Property Law Resources
Plain-English guides on buying, owning and transferring property in Australia.
About These Guides
These guides explain how property transactions work in Australia — what the documents say, how the rules differ from state to state, and where problems commonly arise. Where a question is properly one for an accountant or financial adviser rather than a lawyer, the guide says so.
General information only, not legal advice. Property law and duty differ between states and change over time. Obtain advice specific to your circumstances before acting.
Buying Property
Contracts, cooling-off periods, due diligence, and choosing between a solicitor and a conveyancer.
Buying Property
Solicitor vs Conveyancer: Why Property Investors Should Use a Lawyer
The solicitor vs conveyancer question sounds like a choice between two versions of the same job. It isn't. For a property investor buying across states, through…
Buying Property
Cooling-Off Periods Explained: What Property Investors Need to Know in Each State
A cooling-off period is your short, legally protected window to walk away after signing a contract to buy a home or investment. It works very differently in each state…
Contract Reviews
How to Read a Contract of Sale Before You Buy an Investment Property
The contract of sale is the single document that decides what you actually own, what you pay, and who carries the risk. Here is how to read a contract of sale like an…
Property Investment
The Investor's Legal Due-Diligence Checklist for a Multi-State Property Portfolio
Building a portfolio across state lines means the rules change under your feet. A repeatable property due diligence checklist is how serious investors buy the tenth…
Property Investment
Interstate purchases, tenanted properties, off-the-plan and ownership structures.
Property Investment
Buying an Investment Property Interstate: The Legal Traps to Avoid
Buying property interstate is one of the smartest moves an investor can make — and one of the easiest to get legally wrong. The contract, the cooling-off period, the…
Property Investment
Buying a Tenanted Investment Property: What to Check Before You Commit
Buying a tenanted property has an obvious appeal: income from day one, no vacancy to chase, a tenant already in place. But an existing lease usually binds the new…
Property Investment
Buying Off-the-Plan as an Investor: Sunset Clauses, Risks and How to Protect Yourself
Buying off the plan can put a brand-new asset into your portfolio at today's price with a long runway to settlement. It also carries risks an established purchase…
Property Investment
Own Name, Company, Trust or SMSF? Choosing the Right Structure to Buy an Investment Property
Whether you buy in your own name, through a company, buying property in a trust, or inside a self-managed super fund is one of the first decisions you make as a…
SMSF & Superannuation
Buying property through a self-managed super fund, and the 2026 rule changes.
SMSF Conveyancing
Buying an Investment Property Through Your SMSF: The Legal Steps and 2026 Changes
Buying property inside a self-managed super fund can be a powerful way to build retirement wealth, but the SMSF property rules 2026 brings are strict, and one wrong…
Title & Ownership
Transfers between family, spouses and related parties — and what duty applies.
Title & Ownership
Transferring Property to a Spouse or Family Member in NSW: Duty, Value and the Traps
Moving a property between spouses, partners or family members looks like paperwork. It is actually a dutiable transaction, and the difference between paying nothing…
Title & Ownership
Adding or Removing a Name on a Property Title in NSW
“I just need to change the name on the title.” It sounds like one job. It is actually five different ones, and which one you need decides whether you pay nothing, pay…
If You Have a Question These Don’t Answer
Every property and every contract is different, and general guidance only goes so far. If something here raised a question about your own purchase, sale or title, you are welcome to get in touch.
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