When it comes to mortgage companies such as TSB, do Melbourne property lawyers face an annual charge to be on the conveyancing panel?

We are unaware of any bank fees to be on their panel, although some do charge an administration charge to deal with the processing of the conveyancing panel application.

How can we know in advance if a Melbourne conveyancing solicitor on the TSB panel is any good?

When it comes to conveyancing in Melbourne seeking recommendations is a good starting point. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always recommend that you speak with the solicitor carrying out your transaction.

I had an offer accepted on an apartment in Melbourne on 10/12/2025, valuation was booked 3 days later, received a clean bill of health. Solicitor retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Nottingham and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?

A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Nottingham to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly identified during conveyancing in Melbourne?

Restrictive covenants can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the process of conveyancing in Melbourne. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Taking into account that I am about to part with 450k on a house in Melbourne I wish to have a conversation with the lawyer regarding theconveyancing prior to instructing the firm. Can this be arranged?

We could not agree more - we would be happy to talk to you we do not take any clients on without you liaising with the lawyer due to be conducting your conveyancing in Melbourne.There is no ‘factory style conveyancing’ - every client is an important person, not a case reference. The law firms that we put you in touch with believe that the fees you are calculated and presented to you for your conveyancing in Melbourne should be the figure that you end up paying.

We're FTB’s - had an offer accepted, but the estate agent told us that the owners will only proceed if we use the agent's chosen lawyers as they want a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a high street conveyancer who is accustomed to conveyancing in Melbourne

It is unlikely the sellers are driving this. If they want ‘a quick sale', alienating a serious buyer is is going to put the whole deal at risk. Speak to the owners direct and make the point that (a)you are serious purchasers (b)you are ready to progress, with finances arranged © you have nothing to sell (d) you wish to move quickly (e)however you will continue to use your preferred Melbourne conveyancing lawyers - as opposed tothose that will earn their negotiator at the agency a commission or meet his conveyancing targets pre-set by head office.

My wife and I may need to sub-let our Melbourne basement flat for a while due to taking a sabbatical. We used a Melbourne conveyancing practice in 2001 but they have closed and we did not think at the time seek any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?

Some leases for properties in Melbourne do contain a provision to say that subletting is only permitted with prior consent from the landlord. The landlord is not entitled to unreasonably refuse but, in such cases, they would need to review references. Experience suggests that problems are usually caused by unsatisfactory tenants rather than owner-occupiers and for that reason you can expect the freeholder to take up the references and consider them carefully before granting permission.

Leasehold Conveyancing in Melbourne - A selection of Questions you should ask Prior to buying

Where a Melbourne lease has less than eighty years it will impact the salability of the flat. Check with your lender that they are content with the length of the lease. Leases with less than 80 years remaining means that you will almost definitely have to extend the lease at some point and it is worth finding out how much this would cost. For most Melbournelease extensions you will be required to have been the owner of the property for two years in order to be legally able to extend the lease. Make sure you investigate if the the lease contains any adverse restrictions in the lease. For example it is fairly common in Melbourne leases that pets are not permitted in in a block in Melbourne. If you love the propertyin Melbourne yet your dog is not allowed to make the move with you then you have a very hard choice. The answer will be important as a) areas could result in problems for the block as the communal areas may start to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the tenants have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to have full disclosure