First Home Buyers

Two contracts.
Two vendors.
One gap where buyers get hurt.

"Most buyers don't realise until it's too late that the land contract and the build contract are completely separate documents — with separate risks, separate timelines, and separate ways things can go wrong."

— Robin Carter · Principal Solicitor, Love Homes Conveyancing

Land settled. Build contract signed. Then the developer invoked the sunset clause.

A sunset clause gives a developer the right to terminate if the build isn't completed by a certain date. Some use it legitimately. Some use it to re-sell at a higher price. You need to know which one you're looking at — before you sign.

It looks straightforward. It isn't.

You found the display home. The price was right. The estate looked good on the map. You signed the land contract and felt like you were on your way.

What nobody told you: you've just entered two separate legal relationships, with two sets of obligations, two sets of risks, and a gap between them that most conveyancers never think to close.

The land settles on one date. The build begins on another. In between: progress payments, builder insolvency risk, variation clauses that let the developer change what you're getting, and a sunset clause that can undo everything if the timing shifts.

"House and land isn't more complicated than a standard purchase. It just has more places for things to go wrong — and fewer buyers who know to look for them."

What we do for you

Two contracts reviewed.
Every gap closed.

We handle both sides of a house and land transaction so nothing falls between them.

We review both contracts — land and build — before you commit to either
Most buyers sign the land contract first, then deal with the build contract later. We review both together so you understand how they interact — and where the risks are — before you're locked in.
We explain sunset clauses in plain language — and flag the ones to watch
Not all sunset clauses are the same. We identify the ones that give developers an exit, explain what they mean for you, and advise on whether amendments are possible before exchange.
We walk you through progress payment milestones
When do you pay, how much, and what triggers each payment? We make sure you understand your obligations at every stage of the build — and what your rights are if progress stalls.
We identify variation clauses and what they allow the developer to change
Some build contracts allow developers to substitute materials, change specifications, or alter finishes without your approval. We flag these clauses and advise on what's standard versus what's a problem.
We manage the land settlement end-to-end
The land contract settlement is a standard conveyancing matter — and we handle it completely. Title transfer, searches, settlement adjustments. All done. All in writing.

A note on sunset clauses

The clause that can terminate your contract — legally.

A sunset clause sets a deadline for the developer to complete the land registration and settlement. If that deadline isn't met, either party can walk away. In practice, some developers use this mechanism to exit contracts when the market has moved — and re-sell the same land at a higher price. Knowing what your contract says, and whether that risk is real, is something we look at as a matter of course. It's not something you should find out about after you've already planned your build.

Pricing

Fixed fee. One number.

The same transparency we bring to your contracts, we bring to ours. No surprises on our bill.

First Home Buyer — Purchase

$1,990

+ GST + disbursements