We are based in Doncaster, so the eastern suburbs are home ground. Manningham, Whitehorse, Boroondara, Monash and Maroondah are largely established housing on old titles — which brings a specific set of legal questions that newer parts of Melbourne simply do not have.
Established homes, older titles
A 1960s house in Templestowe or Blackburn has usually been extended, re-fenced and re-plumbed by several owners. That is where the problems hide: an extension built without a permit, a carport over an easement, a boundary that does not match the title, or a covenant restricting what can be built. Any of these can surface at the worst moment — when your bank’s valuer or your own builder finds them. A proper contract and Section 32 review finds them first.
Subdivision and development potential
Much of the east sits on generous blocks, and buyers frequently pay a premium for land they assume can be subdivided or developed. That assumption is worth testing before you bid. Zoning, overlays, single-dwelling covenants, Section 173 agreements and neighbourhood character controls all constrain what you can actually do, and none of them are obvious from a floor plan. We tell you what the title and planning documents permit.
Downsizing and estate matters
A significant share of eastern-suburbs sales are downsizers and deceased estates. Both bring questions a standard conveyance does not: transferring a property out of an estate, selling as executor, the timing of probate against a settlement date, and how the proceeds interact with a will that may be a decade old. We handle the conveyancing and the estate planning side together, which avoids the common problem of the two working against each other.
Small business and leasing
Box Hill, Doncaster, Camberwell and Glen Waverley have busy retail strips and shopping centres. If you are taking a tenancy in one, the lease is almost certainly a retail lease under the Retail Leases Act 2003, and the protections that come with it are worth knowing before you negotiate.
Common questions
Can you review a contract before Saturday’s auction?
Usually yes — send it through as early in the week as you can. A pre-auction review is the highest-value thing we do, because once the hammer falls there is no cooling-off period on an auction purchase and the contract is binding as it stands.
The block looks subdividable. Can you confirm it?
We can tell you what the title and the planning scheme allow — zone, overlays, covenants and any Section 173 agreement — which is the legal half of the question. For the design and permit feasibility you will also want a town planner or architect, and we will say so rather than guess.
I am selling my late mother’s house. Where do I start?
With the will and the grant of probate. A property in a deceased estate generally cannot settle until probate is granted and the executor is registered on title, so the timing of that shapes everything else. Talk to us before you list, and we will map the sequence.
How we can help
Conveyancing
Fixed-fee residential, commercial, strata and off-the-plan settlements — contract reviews, searches and a settlement day that runs on time.
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Commercial, retail and residential leases drafted, reviewed and negotiated — plus tenancy disputes, VCAT and Small Business Commissioner matters.
Learn moreWills & Estate Planning
Wills, powers of attorney and advance care directives drafted or updated, so the people you care about are not left guessing.
Learn moreIntellectual Property & Trade Marks
Trade mark searches, IP Australia applications and brand protection strategy — so the name you built stays yours.
Learn moreOther Practice Areas
Commercial agreements, business structuring, disputes and the matters that do not fit a neat category. Ask us — we will tell you honestly.
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