Eastern & North-Eastern Suburbs

Conveyancing in Kew.

Kew presents two constraints at once, and they are separate searches. The Victorian and Edwardian streets sit within heritage precincts where demolition is controlled. The flatter interwar and postwar subdivisions carry covenants restricting the land to a single dwelling. A buyer looking at a large Kew block usually has to clear both before a development idea is worth anything. 

Prepared runs the title and the planning certificate together, so you see the covenant, the heritage position and the river corridor controls in one place. On a Kew purchase, that is usually the difference between a good decision and an expensive one. 

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Kew at a glance

Postcode
3101
Council
City of Boroondara
Water corporation
Yarra Valley Water
Most common dwelling
Separate house

Authorities for Kew

Check it yourself

Links to government and third-party sites. We do not control what they publish, and the planning certificate and Section 32 for the specific property remain the source of truth.

About Kew

High Street and Cotham Road meet at Kew Junction, with the post office and library on the corner, and Studley Park Road runs down to the Yarra at the Kew Boathouse and Yarra Bend Park. Trinity Grammar, Xavier College, Ruyton and Methodist Ladies' College all sit within a few streets of each other. There is no train station in Kew, so it is tram-served, with the nearest heavy rail at Hawthorn or Glenferrie.  

What the market here means for your contract

At the 2021 Census, 50.5% of occupied private dwellings in Kew were separate houses, 25.6% were flats or apartments, and 23.6% were townhouses or semi-detached. Half the suburb is attached housing, which surprises buyers who picture Kew as detached only.

Large lots are common, and many of them look subdividable. Whether they actually are depends on the covenant, the heritage position, tree controls and the minimum lot size in the relevant zone schedule.

Before you sign

In Victoria you get three clear business days to cool off, and none at all if you buy at auction.

That is the whole window. A contract read after settlement is a bill, not advice. If the property is going to auction, the review has to happen before you raise your hand, and it costs you nothing to have it done. There is no reason to be the person who finds out afterwards.

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Local detail

What we check in Key

Heritage and covenants are separate problems

Kew's older streets sit within heritage precincts, where demolition needs a planning permit. Its interwar and postwar subdivisions commonly carry single-dwelling and minimum-cost covenants recorded on title. These are different searches with different answers, and a buyer needs both. Do not assume that clearing one clears the other. 

Pre-1991 covenants and the section 60(5) test

Where a Kew covenant was created before 25 June 1991, section 60(5) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 means a permit to remove or vary it cannot be granted if a benefiting owner objects or if there is any chance a benefiting owner may suffer detriment of any kind. The Supreme Court route under section 84 of the Property Law Act 1958 is slow and often unsuccessful. Treat removal as unlikely rather than as a step in a project plan. 

River corridor controls on three sides

The Yarra wraps Kew through Studley Park, Yarra Bend, Willsmere and the golf club flats. River corridor controls apply along the Yarra between Punt Road in Richmond and Warrandyte, and where they apply they can prohibit additional overshadowing of the banks and waters, cap heights, impose setbacks and require a permit for buildings, fences and vegetation removal or lopping near the river. This is the most commonly missed constraint on a Kew riverfront purchase. 

Steep escarpment sites below Studley Park Road

The fall from Studley Park Road to the river is severe. Landscape and vegetation controls, along with geotechnical requirements, are commonly encountered on these sites and can significantly reduce the buildable area and increase the build cost. Confirm the overlay position and get engineering advice before budgeting. 

Kew Junction activity centre expectations

Kew Junction was named in the February 2025 tranche of the Victorian Government's train and tram zone activity centres, which raises development expectations around High Street and Cotham Road. Much of the surrounding land is heritage-affected or covenanted, so the apparent uplift is not available on every title. Check the planning certificate and the title before pricing a site on the new expectations. 

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How it works in 3 steps

Step 1

Upload your contract

Upload your contract, add a few details and you’re done. No appointment to book, no credit card and no obligation.

Step 2

Same business day review

In before 2pm, back before you need it.

We’ll send you a free legal review to help you understand what matters, what to watch for and what to do next.

Step 3

Your call

Walk away, or have us run the matter through to PEXA settlement for $1,600 incl. GST fixed.

Either is fine with us.

How we help in Kew

Contract of Sale reviews

Before you sign anything, we review the Contract of Sale and explain the terms, special conditions and risks that could affect your purchase.

Section 32 Vendor Statement reviews

The Section 32 carries the planning controls, easements, owners corporation details and outgoings. We explain what it means and flag anything that deserves a closer look.

Property conveyancing

Buying or selling, we manage the legal transfer of ownership, prepare the documents and coordinate every party through to settlement.

Settlement and statement of adjustments

We prepare and check settlement figures, including council rates, water rates, owners corporation fees and other adjustments, so nothing is wrong on the day.

Electronic settlement through PEXA

Most Victorian settlements now happen electronically. We run the whole process securely and keep you informed at each step.

Owners corporation due diligence

Buying an apartment, townhouse or unit means buying into an owners corporation. We review the records, financial statements, rules, maintenance obligations and any known issues.

Easements, covenants and title restrictions

We explain everything affecting the title, including easements, restrictive covenants, caveats, mortgages, section 173 agreements and other registered interests that could limit what you do with the property.

Stamp duty and Duties Online

We calculate your duty, prepare the documents and lodge everything through Victoria's Duties Online system.

See everything we handle across Eastern & North-Eastern Suburbs

Why Prepared

Anyone can offer a free review. What matters is what comes back, and who wrote it.

 

Speed

Same-day contract reviews. While others wait on a callback, you are at the next inspection ready to offer.

Expertise

Your contract is reviewed by experienced Australian property lawyers who understand the local property market. In Albert Park that means environmental audit conditions, heritage controls and multi-tier owners corporations, not a generic checklist.

Fixed fee

One price for the conveyancing, published before you commit. No hourly billing, no surprises on the invoice, and no charge at all for the review that got you there.

What it costs

Nothing to have it read. One price if you go ahead.

Most conveyancers charge for a review, or ask you to request a quote before they will tell you anything at all. Here is the whole thing, so you can compare without making a phone call.

Free

Contract and Section 32 review

No charge, no obligation, no limit on how many properties. Back the same business day.

$1,600

Full conveyancing, buying

Incl. GST, fixed. Contract through to PEXA settlement, adjustments and duty lodgement.

$300

Selling, and it does not sell

Professional fees only, plus the cost of any searches already ordered. You are not billed for a settlement that never happened.

Government charges, searches and land transfer duty are payable in addition and are set by the State, not by us. We tell you the total before you instruct.

Start with the free review

Common questions

Can I subdivide a large block in Kew?

Four things need to line up, and often they do not. Check the title for a covenant restricting the land to a single dwelling, check whether the property sits in a heritage precinct where demolition and subdivision are controlled, check tree and landscape controls over mature plantings, and check the minimum lot size in the relevant zone schedule. A planning permit does not authorise a breach of covenant, so the covenant is usually the first question. 

What do the Yarra River controls mean for a riverfront Kew property?

River corridor controls apply along the Yarra between Punt Road in Richmond and Warrandyte, and Kew is wrapped by the river on three sides. Where they apply to a title, they can prohibit additional overshadowing of the river banks and waters, cap building heights, require substantial setbacks, and require a permit for buildings, fences and for removing or lopping vegetation within 30 metres of the river. Confirm the position on the planning certificate for the specific property. 

Is Kew mostly heritage protected?

Much of Kew's older housing stock sits within a heritage precinct, particularly the Victorian and Edwardian streets, and in a precinct a planning permit is required to demolish. Boroondara's heritage mapping has been extended over time through successive planning scheme amendments. Whether a specific property is affected is a question for a current planning certificate rather than an assumption based on the street. 

Buying or selling in Kew?

Send us the contract. You will get it back reviewed, in plain English, with the issues that matter flagged.

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