizers selling one property while buying another, where simultaneous settlements and finance dates need to line up.
- Property investors adding to a portfolio, including trust and SMSF purchases that need the right ownership structure from day one.
- Families transferring property between relatives, including deceased estate transfers and separation-related transfers.
- Buyers of off-the-plan apartments and townhouses, where the contract, sunset clause and body corporate by-laws need close attention.
- Owners of subdivision or development-ready land, where title, easements and planning overlays all need to be checked before signing.
If you’re not sure which category you fall into, that’s fine. A short call is usually enough for us to tell you what you’ll actually need.
Common risks we help you avoid
- Missing key dates (deposit, finance, building & pest, settlement)
- Signing without understanding special conditions
- Selling a property without a Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statement in place prior
- Assuming something is included/excluded (fixtures, inclusions, adjustments)
- Overlooking contract clauses that create unexpected risk
- Last-minute settlement issues that delay handover such as insufficient funds to complete settlement
- Not knowing what to do when something changes (e.g., finance delays)
We’ll explain your options clearly and keep you updated so issues don’t turn into surprises.
How conveyancing works in Queensland (and where most problems start)
Queensland conveyancing runs on a standard sequence of dates. Miss one and the contract can be terminated, or you can lose your deposit. Here is how we manage it.
Contract review, before you sign
Most real estate agents will ask you to sign the REIQ Contract for Houses and Residential Land on the spot. We review contracts before signing wherever possible, and recommend clauses for finance, building-and-pest, due diligence, and any unusual conditions attached to the property.
Cooling-off period (buyers only)
Queensland residential contracts give the buyer a 5 business day cooling-off period, starting the day you receive the signed contract and ending at 5pm on the 5th day (Queensland Government). If you cancel inside the cooling-off period, the seller can deduct a penalty of up to 0.25% of the purchase price from your deposit. Cooling-off does not apply to auction purchases, or to contracts signed within 2 business days of an unsuccessful auction where you were a registered bidder.
Seller disclosure (Form 2)
From 1 August 2025, sellers of existing residential land in Queensland must give the buyer a Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statement and a suite of prescribed certificates before the contract is signed (Queensland Government; Property Law Act 2023). The statement covers matters like unregistered encumbrances, zoning, heritage listings, transport infrastructure proposals, tree orders and current rates. If the seller gets this wrong, the buyer can terminate the contract any time up to settlement. We prepare compliant Form 2 packs for sellers and sanity-check them for buyers.
Finance and building-and-pest conditions
Two clauses sink more Queensland contracts than any other. Finance dates are often too tight for the actual bank approval timeline, and building-and-pest reports often surface issues that need negotiation rather than a full termination. We manage the dates, review the reports with you, and draft the termination or price-reduction notice if needed.
Searches and due diligence
Title search, registered plan, rates and water certificates, land tax clearance, body corporate records (for units and townhouses), and any specific searches the property demands (contaminated land register, tree orders, heritage register). We order, read and explain them.
Settlement
Queensland settlements run on the PEXA electronic platform. We coordinate with your bank (or incoming lender), the seller’s solicitor, and, where relevant, the body corporate. On settlement day you get the keys, the seller gets the balance of the purchase price, and the title is transferred at Queensland Titles Registry.
Conveyancing costs and fees in Brisbane
Our residential conveyancing in Queensland is quoted clearly before we start, so you know what you are paying. The final figure depends on the type of property (house, unit, off-the-plan, vacant land), whether you’re buying or selling, and whether the transaction includes non-standard conditions (subdivision, SMSF purchase, complex special conditions, deceased estate).
On top of legal fees, Queensland buyers usually pay transfer (stamp) duty, title registration fees, search fees, and in most cases PEXA settlement fees. Sellers pay title search and discharge of mortgage fees and the costs of the Form 2 disclosure pack. We’ll give you an itemised estimate of these third-party costs at the start so there are no surprises.
For a conveyancing quote, contact the team and tell us whether you’re buying or selling, and the property type.
Conveyancing across Brisbane's Northside
Our office is located in Ascot, and our conveyancing team acts for buyers and sellers across Queensland and Brisbane’s Northside, including Ascot, Clayfield, Hamilton, Nundah, Banyo, Nudgee, Virginia, Kedron, Stafford and Chermside.
Why clients choose Kelly Lawyers
- Plain-English advice. We explain the contract and answer any questions so you’ll always know what a clause means for you.
- Proactive updates. We contact you when a milestone approaches, not the other way around.
- Local to Brisbane’s Northside. Our office is on Racecourse Road, Ascot.
- Full-service firm. Your property lawyer can call on our Family Law and Estates teams where a matter crosses over (trust restructures, separation-related transfers, estate property sales).
- Clear upfront pricing, with itemised third-party costs quoted upfront.
Common questions answered
How much does conveyancing cost in North Brisbane?
Residential conveyancing on Brisbane’s Northside is usually quoted upfront, with third-party costs (transfer duty, title search fees, PEXA settlement fees, registration fees) on top. The fee varies based on whether you are buying or selling, the property type, and whether any non-standard conditions apply. Ask for an itemised quote before you engage any conveyancer or property lawyer so you can compare like for like.
What is the cooling-off period in Queensland?
For residential property, buyers get a 5 business day cooling-off period, starting the day you receive the contract signed by both parties and ending at 5pm on the 5th day. You can cancel in writing by email, fax or in person. The seller can deduct a penalty of up to 0.25% of the purchase price from your deposit. Auctions and some post-auction private contracts are exempt (Queensland Government).
What is the Form 2 seller disclosure statement?
Form 2 is a mandatory disclosure statement Queensland sellers of existing residential land must give to buyers before the contract is signed, under the Property Law Act 2023, effective 1 August 2025. It covers title, zoning, unregistered encumbrances, heritage, transport proposals, rates and other prescribed matters. If the seller fails to give a compliant Form 2 and prescribed certificates, the buyer can terminate the contract any time up to settlement.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Queensland?
From 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers purchasing or building a new home can receive a full transfer duty concession with no value cap (Queensland Revenue Office). For an existing home, the first home concession applies where the home is valued under $800,000, saving eligible buyers up to $24,525. Eligibility rules apply, so confirm with your conveyancer before you sign.
How long does conveyancing take in Queensland?
Standard residential contracts in Queensland usually settle 30 to 60 days from signing. Off-the-plan settlements run on the developer’s build timeline, often 12 to 36 months. Cash purchases can settle faster. Your contract will specify the settlement date; we manage the work backwards from that date so everything is ready on time.
Can I do my own conveyancing?
Do I need a property lawyer or a conveyancer?
What areas of Brisbane do you cover?
Our Ascot office acts for clients across Queensland and Brisbane’s Northside, servicing clients in the areas of Ascot, Hamilton, Clayfield, Nundah, Banyo, Nudgee, Virginia Kedron, Stafford, Chermside and surrounding suburbs.
Contact our Property & Conveyancing team
Book a consultation (in person or via telephone); we’ll explain the next steps clearly and keep you informed at every milestone.