Buying a House

Residential Contract of Sale

The most common method of purchasing a house, an apartment or vacant land in Queensland is by private treaty with the Seller.

Unlike a sale by auction (where the contract of sale is usually unconditional, and the price is determined by a competitive bid, provided it meets or exceeds the reserve price, which is usually set by the Seller), in a sale by private treaty, the Buyer will negotiate the terms of the standard contract of sale (‘Contract of Sale’) (being, most commonly, either the ‘REIQ Contract for Houses and Residential Land (14th Ed)’ for houses and land, or the ‘REIQ Contract for Residential Lots in a Community Titles Scheme (10th Ed)’ for units) with the Seller (usually via a real estate agent acting for the Seller), in relation to terms regarding the Contract Price, the Deposit Amount, the Settlement Date and any Special Conditions (for example, whether the Contract of Sale will be subject to the prior sale of the Buyer’s existing property).

The Contract of Sale will also usually be conditional on the Buyer obtaining satisfactory Finance Approval and Building and Pest Inspection Reports.

The Contract of Sale includes a number of technical and legal terms and conditions which govern the conveyancing process and outline the parties’ respective contractual rights between each other, which are contained in sections called the ‘Terms of Contract’ and the ‘Reference Schedule’. The standard Terms of Contract apply to the terms and conditions of the particular purchase agreed between the parties, as set out in the ‘Reference Schedule’.

The Reference Schedule will contain terms relating to inter alia the particulars of the Property, the Contract Price, the Deposit Amount, the Settlement Date, whether the Contract of Sale is subject to satisfactory Finance Approval and satisfactory Building and Pest Inspection Reports, any Special Conditions and whether the are any other matters affecting the Property. Buying a property can be a stressful process and getting a proper grasp of the Contract of Sale can add to that pressure.

The Contract of Sale is like any other legal contract, it is formal, technical and lengthy, and once properly executed, will bind the parties to the agreement (and allow the parties to sue each other on the Contract of Sale if there are any breaches). Accordingly, particular care should be taken when completing the Reference Schedule, to ensure that the information detailed in the Reference Schedule is true and correct in all respects. It can be difficult and costly to correct any such mistakes.

Additionally, special conditions should be carefully drafted to reflect the true intention of the parties, as special conditions will usually override the standard Terms of Contract to the extent of any inconsistency. Given that the family home (or investment property) is usually one of our most valuable assets, it is worthwhile engaging an experienced conveyancing lawyer when purchasing a property.

This commentary is of a general nature only, containing nothing more than some general information for the reader. It is not intended to be legal advice, nor cannot it be relied upon as legal advice. To this end, please read our Website Terms including the disclaimer contained therein carefully. Laws, rules and principles may be subject to sudden and unexpected changes and you should always consult a lawyer about your specific circumstances.

Your Trusted Lawyers

For a lawyer in Brisbane that you can trust to represent your best interest, contact the team at ADVIILAW. We are proud to be a team of specialist senior lawyers with years of experience in commercial, property and litigation in Australia. Rely on our team for the best advice and legal represntation in Brisbane

Contact Our Team

Book Appointment

DISCUSS YOUR MATTER WITH OUR LAWYERS TODAY

CONTACT OUR TEAM Book Appointment
AdviiLaw
5.0
Based on 100 reviews
powered by Google
Celia McQueen
Celia McQueen
10:38 17 May 21
Alice helped us with the purchase of our first home, and we greatly appreciated her attention to detail and clear... communication throughout the process. We would gladly work with her again or recommend her to others. Thanks Alice!read more
Natalie Dugec
Natalie Dugec
10:55 12 Apr 21
I am extremely grateful for the help I received from ADVIILAW. I required their services for a defamation case and... their services exceeded my expectations. At any time I needed them they were always available to help promptly and did so with a high level of professionalism. Zoran Gelic is great to work with. He explained every step in detail so that I could clearly comprehend and make informed decisions to support my case. This assisted with the positive outcome. If you need a lawyer. I highly recommend ADVIILAWread more
Michael Zarafa
Michael Zarafa
21:56 01 Apr 21
I highly recommend Zoran Gelic as a defamation lawyer. He has a proactive approach and explains everything in detail. I... ended up with a positive outcome and the experience I had with him was fantastic. Keep up the great work Zoran.read more
Rodney McEwan
Rodney McEwan
08:26 31 Mar 21
I can highly recommend Zoran Gelic from Adviilaw who attended to a defamation matter on our behalf. Zoran was extremely... knowledgeable, helpful and professional in resolving this matter. I can highly recommend Zoran Gelic to anyone in need of a lawyer, specifically in relation to defamation law matters.read more
Rin Kim
Rin Kim
06:41 01 Mar 21
Excellent services. I highly recommend AdviiLaw for any commercial legal help.
Carly McClintock
Carly McClintock
10:24 21 Dec 20
Alice was very professional, efficient and knowledgeable with her work, while helping us understand the process in... buying our first home. I highly recommend AdviiLaw for all your conveyancing needs.read more
Bill Vo
Bill Vo
22:03 01 Dec 20
Thank you Alice for your dedication and attention to detail towards our first home loan! Alice came highly recommended... by our broker and from day 1 Alice was very professional and courteous.Alice literally went above and beyond throughout the entire process to ensure the outcome would be in our best interest.I highly recommend to contact AdviiLaw, not just for conveyancing but for other solicitor services too!Thank you again Alice!read more
More reviews
js_loader