Property Lawyers in Canberra

Buying or selling in Canberra has some rules that surprise people moving from other states. Sellers must have a draft contract and a set of reports ready before a home is offered for sale, so buyers often see building and pest reports up front.

Firms listed here handle residential conveyancing, and many also act on off the plan purchases, commercial property and leases. If you are buying in Queanbeyan or elsewhere in NSW, check that the firm handles NSW transactions too, as several Canberra firms do. It also helps to ask who will manage your file day to day.

BAL Lawyers
9th Floor, Canberra House, 40 Marcus Clarke Street
Canberra City ACT 2601
Tel: (02) 6274 0999

Conveyancing lawyers at BAL Lawyers act for first home buyers, upgraders, investors and people buying house and land packages, as well as sellers. They handle off the plan purchases, established homes, units and vacant land, review and draft sale contracts and advise on loan documents and contracts to build a new home. The team also advises on strata matters such as by laws, defects and maintenance. Retirement village and aged care contracts are covered too. Work covers the ACT, NSW and Queensland.

MV Law
Level 2, 121 Marcus Clarke Street
Canberra ACT 2601
Tel: (02) 6279 4444

Property work at MV Law spans residential, commercial, retail and industrial matters, from homes and investment properties through to larger developments. The team handles conveyancing in Canberra, commercial property transactions, commercial leases and residential tenancies. It also advises on territory taxes, GST, land titles, construction, town planning and compulsory acquisition. The firm describes itself as locally owned and familiar with the Canberra and regional property market.
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Snedden Hall & Gallop
43-49 Geils Court
Deakin ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6285 8000

Snedden Hall & Gallop handles conveyancing for buyers, sellers and people transferring property in Canberra. Its process covers preparing or reviewing the contract, searches for easements, covenants and outstanding debts, negotiating changes, exchange and settlement, then registering the change of ownership. The team liaises with banks, brokers, agents and the other party’s conveyancer. It acts for first home buyers, investors and business owners and offers meetings in person, by phone or online.
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Farrar Gesini Dunn
Level 1, 10 Rudd Street
Canberra ACT 2601
Tel: (02) 6115 9000

Alongside its family law work, Farrar Gesini Dunn has a property team that handles ACT, NSW and Victorian conveyancing. It acts on houses, units and townhouses, vacant land, rural and commercial properties, off the plan purchases and related party transfers. The firm also assists with homes in retirement villages. Its online guides cover first home buying in the ACT and NSW, auctions compared with private treaty sales, settlement adjustments and joint ownership.
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Elringtons Lawyers
6A Thesiger Court
Deakin ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6206 1300

The Elringtons property team includes an accredited specialist in property law and a licensed conveyancer. It acts on residential sales and purchases in the ACT and NSW, commercial property, rural and farm sales and off the plan contracts. Other work covers leases, easements and covenants, mortgages, subdivisions and development, strata and unit titles, retirement villages and stamp duty. Offices are in Deakin and Queanbeyan.
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BDN Lawyers
Level 1, 1 Farrell Place
Canberra City ACT 2601
Tel: (02) 6230 1999

BDN Lawyers handles conveyancing for buyers and sellers in the ACT and NSW. For sellers it prepares the contract, negotiates terms, deals with the bank on discharging a mortgage and oversees settlement. Buyers get a contract review, negotiation of final terms, searches for rates and water owing and a settlement calculation. The team also helps with subdividing land, updating a title, rural land, first home purchases and off the plan contracts.
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Signus Legal
Ground Floor, Gadal Chambers, 48 Corinna Street
Woden ACT 2606
Tel: (02) 5133 5664

Signus Legal offers residential conveyancing from its Woden office, explaining the contract and the process from the first offer through exchange and settlement. Commercial conveyancing is also handled, from small commercial units to larger mixed use buildings with several tenants, including due diligence for buyers. The firm acts for landlords and tenants on commercial, retail, office and industrial leases in the ACT and NSW.
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Cooling off and contract checks

The Reality Check guide from Access Canberra says a cooling off period of five clear working days applies to residential sales. It does not apply when a property is sold at auction or by tender, or where the buyer waives their rights after independent advice from a solicitor. A buyer who withdraws within the period pays a fee of 0.25% of the purchase price.

Having a lawyer review the contract before you exchange can flag issues with the lease, approvals or special conditions while there is still time to act. This matters even more at auction, where there is no cooling off.

Documents sellers need ready

Under the same guide, sellers must provide certain documents before marketing a property. These include a building and compliance report, a pest inspection report, an Energy Efficiency Rating statement and asbestos information. A property lawyer can help pull these together with the agent so the sale is not held up.

Ask for a written estimate of fees and disbursements, such as search costs, before you engage a firm. Some offer fixed fees for standard sales and purchases.

Other practice areas in Canberra

Looking outside Canberra? Browse property lawyers in other cities.