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Contract reviews · NSW property

Property Contract Reviews Before You Sign or Bid

Buying a home, apartment or investment property in Marrickville, the Inner West or elsewhere in NSW? Have the contract reviewed before you commit. We explain the terms, identify legal issues and tell you what further enquiries may be needed before exchange or auction.

Request a contract reviewCall (02) 9557 9000
4.9 from 248 Google reviews30+ years serving Sydney

How we can help

  • 4.9

    from Google reviews

    As at October 2026

  • 30+

    years in legal service

    Supplied by CM Lawyers

  • $6.7B+

    in property settlements and advice

    Supplied by CM Lawyers

  • 2024–26

    Alex Sapounas — Best 3 Conveyancers in Sydney

    ThreeBest Rated 2024, 2025 & 2026

  • 2015

    Investors Choice Awards — Conveyancer winner (NSW)

    Supplied by CM Lawyers

Google rating as at October 2026. Years, settlement figure and awards supplied by CM Lawyers.

Contract reviews

Contract reviews for different types of purchases

Tell us the property address, how you are buying and your deadline. We confirm availability, scope and fees before accepting instructions.

  • Residential houses and terraces

    Review of the contract and the title and planning documents supplied with it, including special conditions, the deposit, settlement and matters that call for further investigation.

  • Auction and urgent reviews

    Where our team is available, a priority review before an auction or proposed exchange. An urgent request does not guarantee an immediate or weekend response, so contact us early and tell us the deadline.

  • Strata apartments, townhouses and villas

    A contract review covering the strata issues disclosed in the documents, and advice on when a separate strata records inspection, building report or other enquiry is needed.

  • Off-the-plan purchases

    Review of the sale terms, proposed plans, permitted changes, sunset and settlement provisions, deposit arrangements and disclosure documents. Scope and fees are confirmed individually.

Before you commit

Why review the contract before exchange?

A property contract can contain conditions affecting your deposit, settlement, inclusions, proposed alterations, occupancy and your liability if the purchase does not proceed. The legal terms matter even when the property looks straightforward.

For many NSW residential purchases by private treaty, a five-business-day cooling-off period applies. For off-the-plan purchases the statutory period is generally ten business days. There is generally no cooling-off period when you buy at auction, or when you exchange on the same day after a property is passed in at auction. A section 66W certificate can also remove cooling-off rights.

The exact position depends on the transaction and the documents, so get advice before you sign or bid.

Official guides

The review

What we look at

  • The contract of sale, special conditions and any proposed amendments.
  • The title and the documents supplied with the contract, including noted easements, covenants or restrictions.
  • Deposit, cooling-off, section 66W, default, completion and settlement obligations.
  • Inclusions and exclusions, vacant possession or existing tenancies, and the property description.
  • The planning certificate and other disclosed documents, including apparent issues that need further investigation.
  • For strata or off-the-plan purchases, the scheme or development documents available and the need for additional searches or reports.

A contract review is not a building, pest, engineering, planning, valuation or full strata inspection. We tell you when those independent investigations may be appropriate, and explain any separately scoped work or third-party costs.

More on buying a property, buying a strata unit and off-the-plan purchases.

The process

Our review process

  1. Step 1: Send the contract

    As early as possible

    Use the enquiry form below or contact our office with the agent's contract, the property address and your auction or exchange deadline.

  2. Step 2: We confirm scope and timing

    Before we start

    We check availability, explain the proposed review, give you a quote and send our engagement terms.

  3. Step 3: Receive the review and discuss next steps

    Before you sign or bid

    Once engaged, we review the agreed documents, explain the important contract issues and discuss your options or further investigations.

  4. Step 4: Decide how to proceed

    Your choice

    If you decide to buy, we can give you a separate quote for the conveyancing through exchange and settlement.

Getting a quote

What to send us

Send what you have. We will tell you if anything else is needed.

  • The property address
  • The agent's contract (PDF)Include all attachments the agent sent you.
  • The type of propertyHouse, strata unit, off the plan or other.
  • The auction or proposed exchange date and timeTell us about any deadline as early as possible.
  • Any particular concernsFor example, renovations you plan, tenants, flooding or strata issues.

Fees

Contract review fees

ServiceFee
Contract review$275 including GST
Same-day urgent contract review (for example, before an auction)$400 including GST, subject to team availability and receiving the complete contract early enough on the day
Strata, off-the-plan and complex transactionsIndividual written quote after assessing the scope

We confirm the fee in writing before we start. Searches, strata reports, specialist advice, negotiation and conveyancing may be charged separately where they apply.

Who will help you

Your conveyancer

  • Alex Sapounas

    Alex Sapounas

    Licensed Conveyancer

    Alex handles conveyancing at CM Lawyers and has been with the firm since 2003. He works from our Marrickville office and can take you through your contract, your deadlines and the settlement figures before you commit.

    Read Alex's profile: Alex Sapounas

Questions

Contract review questions

Should I have the contract reviewed before an auction?

Yes. Auction buyers generally do not have a cooling-off period. Have the contract reviewed, and arrange finance and inspections, early enough to make an informed decision before you bid.

Can you review a contract urgently?

You can request an urgent review. Send the complete contract and tell us the deadline as early as possible. We will tell you whether the team can do the work in time before accepting instructions. A same-day urgent review is $400 including GST.

Does a contract review include building and pest reports?

No. These are separate technical inspections. We can tell you where further enquiries appear prudent, but specialist inspectors assess the physical condition of the property.

Can you review strata and off-the-plan contracts?

Yes, subject to scope and availability. Strata records, building defects, levies, developer obligations and off-the-plan terms may need additional documents or separately scoped work.

If you review the contract, do you have to do my conveyancing?

No. The contract review and the full purchase conveyancing can be separate engagements. We can give you a quote for the conveyancing if you go ahead.

What should I send for a quote?

The property address, the agent's contract PDF, the type of property, the auction or exchange date, and a short description of any particular concerns.

Read more

Related guides and services

Contract review enquiries

Request a contract review

Tell us the property address, the type of property and your auction or exchange deadline. We will contact you about scope, fee and availability.

Call (02) 9557 9000

If you are about to exchange contracts or bid at auction, please call us.

Send us your enquiry

Fields marked with * are required.

See our privacy policy for how we handle personal information.

What happens next

  1. We read your enquiry and contact you to talk about your purchase or sale.
  2. We explain what we will do and give you a written estimate of our costs and disbursements.
  3. If you decide to go ahead, we verify your identity and start work on the contract.

Our office

Level 3, Unit 3.07
18–30 Faversham Street
Marrickville NSW 2204

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Opening hours

Monday to Friday
9:00am to 5:00pm

Getting here

You can drive up to Level 3, and two hours' free parking is available at the Wicks Place car park, 186 Victoria Road.

Before you rely on a deadline

Sending an enquiry or document does not mean CM Lawyers has accepted the engagement or agreed to meet a particular deadline. Please do not assume you are protected for an auction or exchange until our office has confirmed your instructions. This page gives general information about NSW property contracts as at October 2026 and is not legal advice about your situation.

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Level 3, Unit 3.07, 18–30 Faversham Street
Marrickville NSW 2204

(02) 9557 9000
lawyers@cmlaw.com.au

Disclaimer: This website provides general information only. Nothing on this site should be taken to comprise legal advice or used as a substitute for detailed and competent legal advice. While the information contained in this website is believed to be accurate and current, it is provided by CMLawyers in good faith on an “as is” basis. CMLawyers, its directors, officers or employees make no representation or warranty as to the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information contained on this website, and none of them accept any responsibility arising in any way (including negligence) for errors in, or omissions from, the information contained in this website.

CM Lawyers  ·  Level 3, Unit 3.07, 18–30 Faversham Street, Marrickville NSW 2204  ·  (02) 9557 9000  ·  lawyers@cmlaw.com.au