The professional fee
Settle Easy charges a fixed professional fee of $1,750 plus GST for a standard residential purchase or sale in New South Wales: an established house, unit or vacant block. The fee is agreed before any work starts and does not change unless the matter materially changes, and we tell you first if it does. Complex residential matters and off-the-plan purchases are $2,200 plus GST, with a $660 contract review charged in addition; a standard property transfer is $900 plus GST. There is no hourly billing.
Many firms advertise a low headline fee and add charges for each step: a fee to review the contract, a fee to attend settlement, a fee per phone call. Ask any conveyancer for the all-inclusive professional fee in writing before you engage them.
Disbursements: the costs passed on at cost
Disbursements are the searches and registration fees every New South Wales transaction needs. They are set by councils, the land registry and the revenue office, and Settle Easy passes them on at cost with no mark-up. For a purchase in New South Wales they typically come to $600 to $800, and for a sale $700 to $900. The range already includes our $99 file management fee. They cover:
- title search and a copy of the plan
- section 10.7 planning certificate and council rates certificate
- water rates and sewerage diagram
- land tax clearance certificate
- NSW Land Registry Services fee to register the transfer and any mortgage
- PEXA electronic settlement fee
- for a strata property, a strata report (ordered as an extra if you want one)
Transfer duty
Transfer duty (stamp duty) is charged by Revenue NSW on the purchase price and is usually the largest cost after the deposit. It is payable at settlement. First home buyers may pay nothing on a home up to $800,000 and a reduced amount up to $1,000,000 under the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme. Use our calculator for an estimate; we confirm the exact figure in your settlement statement.
What is not included
Building and pest inspections (you arrange these with an independent inspector), strata or owners corporation searches where needed (we order them as an extra disbursement), title insurance (we can refer you), and your lender's own fees. Tax, financial and planning advice are outside conveyancing and we will say so if a question needs an accountant or a planner.
The total, for a typical purchase
For a standard established home in New South Wales, expect Settle Easy's fee of $1,750 plus GST, disbursements of around $600 to $800, plus transfer duty as calculated for your price and circumstances. Get a fixed-fee quote in a few minutes and the professional fee and estimated disbursements are itemised before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Which services do the spring and first home buyer offers apply to?
The spring and first home buyer offers apply to buying and selling, not property transfers.
What does the fixed fee cover?
Our fixed fee covers all of the professional legal work for your matter: reviewing or preparing documents, running searches on your behalf, liaising with the other parties and managing settlement. You agree the price before we start, so there are no hourly bills and no surprises.
What costs are passed on at cost?
Government charges, search fees and stamp duty are set by third parties, not by us. We pass these on at cost with no markup, and we'll always let you know what to expect upfront based on your property and state.
Will I get a bill I'm not expecting?
No. We quote a fixed fee for our work before we begin, and the only additional amounts are the government and search fees passed on at cost. If anything changes the scope of your matter, we'll talk to you first.
Do you charge differently between states?
Yes. Our professional fees vary by state — you can see the current fees for NSW, VIC and QLD on our service & fee schedule. Government charges, duties and search fees also vary by state, and those are passed on at cost.