Deciding to subdivide a parcel of land is the easy part, it's what follows that can be tricky, with many hoops to jump through, and costs and conditions to be met. Meyer Vandenberg's Property Commercial & Finance Team takes you through the process and answers the key questions. What is the purpose of subdivision? In NSW, any plan that creates new...

You’ve received your annual rates from the ACT Government but are puzzled by the ‘unimproved value’ figure. What does it mean exactly? How does the government calculate it? How often is it revised? Should you even care? "These are all good questions," says real estate agent Ryan Broadhurst, from Belle Property. "One thing is for sure, you should take note...

It seems simple enough. You want to erect a fence to give you privacy and keep the kids and pets safe when they’re playing in the backyard. You pitch the idea of a common-boundary fence to your neighbour and immediately run into problems. Your neighbour doesn’t want one and they certainly don’t want to contribute to paying for one. What...

Canberrans love a good auction, with many ACT home owners choosing auction over other sales methods to sell their properties. In addition to driving competition between potential buyers, an auction provides the opportunity to truly test what the market is willing to pay – rather than relying on assumptions of value. This can be particularly useful in a volatile market,...

On 7 June 2018, an amendment to the ACT Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT)(the WHS Act) was tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly. If the amendment passes the Assembly, it will come into force on 1 January 2019 and impose new Work Health and Safety (WHS) obligations for Canberra construction companies running projects worth more than $5 million. The Work Health and...

Property development in Canberra is booming, with a swag of new land releases open to the public over the past few years, and new developments popping up right across the territory – from Tuggeranong to Kingston, Braddon, Belconnen and Gungahlin. It’s exciting times for many Canberrans, who have had the opportunity to secure never-before-lived on land, or snap up brand...

Buying a home can be so much fun – from checking the listings and visiting properties to imagining your future life and signing the purchase papers – your dreams are coming true and you have good cause to be excited. There are a few necessary steps after house hunting that may not seem as exciting though, and conveyancing is one...

When taking the first steps into the property market, most people are confronted with a lot of legal jargon and might not even know if they are deemed eligible by lenders to borrow money to purchase a property. This is why local law firm Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers and Goodwin Blain Financial are running a series of First Home Buyer Seminars...

No landlord wants to find themselves in a position where a tenant who has recently entered into a ten-year lease with an option to renew for five years, becomes insolvent. However, there is always a risk a tenant will become insolvent during the term of a lease. As a landlord, you need to be aware of your rights if this...

It is my good fortune that one of my best friends also happens to be my accountant. Naturally this means that on any given day I hit my longsuffering friend up for some free advice about all things financial. There is however one noticeable caveat to this arrangement; during the months of July / Aug I can forget about speaking...

In the past couple of months we have noted a spate of disturbing burglaries within apartment buildings across Canberra. After enquiries with the police as well as with senior members of other strata businesses it appears that the issue may be wide spread. It makes one wonder if there is some degree of underlying organisation. While Vantage Strata and our...

Many Canberran's that are either retired or getting close to retirement have a large percentage of their net worth tied up in their family home. While the family home is exempt from the capital gains tax, it is a nonincome producing asset and will require a substantial amount of money to maintain each year to protect the capital value. Since...

1. Understanding your rights and obligations The legislation governing rights and obligations varies for each state in Australia. Including everything from bond, rent collection, lease length and the rights and obligations of owners and tenants under the tenancy agreements. The big issue for landlords in Canberra is safety. It is vital that a landlord ensures the safety of their property....