Once you’ve signed a contract and the excitement settles, it’s easy to wonder whether anything is actually happening. Weeks can pass with no word from anyone, and the natural assumption is that everything is ticking along quietly in the background. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn’t.
Understanding what a conveyancer should be doing before settlement — and when — is one of the best ways to stay informed during a process that can otherwise feel like a black box.
Most things that go wrong at settlement have a cause that could have been identified and addressed weeks earlier.
After the contract is signed
The moment a contract is signed, a conveyancer’s job begins. The first task is reviewing the contract in full — noting key dates, conditions, special provisions, and anything that needs to be actioned or monitored.
For a purchase, this typically means:
- Identifying the finance date and building and pest inspection deadline
- Noting any special conditions and what they require of each party
- Confirming the settlement date and whether it’s realistic given the circumstances
- Identifying any unusual terms that need to be queried or negotiated
For a sale, the focus shifts to the vendor’s obligations — disclosure requirements, conditions the seller needs to satisfy, and the timeline for the buyer’s conditions to be cleared.
During the conditional period
If the contract includes conditions — finance, building and pest, or other special conditions — the period between signing and those conditions being satisfied is the most active part of the process.
A conveyancer’s role during this period includes:
- Tracking condition deadlines and notifying the client well in advance of each one
- Corresponding with the other party’s representative regarding condition dates and any requests for extension
- Ordering property and title searches relevant to the purchase
- Reviewing search results and advising on anything they reveal
- Liaising with the client’s lender or broker regarding finance requirements and timing
This is the period where most of the legal protection in a contract is active. Missing a date, misreading a condition, or failing to communicate with the other side can have consequences that are difficult to undo once the deadline has passed.
Finance extensions are common and usually easy to arrange if requested early. They become difficult — sometimes impossible — if they’re raised the day the deadline expires. A good conveyancer tracks this date continuously, not just as it approaches.
Once the contract is unconditional
When all conditions are satisfied, the contract becomes unconditional — which means both parties are now committed to completing the transaction. From this point, the focus shifts to preparation for settlement.
For buyers, this typically involves:
- Confirming the settlement amount with the lender and arranging the funds
- Calculating the adjustments for rates, water, and any other outgoings shared between buyer and seller
- Preparing the settlement statement and ensuring the figures are agreed with the other side
- Coordinating with the lender to confirm they are ready to proceed on the settlement date
- Managing any final inspection queries or issues that arise
For sellers, the equivalent work involves confirming the discharge of any existing mortgage, providing the keys and access arrangements, and ensuring all agreed inclusions remain with the property.
Settlement day itself
In Tasmania, most residential settlements are now processed through PEXA — an electronic settlement platform that allows funds and title documents to be exchanged digitally. This makes the process faster and more transparent, but it still requires careful preparation in the days prior.
On settlement day, your conveyancer is:
- Monitoring the PEXA workspace to confirm all parties are ready
- Verifying that the funds and documents are in order before settlement proceeds
- Confirming settlement as soon as it completes and notifying the client
Settlement itself usually takes a matter of minutes once all parties are ready. The work that makes it run smoothly happens in the weeks before it.
What good communication looks like
A common complaint about conveyancing — and legal services generally — is that clients feel left in the dark. They don’t know what’s happening, they don’t know what they should be doing, and they’re not sure who to ask.
The best conveyancing involves proactive updates at each stage: when searches are ordered and returned, when conditions are approaching, when settlement is confirmed, and when anything changes. You should never have to chase your conveyancer to find out where your matter stands.
If you’re currently under contract and feeling uncertain about what’s happening, that’s a signal worth paying attention to — not because something is necessarily wrong, but because understanding the process is part of what you’re paying for.
Want to know exactly where your matter stands?
We keep every client updated throughout — you’ll never have to chase us to find out what’s happening.