What is a conveyancer?
A conveyancer is a licensed professional who handles the legal side of transferring a property from the seller to you. In South Australia they review the Form 1, check the title, calculate adjustments, and lodge the transfer with the Lands Titles Office at settlement. Typical fee in Adelaide: $900 to $1,800.
The short version
Buying a house is a legal transaction. Someone has to read the contracts, check the title is clean, make sure council rates are paid up to settlement day, and physically transfer ownership at the Lands Titles Office. That person is your conveyancer.
You almost always need one. The few buyers who self-conveyance in SA are usually solicitors doing it on their own purchase.
What a SA conveyancer does
- Reviews the Form 1, SA's 40+ page vendor disclosure statement, and flags issues before you sign
- Reviews the contract of sale, special conditions, finance clauses, cooling-off
- Title and statutory searches, encumbrances, easements, caveats, planning notices
- Calculates settlement adjustments, the prorated council rates, water, ESL, strata fees the seller has already paid
- Liaises with your lender, coordinates loan funds for settlement day
- Books and attends settlement, in SA most settlements are now electronic via PEXA
- Lodges the title transfer with the Lands Titles Office, you become the registered owner
- Stamps and pays duty, remits your stamp duty to RevenueSA
Conveyancer vs solicitor
Both can do conveyancing in SA. The difference:
- Licensed conveyancers specialise in property transactions. Cheaper, fast, and adequate for a standard purchase.
- Solicitors are full lawyers. Worth the extra cost if there's a complex Form 1 issue, a disputed boundary, a related party transaction, or the seller's lawyer is being difficult.
What it costs in Adelaide (2026)
| Tier | Fee range | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $700 – $1,000 | Standard search package, mostly automated, limited phone time |
| Mid-range | $1,100 – $1,500 | Established Adelaide firms, personal contact, faster turnaround |
| Premium / solicitor | $1,600 – $2,800+ | Full legal advice, complex transactions, disputes |
On top of the fee you pay disbursements, the actual cost of title searches, council searches, water searches, and Lands Titles Office lodgement fees. These usually add $400 to $800.
When to engage one
Before you sign anything. Once you've signed a contract, the cooling-off period in SA is just 2 business days, and it disappears entirely if you bought at auction. Have your conveyancer review the Form 1 and contract before you commit.
How to find a good one
- Australian Institute of Conveyancers (SA) registered, AICSA.com.au
- Ask for a written quote that itemises disbursements separately
- Ask how many SA settlements they've done in the past year, 50+ is healthy
- Ask if they're PEXA-certified, almost all SA settlements are now electronic
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