We'll match you with a vetted property conveyancer — free, no obligation. Compare fees and settle with confidence.
They read every clause before you sign — catching issues that could cost you thousands or lock you into an unfair deal.
Title searches, stamp duty lodgement, settlement coordination — they manage the entire legal process so you don't have to.
Your conveyancer coordinates with your broker and the seller's solicitor to make sure settlement day goes smoothly.
Free. No obligation. Solicitors respond within 24 hours.
Takes 60 seconds. Tell us your state and where you are in the process.
A NestPath vetted conveyancer who specialises in first home buyers will review your details.
Your conveyancer reaches out within 24 hours with clear, honest guidance.
"Our solicitor found a clause in the contract that would have locked us into paying for repairs the seller was responsible for. Saved us at least $8,000."
"I had no idea I needed to arrange my solicitor before making an offer in NSW. NestPath connected me with someone who explained everything in plain English."
"Settlement day was completely stress-free. Our conveyancer handled everything and we just showed up to get the keys. Couldn't have done it without them."
A conveyancer handles every legal step between accepting an offer and getting the keys. In Australia they are licensed specialists in property law — they do nothing but settlements, so they know exactly what can go wrong and how to protect you. For most first home buyer purchases, a licensed conveyancer is all you need.
For the full end-to-end picture of each step, read our complete guide to conveyancing in Australia.
The short version: a licensed conveyancer is cheaper and specialises in property only, while a solicitor has a broader legal qualification and is worth the extra cost for complicated or contested purchases. Both carry professional indemnity insurance, so either is safe for the standard case.
| Feature | Conveyancer | Solicitor |
|---|---|---|
| Specialisation | Property law only | All legal matters |
| Typical cost | $800–$1,500 | $1,000–$2,500 |
| Best for | Standard purchases | Complex purchases, disputes, deceased estates |
| Qualification | Licensed conveyancer (diploma + licence) | Law degree + admission to practise |
| Insurance | Professional indemnity | Professional indemnity |
Use a solicitor if your purchase involves a deceased estate, boundary dispute, complex strata structure, or commercial-residential crossover. Otherwise a licensed conveyancer is faster and cheaper — and you can ask them to escalate to a property lawyer if something unusual comes up mid-purchase. If the property is strata, also grab a strata report first: our strata report guide explains what to look for.
Conveyancing fees for a first home buyer purchase typically sit between $800 and $1,500 as a fixed fee, plus around $200 to $500 in disbursements (search fees, certificates, PEXA and registration fees paid to third parties). State pricing varies because search costs and title complexity differ — NSW is the most expensive because of strata and planning certificate requirements.
| State | Conveyancer fixed fee | Typical disbursements |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | $1,200–$1,800 | $300–$500 |
| VIC | $800–$1,500 | $250–$450 |
| QLD | $800–$1,400 | $250–$400 |
| WA | $900–$1,500 | $250–$450 |
| SA | $800–$1,400 | $200–$400 |
| TAS/ACT/NT | $800–$1,500 | $200–$450 |
What the fixed fee includes: contract review, all title and planning searches, stamp duty calculation and lodgement, liaison with your lender and the seller's solicitor, PEXA settlement attendance, and the transfer of title registration. It does not usually include bank settlement fees, lender-side legal fees (often $200–$400 added to your loan by the bank), or optional extras like priority notices.
Disbursements on top: Title search ($30–$80), zoning and planning certificates ($60–$200 depending on state), rates and water certificates ($50–$150), PEXA fees ($120–$150), and transfer registration ($150–$250 depending on state). Always ask for a written quote with the fixed fee and estimated disbursements itemised before you engage anyone. Knowing your total upfront costs — conveyancing included — lets you budget properly alongside stamp duty on our stamp duty calculator.
Engage your conveyancer before you sign the contract of sale — ideally as soon as you start making serious offers. The contract review is the most valuable thing they do, and it has to happen before your signature is on the page. Waiting until after you sign is the single most expensive mistake first home buyers make.
Why timing matters: In NSW and QLD, contracts are usually exchanged at the point of signing, so once you sign there is a cooling-off period but every defect, easement, or unfavourable clause is now your problem to resolve. In VIC, SA, and ACT there is a short cooling-off window (3 business days in VIC), but withdrawing still costs you 0.2% to 0.25% of the purchase price. Having a conveyancer review the contract before you sign removes that risk entirely.
What your conveyancer does before signing: Reads the contract and explains any unusual special conditions, confirms the vendor statement (Section 32 in VIC) is complete, flags easements or overlays that affect future renovations, explains your cooling-off rights in your state, and recommends any extra conditions to insert (subject to finance, subject to building inspection, subject to strata report review).
Before auction: If you are bidding at auction the sale is unconditional the moment the hammer falls, so you must have the contract reviewed before auction day. Arrange a building and pest inspection at the same time — find a building inspector here. If you have not got your pre-approval locked in yet either, find a broker first so you know exactly what you can bid to.
Not every conveyancer is equal. The good ones return calls within 24 hours, explain things without jargon, and give you a fixed fee quote with no surprises. The bad ones disappear in the week before settlement, send you 40-page contracts with no summary, and hit you with disbursement "extras" that double the final bill. Here is what to check before engaging anyone.
NestPath does the vetting for you — every conveyancer we match you with is licensed, AIC-aligned, fixed-fee, and experienced with first home buyers. Fill in the form above to get connected within 24 hours. For the full end-to-end picture of the conveyancing process, see our complete guide to conveyancing.
A conveyancer costs $800 to $1,500 as a fixed fee for a standard first home buyer purchase in Australia, plus $200 to $500 in disbursements (title searches, certificates, PEXA and registration fees). Expect higher fees in NSW ($1,200–$1,800) due to strata and planning certificate complexity, and lower fees in VIC, QLD, SA ($800–$1,500). Always ask for a written quote with fixed fee and disbursements itemised separately before engaging anyone.
A licensed conveyancer specialises exclusively in property law — contract review, title searches, stamp duty, settlement. A solicitor has a full law degree and can handle any legal matter, including disputes. For a standard first home buyer purchase, a conveyancer is cheaper ($800–$1,500 vs $1,000–$2,500) and just as safe — both carry professional indemnity insurance. Use a solicitor if your purchase involves a deceased estate, boundary dispute, complex strata structure, or commercial crossover.
Yes — in every Australian state you legally need either a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor to handle settlement and lodge the transfer of title. It is technically possible to DIY in some states but strongly not recommended. The paperwork, search ordering, stamp duty lodgement, and PEXA settlement process are complex enough that one mistake can cost you tens of thousands of dollars or void the contract. The $800–$1,500 fee is cheap insurance on the biggest purchase of your life.
Engage your conveyancer before you sign the contract of sale — ideally as soon as you start making serious offers. The contract review is the single most valuable thing they do and has to happen before signing. In NSW and QLD, contracts are exchanged at signing with a short cooling-off window; in VIC you have 3 business days cooling-off (but pay 0.2% to withdraw); at auction, the sale is unconditional the moment the hammer falls, so the contract must be reviewed before auction day.
Technically yes in some states, but it is strongly not recommended. DIY conveyancing is legal in VIC, QLD, NSW, ACT and NT but involves ordering multiple state searches, calculating stamp duty correctly, drafting transfer documents, attending PEXA settlement, and registering the transfer with the land titles office. One mistake on a caveat, easement, or transfer document can cost you tens of thousands or delay settlement. In WA and SA, a licensed practitioner is effectively required. For a $1,000 fee on a $700,000 purchase, DIY is a false economy.
Conveyancing typically takes 4 to 8 weeks from contract signing to settlement — the exact timeline is set by the settlement period in your contract (30, 42, 60, or 90 days are common). The conveyancer reviews the contract and orders searches in the first week, coordinates with your lender and the seller during weeks 2 to 4, and attends PEXA settlement on settlement day itself. If you are buying at auction, settlement is usually 30 or 42 days, which means the conveyancer is under tight time pressure — pick one with capacity before you bid.
Everything you need to buy your first home