When to Get a Conveyancer When Buying: The Right Order to Assemble Your Property Team

Buying a property is one of life’s most significant journeys. Like any major project, success hinges on having the right team of experts by your side.

But who do you need, and in what order?

Assembling your team strategically is the key to a smooth, secure, and successful purchase. The question we get asked most often is when to get a conveyancer, and the answer surprises most buyers. It is earlier than you think.

At Skilled Conveyancing, we guide buyers through this process every day. Here’s your essential guide to building your property A-team in the optimal order.

Your core team: the non-negotiables

1. Finance broker or mortgage lender (your first call)

Your very first step should always be to understand your budget.

A finance broker or lender:

• Assesses your financial situation
• Helps you get pre-approval
• Clarifies your exact spending capacity

This pre-approval is your golden ticket. It proves you’re a serious buyer and prevents the heartache of falling in love with a property you can’t afford.

Skilled Conveyancing can provide a recommended professional to assist you.

2. Conveyancer or property lawyer (your second call)

Before you even step foot into an open house, your conveyancer should be on your team.

Why so early?

Great conveyancers will provide you with a Purchaser Checklist which will assist you to investigate things whilst you are inspecting the property. Checking to ensure appliances are in working order, any broken windows, any obvious damage that you require to be fixed before settlement, and so on.

Their expertise is crucial the moment you’re ready to sign anything.

Your conveyancer is your legal risk manager. They:

• Review the Contract of Sale and Section 32 Vendor’s Statement
• Conduct critical title searches
• Negotiate protective special conditions on your behalf
• Manage the entire settlement process

So when to get a conveyancer? Before you attend your first open house, not after you have signed. Engaging a specialist firm like Skilled Conveyancing early ensures you have expert advice on tap from your very first offer.

3. Buyer’s agent (your optional power play)

If you choose to use one, engage a buyer’s agent after you have your finance pre-approval but before you begin your serious property hunt.

The 2 main reasons you would want this person on your team are:

• You are time poor and don’t have time to view many properties
• You love to get the best price possible to minimise your debt

They act as:

• Your dedicated property hunter
• Your negotiator and market expert. Yes, you do not need to talk to or engage with real estate agents
• Your access to off-market opportunities, which often can save you tens of thousands of dollars in the purchase price
• Your bidder at auctions

Skilled Conveyancing can provide a recommended professional to assist you.

Your extended team: brought in as needed

Once your core team is set and you’ve found a potential property, it is wise to engage these vital due diligence experts. If you do not have relationships with any of these, Skilled Conveyancing can introduce reputable professionals to you.

4. Building and pest inspector

Engage them the moment your offer is accepted or, crucially, before an auction.

They:

• Provide a detailed report on the property’s structural integrity
• Identify hidden defects like cracks, damp, or termite activity

This report is your evidence for negotiating repairs or a price reduction.

Please ensure you appoint a qualified and licensed building inspector, a registered surveyor or an architect who can undertake building report inspections. For new construction, a registered building surveyor is required by law to be involved in inspections.

When choosing a building inspector, always verify their qualifications and professional indemnity insurance to ensure you receive an accurate and reliable report on the property’s condition.

Skilled Conveyancing can provide a recommended professional to assist you.

5. Strata inspector (for units and townhouses)

For properties with an Owners Corporation, a strata inspector is essential. They review the strata records to uncover any financial shortfalls, pending special levies, or building disputes that could become your costly problem after purchase.

A strata inspection report, also known as a strata search, Owners Corporation Records Inspection or Section 108, is a report that all purchasers of a strata titled, community titled or company titled property should invest in, whether this is a residential or commercial property.

The strata inspection report will contain information such as:

• Who is the current owner
• What the quarterly levies for the property are
• What your voting rights are and what your unit entitlement is
• When the levies are paid to

There are at least another 15 points to add, so please ask for these when you speak to us, as it is very important you know all of them. Owners Corporation issues are one of the most common red flags we see in a Section 32.

6. Insurance broker

Once the sale is unconditional, you must immediately organise building insurance. Your lender will require proof of coverage from the settlement day.

Another insurance most purchasers are not aware of, yet is so important in the short and long term, is title insurance. One small upfront fee for life, no more to pay.

Skilled Conveyancing can provide a recommended professional to assist you.

7. Removalist

Most people leave this to the last minute to organise, which equates to you paying higher fees, or they think that they will do it themselves to save money.

Yet this is one of the most stressful tasks to undertake when moving, so why not leave it to the experts and save your time, your stress and your back.

Skilled Conveyancing can provide a reputable and professional company to assist you.

Why knowing when to get a conveyancer saves you money

By assembling your team in this logical order, you transform the complex property purchase into a well-managed process. You’ll approach the market with confidence, backed by experts who protect your interests at every stage.

Get it out of order and the usual result is money. Buyers who sign before speaking to a conveyancer are the ones who find out too late about an easement, an unapproved deck or a sunset clause with no protection in it.

Victorian conveyancing is what we have done for 36 years. We have worked with enough of these professionals over that time to know who the best ones are, versus the transactional types you do not want to deal with. Knowing when to get a conveyancer, and who else to bring in and when, is something you can only truly learn with history on your side.

Contact us at Skilled Conveyancing today on 03 9729 3512 or get in touch here, and we will be your strategic legal partner, ensuring your property journey is built on a solid foundation. We act for buyers right across Victoria, including Ballarat, Geelong, Mickleham, Seymour, Wantirna South, Warragul and Wodonga.

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