Advice for Property Buyers

David Toole
Legal Director

Accredited Specialist in
Property Law

David Toole, who leads Williams Love & Nicol’s property team, has the following advice for potential purchasers of property, particularly when it comes to heritage properties.

‘Before contracts are exchanged, make sure you know what you can and can’t do to a property.’

David says this is an area where, all too often, buyers of heritage properties find that their visions for the property are not able to be realised without significant compromise or additional expenditure.

David said that taxation issues (including those around GST) and stamp duty obligations are also important issues for home buyers to consider.

‘Particularly if someone goes to an auction and it’s not clear whether they’re going to buy it in their own name or joint names.

‘Potential purchasers need to be sure of these things before you buy to ensure that the optimal structure can be put in place.’

’A firm with a focus on property law can provide significant benefit to buyers,’ says David.

‘It’s like going to a specialist for a health complaint compared to a GP,’ says David.

‘You’re better off with someone who specialises in that area of law, because they’ll be up to date with the issues and know what to look out for.’