Building your dream
A property deal is one of the most important transactions you will ever make.
It’s an exciting time, but it can also be stressful, expensive and confusing. While the rewards are great, the consequences of a mistake can be serious for you, your family or your business.
Whether you are buying your first home or making a large commercial property transaction you need expert legal advice, in plain English. At Turner Freeman we have decades of experience helping people make their way in the property market.
We understand that even the most simple private property deal is unique. We will examine your issues thoroughly, set out all your options clearly, and take as much strain out of the process as possible.
Commercial property can be even more complex—few transactions demand a broader range of expertise. To make it easy for you, our team are highly proficient in
- Business and Commercial
- Planning law
- Tax law
- Mortgage and financing law
- Creditor and debtor law
- Landlord and tenant law
- Rent control law
Property and conveyancing practice areas
- Private Property
- Commercial Property
- Mortgages
- Mortgage Brokers
- Financial services
- Leasing
- Construction and Property Development
- Litigation
- Taxation
- Property settlements after relationship separation
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Private Property: safe as houses
Your home is a cornerstone of your personal and financial security.
Buying or selling it can be an anxious business. You can’t always predict what the real estate market will do. But you can take control in at least one crucial way, by protecting yourself with good legal advice.
With investment properties you can create great wealth, but it can be difficult to predict the profit from a unit, house or land. As your chosen legal advisers, we recognise the importance of working in partnership with you and will ensure that this is achieved by giving you all the information you need about your property investments.
Our property and conveyancing lawyers can prepare and complete your contract, and will negotiate with all parties to get you the most effective and cost-efficient sale. We’re here to give you complete confidence in your transaction.
Commercial Property: business brains
A commercial property deal demands more than just legal know-how. You need a lawyer with a great business mind and some foresight to help you think through all the issues.
Our commercial property team can give you tailor-made advice on drafting and negotiating contracts for property transactions and building projects, including engineering and architectural work.
We can also offer expertise in:
- Business sales and purchases
- Property management including security and maintenance contracts
- Estates and developments
- Commercial financing including remortgages
- Supply and installation agreements
- Building works and service agreements
- Environmental and government planning regulations
- Leases
- Property sales & purchases, including strata, freehold and leasehold landBack to top
Mortgages: borrower beware
One of the biggest hurdles to buying property is finding a loan.
Competing lenders try to attract your attention by giving their mortgage products countless different names. It can be very hard to sort out a good deal from a lousy one. However, the important variables are always
- Term or length of time to repay the loan
- Interest to be paid
- Principal to be paid
- Amount you can borrow
Mortgage Brokers: a great deal
Nothing beats the satisfaction of knowing you got the best mortgage deal possible.
Turner Freeman can put you in touch with a reputable mortgage broker to help you find the deal that’s right for you. Brokers will come to your home or anywhere else convenient to you. There are over 30 financial institutions to choose from, including nearly all the major banks.
Free conveyancing? 50% bank commission is yours
Conveyancing can be a pricey part of any property deal.
Turner Freeman will refund to you 50 per cent of the upfront commission financial institutions give us as commission.
This can cut your conveyancing bill dramatically. If you are borrowing a large sum of money, it can even equate to paying no legal fees. Since the mortgage broker will always collect commission on a deal done through a mortgage broker, why not use us and get something back?
Financial services: all cashed up
Financing the purchase of commercial property is a challenging business. We have helped many property developers, large and small, to make their vision reality. Our team can give you expert commercial finance advice on a range of products, including refinance and we’ll help you find the best solution for your circumstances.
Leasing: rent it right
When you lease your property or take on a lease you want to be sure you haven’t missed anything in the small print.
We act for both landlords and tenants, negotiating and preparing leases and other documents such as sub-leases, assignments of lease and other agreements.
As in other areas of law, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We can help you anticipate and work through all potential issues to avoid losses or disputes later. And if a dispute does arise we can help you resolve it. We’ve helped many individuals, businesses and public bodies to do just that.
Construction and Property Development: big plans
When you take on a building, engineering or architectural design project you need all the expert help you can get - especially when it comes to complicated contracts.
Turner Freeman has a thorough understanding of the industry built up over decades working with developers. Turner Freeman has acted for property developers, on numerous projects in NSW. We can liaise with purchasers and provide timely completion of the sale transactions, in addition to valuable and timely advice to quickly resolve issues arising in the developments including disputes and partnership issues.
We apply this knowledge in drafting and negotiating your contracts to help you make the most astute decisions and avoid disputes. We can also guide you through agreements to supply or install materials and goods, professional services, building works and other services as well as day-to-day property management including security and maintenance contracts.
Litigation: in your corner
If you own property, there’s always the chance you may be involved in a dispute. A drawn-out, costly battle can have serious financial consequences.
Turner Freeman has excelled at protecting our clients’ rights for 50 years. We consider the practical issues as well as the legal ones, and we’ll deliver you cost-effective results. Our aim is to help you resolve any dispute before it gets to court. If no compromise is possible, our skilled team of litigators will be on hand to pursue the best possible outcome for you.
Taxation: less is more
In the property game, keeping up with the latest tax regulations can be a full-time job.
You need professional advice to stay ahead. We can help you put together a tax strategy to minimise your liabilities as much as possible. We advise on income tax, capital gains tax, GST, vendor duty and land tax. Our experts can also help you structure your property interests to make the most of every dollar.
Relationship breakdown: moving on
When a relationship ends, you may have to grapple with strong emotions as you try to work out how you divide your property.
You should apply for a property settlement within 12 months of your divorce becoming final. We’ll help you decide
- What your property is worth
- What contributions you and your former partner made to it
- Who will stay in your house
- How the assets should be divided
It’s important that you have your own independent legal advisor to help you to work out what’s fair and to negotiate for you at this sensitive time. With our help you may be able to agree on how to divide the property without going to court, saving you time, money and sleepless nights.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Do I need to use a lawyer for property conveyancing?
A. No, but it will give you peace of mind. You can be sure your transaction is handled properly and you don’t make any costly mistakes or miss any crucial issues.
Q. Can a buyer or seller withdraw from the sale after contracts have been exchanged?
A. Only in exceptional circumstances.
Q. What is involved in preparing and exchanging contracts?
A. You need to collect the necessary documents for the contract such as the title search, plans for subdivision, council zoning certificate and drainage diagram. Sometimes other documents are needed such as a survey or certain notices. Then the documents are collated and copied for exchange.
Q. What is in a contract for the sale of land?
A. The contract is now generally in a standard form with a copy of a full title search, council zoning certificate and drainage diagram as a minimum.
Q. What should I look for in the draft property purchase contract?
A. Anything unusual in the searches or title, the identity of the property, whether there are zoning or other issues that would prevent you using it for the purpose you intend.
Property and conveyancing client testimonials
"Turner Freeman has always provided my business…with cost-effective solutions in the time frames required…[They] understand the nature of my business and accommodate my individual requirements…[They] genuinely want to educate and assist clients…You get what you pay for when it comes to legal advice. I believe I am getting great value for money with Turner Freeman."
Avibe Group
Turner Freeman has worked with Avibe Pty Ltd on a variety of matters including property conveyancing.
"What I most appreciate about the firm is the emphasis on common-sense solutions... and their ability to find least cost solutions... when there is a requirement for urgency, they take things forward expeditiously."
Andrew Penman Cancer Council NSW
Turner Freeman has worked with the Cancer Council NSW in relation to conveyancing and leasing matters.
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Personal service you deserve: a refreshing change
Turner Freeman has a reputation for excellence, founded on half a century’s worth of solid experience. But your unique needs are always our starting point.
We recognise the importance of your property matters, so before we even attempt a solution we thoroughly investigate every element with you.
Because we’re professionals, we take great pride in our expert knowledge of our field, and our ability to distil it all into practical options for you.
You’ll find us easy to talk to because we work hard to cut through the jargon to give you clear, valuable advice.
Unlike other law firms, our half-century of business experience helps us understand your needs and give you proactive advice that works. And with a comprehensive range of practice areas we can handle all your legal needs under one roof.
Further Information:
If you would like to know more about property and conveyancing contact Turner Freeman or try the following organisations:
For general information on property matters
Australian Law Online Website
www.law.gov.au
Australian Property Investor Planning
www.propertyinvestorplanning.com.au
Tel: 1800 889 755
For independent information on financial and investment services:
Infochoice
www.infochoice.com.au
Tel: 02 9247 6788
For links to reputable financial organisations offering mortgages, loans and investments:
Turner Freeman
www.turnerfreeman.com.au
For information on a grants and state taxes:
Office of State Revenue
www.osr.nsw.gov.au
Level 3, 55 Hunter Street, Sydney
Tel: 02 9689 6200