A conveyancer in Melbourne handles the legal side of buying or selling a home, including reviewing the contract of sale and the vendor statement (the Section 32) before you commit. In Victoria, expect to pay roughly $1,000 to $2,500 plus disbursements, and the smartest move is to engage one before you sign anything, not after.
That last point is where a lot of buyers come unstuck. The property game in Melbourne moves fast, and it is tempting to sign first and sort out the legals later. Resist that urge. The contract and the Section 32 hold the details that decide whether your dream home comes with a quiet covenant nightmare attached.
What a conveyancer actually does
A conveyancer manages the transfer of legal ownership from one party to another. For a buyer, that means a clear list of jobs: reviewing the contract of sale, examining the Section 32 vendor statement, conducting title and property searches, calculating adjustments for rates and water, liaising with your lender, and attending settlement so the keys and the money change hands cleanly.
In Victoria, conveyancers must be licensed. Licensed conveyancers are regulated by Consumer Affairs Victoria and must hold professional indemnity insurance, which gives you a layer of protection if something goes wrong. You can also use a solicitor for conveyancing, which tends to cost more but can be worth it if your purchase has legal complications, such as a deceased estate, a trust, or a messy boundary dispute.
If you are new to the process, our explainer on conveyancing explained walks through the full sequence from offer to settlement in plain terms.
The Section 32: the document that earns the fee
The Section 32, formally the vendor statement, is a legal document the seller must provide before you sign. It discloses key details about the property: the title, any mortgages or covenants, easements, zoning, outgoings like council rates, and any notices from authorities. If a freeway is planned through the back fence or there is an unapproved pergola, this is where it should surface.
Never sign a contract until your conveyancer has read the Section 32. The cheapest mistake in property is the one you avoid by waiting two days.
A good conveyancer reads the Section 32 line by line and flags anything that should give you pause. An owners corporation with a thin sinking fund, an easement that limits where you can build, a covenant restricting the type of dwelling: none of these are necessarily deal-breakers, but you want to know about them before you are legally bound, not after.
What conveyancing costs in Melbourne
Fees in Victoria typically run around $1,000 to $2,500 for the professional service, plus disbursements. Disbursements are the third-party costs your conveyancer pays on your behalf, such as title searches, certificates from councils and authorities, and the PEXA fee for electronic settlement. These can add several hundred dollars on top.
Here is a rough breakdown of where the money goes. Ranges are indicative and vary by firm and by how complex the property is.
| Item | Indicative cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Professional fee | $1,000 to $2,500 | The conveyancer’s time and expertise |
| Title and property searches | $100 to $400 | Checking ownership, plans and notices |
| Authority certificates | $100 to $300 | Council, water and other statutory bodies |
| PEXA settlement fee | Around $100 to $150 | The electronic settlement platform |
Cheaper is not always better. A fixed quote that looks suspiciously low sometimes excludes disbursements or extra work, so ask for an all-in estimate and check what triggers additional charges. If you want to model the bigger picture of upfront costs, you can research the full cost of buying in Melbourne before you commit to a budget.
Cooling-off, auctions and timing
Timing matters because your right to walk away depends on how you buy. In Victoria, a private sale comes with a three-business-day cooling-off period, which gives you a short window to change your mind after signing (a penalty applies, so it is not a free pass). Buy at auction, and there is no cooling-off period at all. The moment the hammer falls, you are committed.
This is exactly why you engage a conveyancer early. If you are bidding at auction, your conveyancer should review the contract and Section 32 before auction day, because you will not get a second chance afterward. For a private sale, get the review done inside that cooling-off window, or ideally before you sign. Our guide to the cooling-off period covers how the rules differ by sale type and state.
A short checklist for engaging a Melbourne conveyancer:
- Get a written quote that separates the professional fee from disbursements.
- Send them the contract and Section 32 before you sign or bid.
- Confirm they are licensed in Victoria and carry professional indemnity insurance.
- Ask how they handle settlement and what you need to do on the day.
How to choose one
Word of mouth still works well here. Ask your mortgage broker, your buyer’s agent, or friends who have bought recently in Melbourne. Look for someone responsive, because property timelines are tight and a conveyancer who takes three days to answer an email can cost you a deal. Check reviews, confirm their licensing, and make sure they explain things in language you understand rather than burying you in jargon.
If you are at the start of the journey and still working out the steps, our walkthrough on how to buy a house sets out where conveyancing fits into the wider buying process.
A quick note: this is general information, not personal legal or financial advice. Conveyancing rules, fees and cooling-off provisions change, and your situation may differ, so confirm current details with a licensed Victorian conveyancer or solicitor and check the official Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance. Figures here were last checked June 2026.
The bottom line
A Melbourne conveyancer is the person who keeps your purchase legally sound, and the Section 32 is the document that makes their fee worth it. Budget roughly $1,000 to $2,500 plus disbursements, engage them before you sign or bid rather than after, and treat the cooling-off rules as a reason to act early rather than a safety net to rely on. Spend a little here, and you spend far less on regret later.