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Upload the contract of sale
Include every annexure — the special conditions are usually the last section.
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Know before you sign
Standard contracts across Australia, and the usual traps
What a standard contract looks like where you are buying
Every state starts from its own standard form. Anything added after those printed pages is negotiated — and that is where the cost usually hides.
NSW
Law Society / REINSW Contract for the Sale and Purchase of Land, plus the vendor disclosure documents- Cooling off
- 5 business days (waived by a s66W certificate; none at auction), 0.25% forfeited if you pull out
- Deposit
- 10%, held in the agent's trust account unless released by special condition
- Watch for
- Special conditions added after the printed pages: deposit release, land tax adjustment, penalty interest above 8%, and clauses cancelling the vendor's disclosure warranties.
VIC
Contract of Sale of Land (LIV/REIV) with the s32 vendor statement- Cooling off
- 3 business days (none at auction or within 3 days of one), penalty is $100 or 0.2%
- Deposit
- 10%, released early only under a valid s27 statement
- Watch for
- Early deposit release under s27, GST and land tax adjustment clauses, and off-the-plan sunset dates.
QLD
REIQ Contract for Houses and Residential Land, or the Residential Lots in a CTS contract- Cooling off
- 5 business days (none at auction), 0.25% termination penalty
- Deposit
- 5–10%, held in trust until settlement
- Watch for
- Time is of the essence throughout, strict notice clauses on finance and building/pest, and body-corporate disclosure gaps.
WA
REIWA/Law Society Joint Form of General Conditions with an Offer and Acceptance- Cooling off
- None by law — your conditions are your only protection
- Deposit
- Usually 10%, held in trust
- Watch for
- Because there is no cooling-off, watch finance, inspection and strata-search conditions being narrowed or deleted.
SA
Contract for the sale of residential land with the Form 1 vendor statement- Cooling off
- 2 clear business days from the Form 1 being served (none at auction)
- Deposit
- Commonly 5–10%
- Watch for
- Form 1 served late (it restarts the cooling-off clock) and conditions making the contract unconditional on signing.
TAS
REIT Contract for Sale of Real Estate- Cooling off
- None by law
- Deposit
- 10% typical, held in trust
- Watch for
- Short finance and inspection windows, and clauses making the vendor's building approvals your problem.
ACT
Contract for Sale with the compulsory seller's disclosure package (including a building and pest report)- Cooling off
- 5 business days, 0.25% penalty (none at auction)
- Deposit
- 10%, often reduced to 5% by agreement
- Watch for
- Unimproved-value-based rates and land tax adjustments, and anything cutting across the compulsory disclosure package.
NT
Law Society NT Contract for Sale of Land- Cooling off
- 4 business days (none at auction)
- Deposit
- 10% typical
- Watch for
- Cyclone-related insurance and repair obligations, plus deposit release and interest clauses.
The traps we look for in the special conditions
This is general information, not legal advice. Have your solicitor or conveyancer review the contract before you sign.