Our Free NSW Buyers Guide and Sellers Guide
Two plain English guides that walk you through buying or selling a home in NSW, from the first conversation to the day it settles.
Property law is full of deadlines, certificates and clauses that nobody explains until it is too late. We wrote these guides so you know what is coming, what we need from you and where the traps are, before you sign anything.
NSW Buyers Guide
From accepted offer to collecting your keys. 15 short chapters covering your contract, reports, strata, insurance, finance and your settlement checklist.
NSW Sellers Guide
From the first conversation to money in your account. 13 short chapters covering the contract, disclosure, ways to sell, exchange and where your sale proceeds go.
What are these guides good for?
- First home buyers who want to understand the process, the costs and the exemptions before they make an offer.
- Upgraders and investors who have bought before and want a quick refresher on what has changed, including the new identity and source of funds checks.
- Anyone about to sign a contract or an agency agreement. Both guides are built around one rule: talk to us before you sign.
- Sellers preparing to list. The paperwork is far easier when it is ready before the first buyer walks through.
- Families helping a son, daughter or parent who want a clear, neutral explainer to read together.
How can they help you?
- See the whole journey at a glance. Each guide maps every step in order, so you always know what happens next.
- Avoid costly surprises. Buyers learn what we check in a contract, such as unapproved work, title restrictions, strata problems and unpaid charges. Sellers learn which documents must be in the contract and what to disclose.
- Know your deadlines. Cooling-off, the 66W certificate, deposits, the standard 42 day settlement and the ATO clearance certificate are all explained in plain English.
- Get your paperwork ready early. Short lists of what we need from you save days at the start.
- Ask better questions. Use the inclusions and exclusions lists and the checklists when you talk to agents, lenders and strata managers.
- Budget properly. Understand what a quote should show, where transfer duty goes, how strata levies work and where sale proceeds are paid.
- Protect yourself from fraud. Both guides explain identity checks and why we never change bank details by email.
Key Takeaways
- Send us the contract before you sign it, or call us before you sign with an agent.
- Once contracts are exchanged, your options are limited and can be costly.
- Anything that should stay with the property must be written in the contract.
- Sellers should apply for their ATO clearance certificate early, as it can take up to 28 days.
- The guides are general information only. We are here for advice on your own situation.
What is inside the Buyers Guide?
A chapter by chapter summary, so you can jump straight to the part you need.
Welcome
What the guide covers and an eight step journey from accepted offer to keys in hand. The key rule is to send us the contract before you sign.
Choosing your conveyancer
What to check: licence, insurance, a clear written quote, plain English and recent reviews. Also what a quote should show, from professional fees to disbursements and transfer duty.
Your first steps
What we need from you, how the secure identity check works, why we may ask where your funds come from, and how you sign electronically and follow progress.
How you will own the property
Joint tenants, tenants in common, companies, trusts and SMSFs, plus a note for foreign buyers and what first home buyers should ask about transfer duty.
Before you sign the contract
The Contract Explanation Report and what we look for: nearby development, title restrictions, unapproved work, pests, boundaries, strata health, past use, building insurance, government plans and unpaid charges.
Ways to buy
How private treaty and auction differ on cooling-off, deposits and what to have ready, and what a 66W certificate means for your rights.
Reports and certificates
Title search, planning certificate, sewer diagram, council and water searches, approvals, pool and building insurance certificates, and the extras worth adding.
Buying a strata property
What we check in a scheme: finances, the capital works fund, levies, special levies, insurance, by-laws and meeting minutes, plus the section 184 certificate.
Building work, pools and pests
Approvals for renovations, Home Building Compensation Fund cover, pool compliance rules and timing a pest and building inspection.
Insurance
The four kinds of cover that come up in a purchase, what each does and who arranges it. Have building insurance ready from settlement.
Inclusions and exclusions
Typical items inside and outside the home, and how to confirm in writing what stays. Verbal promises do not count.
Finance and settlement
Getting finance approval at the right time, the deposit, how PEXA settlement works, and what happens if you cannot settle on time.
Your settlement checklist
What to do at each stage, from offer accepted through cooling-off, two weeks out, the day before, settlement day and afterwards.
Key terms
Plain meanings for cooling-off, exchange, deposit, settlement, transfer duty, easements, covenants, caveats, PEXA and levies.
About RM Property Conveyancing
Who we are, where we work and how to reach us.
What is inside the Sellers Guide?
A chapter by chapter summary, so you can jump straight to the part you need.
Welcome
What the guide covers and an eight step journey from deciding to sell through to settlement. Call us before you sign an agency agreement.
Choosing your conveyancer
What to check, how to line up buying and selling at the same time, and what to negotiate with your agent before you sign.
Your first steps
What we need from you, how the identity check works, and why to apply for your ATO clearance certificate now.
What goes in the contract
The documents a valid residential contract must include, who supplies each one and what each shows.
Building work, pools and disclosure
What to give us if you have renovated, how pool certificates work, and why being open about known defects protects you.
Selling a strata property
Special levies, meeting minutes, strata reports and common property pools, plus why to ask your strata manager early.
Ways to sell
How private treaty and auction compare on cooling-off, deposits, price and preparation, and what a 66W certificate means for you.
Exchange of contracts
When the sale becomes binding, what you do, what we do and how settlement timing works, including a flexible settlement if you are buying too.
Inclusions and exclusions
How to decide what stays and what goes, and why items shown in your listing photos will be expected by buyers.
Your sale proceeds
Where the money goes at settlement, how the ATO clearance certificate works and how to protect yourself from payment fraud.
Your settlement checklist
What to do before settlement, in the final week, on the day and afterwards.
Key terms
Plain meanings for cooling-off, exchange, deposit, reserve price, settlement, discharge of mortgage, clearance certificate, PEXA and special levy.
About RM Property Conveyancing
Who we are, where we work and how to reach us.
These guides are general information only, current as at October 2026. They are not legal advice and do not replace advice about your own situation. Laws, fees and government rules change. Please talk to us before you sign anything.
Ready to talk about your purchase or sale?
Send us your details and one of our team will get started. You can also call us on 02 4018 7555 or email hello@rmpc.com.au.