Southern & South-Eastern Suburbs

Conveyancing in Malvern.

Malvern is a house suburb with a large flat stock behind it. At the 2021 Census, 45.8% of occupied homes were separate houses and 30.8% were flats or apartments, most of the latter along the main roads. The houses sit on Edwardian and interwar subdivisions, which is where the transaction risk lives. 

Zoning is rarely the limit in Malvern. A single-dwelling covenant on an old title will beat a permissive zone every time, and heritage precincts decide whether a rebuild is even arguable. Prepared checks the covenant, the heritage position and the flood schedule together. 

Get a quote Upload my contract

Malvern at a glance

Postcode
3144
Council
City of Stonnington
Most common dwelling
Separate house

Authorities for Malvern

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 Malvern

Glenferrie Road is the retail spine, running north from Malvern Station past the Malvern Town Hall and Malvern Central, crossed by High Street and Wattletree Road. The Malvern tram depot on Coldblo Road is a fixed local landmark, and trams 5, 6, 16, 64 and 72 grid the suburb alongside Malvern and Armadale stations. Central Park and Malvern Gardens provide the main open space, and Malvern East, postcode 3145, is a separate suburb next door.  

What the market here means for your contract

The 2021 Census recorded 45.8% separate houses, 30.8% flats or apartments, 19.4% semi-detached, row or terrace houses and townhouses, and 3.8% other dwellings. That makes Malvern a genuinely mixed suburb rather than a pure house market.

For the houses, the work is title work: covenants, easements and heritage precinct membership. For the flats, much of the stock is 1930s and mid-century walk-up blocks, so the owners corporation certificate, financial statements and maintenance plan matter as much as the plan of subdivision.

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.

Send it now, free

Local detail

What we check in Malvern

Single-dwelling covenants on old subdivisions

Malvern's Edwardian and interwar subdivisions mostly predate 25 June 1991, and many carry covenants limiting the land to one dwelling or specifying construction materials. Section 60(5) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 applies to covenants created before that date: a permit to remove or vary one cannot be granted if a benefiting owner objects, or if there is any chance a benefiting owner may suffer detriment of any kind. Identify the covenant and the land benefited by it before you commit to a development price, because a planning permit does not authorise a breach. 

Heritage precincts decide whether a rebuild is arguable

Amendment C316ston implements the Malvern Heritage Review and creates precincts at Dixon Street, Northbrook Avenue, Tooronga Road and Winter Street, along with 19 new individual heritage places and updates to existing ones. Stonnington council adopted the amendment with modifications on 14 November 2022 and referred it to the Minister for Planning. Interim controls had run under Amendment C315ston, gazetted on 24 February 2022 and expiring on 19 August 2022. Check the current scheme and the council's amendment page for the specific address rather than relying on an older report. 

Which flood schedule applies changes who decides

Stonnington's flood overlays were remapped by Amendment C221, approved by the Minister in June 2019, which replaced the earlier maps and split the controls into three schedules. Special Building Overlay Schedule 1 covers Melbourne Water main drainage, Schedule 2 covers council-managed local drainage, and Land Subject to Inundation Overlay Schedule 1 covers waterway flooding. Which schedule applies determines whether Melbourne Water or council is the referral authority, and therefore how long a permit for a basement, garage or rear addition will take. A planning certificate that only says Special Building Overlay is not enough; get the schedule. 

Foreign buyers and structure decisions

Malvern draws a meaningful share of offshore and expatriate purchasers. A foreign purchaser surcharge applies on top of ordinary land transfer duty on residential acquisitions, and an absentee owner surcharge applies annually to land tax. Duty is assessed on the transaction as executed, so residency and any trust or company structure need to be settled before signing, and any Foreign Investment Review Board approval must be in place. Confirm current rates and thresholds with the State Revenue Office. 

Activity centre catchments reach into the streets

Malvern was named as a train and tram zone activity centre in October 2024 under the Victorian Government's Activity Centres Program, in the group announced with Armadale, Hawksburn and Toorak Village. The catchments extend beyond the shopping strip into residential streets. For a buyer of a period house near the station, the useful question is what neighbours will be able to build under the new provisions and whether third-party review will be available. Confirm the status of the controls at the date of your contract. 

Get a Free Contract review

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 Malvern

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 Southern & South-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 build two houses on a Malvern block?

Only if the title allows it. Many Malvern subdivisions predate 25 June 1991 and carry covenants restricting the land to a single dwelling, and section 60(5) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 makes those very hard to remove or vary: a permit cannot be granted if a benefiting owner objects, or if any benefiting owner may suffer detriment of any kind. A residential zone that would allow two dwellings does not override the covenant, and a planning permit does not authorise a breach of it. Have the title and the benefited land checked before you pay a development price. 

Is Malvern the same suburb as Malvern East?

No. Malvern is postcode 3144 and Malvern East is 3145, and they are separate suburbs with different housing stock and different markets. Both are in the City of Stonnington, but heritage reviews in Stonnington are run suburb by suburb, so advice about one does not carry across to the other. Check the suburb recorded on the certificate of title. 

What heritage controls apply in Malvern?

Malvern has extensive heritage precinct coverage, and it has been extended. Amendment C316ston, adopted by Stonnington council with modifications on 14 November 2022 and referred to the Minister for Planning, creates precincts at Dixon Street, Northbrook Avenue, Tooronga Road and Winter Street and adds 19 new individual heritage places. Heritage overlays apply title by title, so check the planning certificate for the specific address and confirm the current amendment position with the council before you rely on it. 

Buying or selling in Malvern?

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

Get a quote
Upload contract Get a quote