Building, buying and selling houses and land
Building, buying and selling houses and land
We don’t give information or advice about most matters to do with the building or sale of houses or land.
However we can give you some information or advice if:
- you have a dispute with a neighbour
- you are dividing your property as a result of separation, and a house or land is involved
- there has been a natural disaster (for example, bushfire, flood) and you have a dispute about a building contract or sale of houses or land.
If any of these apply to you, call us on 1300 792 387, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm. If you need an interpreter let us know.
If none of these apply to you, other organisations may be able to help.
Buying or selling houses and land
Buying or selling houses and land can be complicated. Most people need to use the services of a lawyer, conveyancer or estate agent.
Consumer Affairs Victoria has information, resources and checklists for buyers and sellers.
Land Use Victoria is a Victorian Government website that has information about land and property services. It includes information on land titles, valuations and surveys.
Fitzroy Legal Service’s Law Handbook has information about buying and selling houses and land in Victoria.
Lawyers and conveyancers
Conveyancing is the process of transferring the ownership of property from a seller to a buyer. Some private lawyers do conveyancing work as part of their practice. There are also conveyancing services that only do conveyancing work.
The Legal Services Board has information about conveyancing and the regulation of lawyers and non-lawyers doing conveyancing work.
The Australian Institute of Conveyancers (Victorian Division) has a directory of Victorian conveyancing services.
You can also find a private lawyer near you through the Law Institute of Victoria’s Legal Referral Service. All law firms included in the Legal Referral Service provide a free 30-minute interview. If you book an interview, write your questions down beforehand, so you get as much out of the free 30 minutes as possible. If you discuss getting further help from the lawyer, make sure you know how much it will cost.
If you want to do your own conveyancing, there are various do-it-yourself kits that you can buy.
Disputes with lawyers, conveyancers and estate agents
If you are unhappy with the service of a lawyer you have used for your conveyancing or other legal work, you can contact the Legal Services Commissioner.
If you are unhappy with the service of a non-lawyer conveyancer, you can contact Consumer Affairs Victoria.
If you have a dispute with an estate agent or their representative, you can contact Consumer Affairs Victoria’s Estate Agents Resolution Service (EARS). EARS is a dedicated service for advice, information, complaints and dispute resolution on real estate matters.
Building contracts
If you are building or renovating your home Consumer Affairs Victoria has information to help you plan and manage your building project, including dealing with contractors. It also has information about what to do when something goes wrong.
Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria has free advice for consumers and builders to help resolve domestic building disputes.
Justice Connect’s Domestic Building Legal Service can assist eligible Victorian homeowners involved in disputes with their builders, if the dispute cannot be resolved at Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria. The Domestic Building Legal Service applies a means test, and is open to Victorian homeowners who do not have access to legal help and advice through other sources. Eligible homeowners may receive a one hour consultation with a volunteer lawyer who may provide advice or assistance drafting documents.