Eastern & North-Eastern Suburbs

Conveyancing in Toorak.

Toorak is the only suburb in this group serviced by South East Water rather than Yarra Valley Water, which changes how the water adjustment at settlement is worked out. It is also the suburb where purchaser structure matters most. Many Toorak acquisitions run through trusts or companies, and foreign purchaser status is broader than most buyers assume.

Prepared resolves the duty and structuring position before the contract is signed, alongside the heritage and subdivision checks. On a Toorak purchase, a surcharge discovered late is not a small problem.

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Toorak at a glance

Postcode
3142
Council
City of Stonnington
Water corporation
South East Water
Most common dwelling
Flat or apartment

Authorities for Toorak

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 Toorak

Toorak Village on Toorak Road between Grange Road and Wallace Avenue is the retail centre, with Hawksburn Village nearby and the Toorak Road tram running west toward South Yarra. Toorak station sits on the Sandringham line at Hawksburn's edge. St Catherine's and Loreto Mandeville Hall are in the residential streets, and the northern boundary runs along the Yarra at Alexandra Avenue, below Como House.

What the market here means for your contract

At the 2021 Census, 49.8% of occupied private dwellings in Toorak were flats or apartments, 30.4% were separate houses, and 19.8% were townhouses or semi-detached. Toorak's public image is the large house, but half of it is apartments, many in substantial 1930s and 1960s blocks along Toorak Road, Williams Road and St Georges Road.

So most Toorak transactions are apartment transactions, where the owners corporation records and the plan of subdivision carry the risk rather than the land.

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 Toorak

Foreign purchaser additional duty and buyer structure

Victoria applies foreign purchaser additional duty on residential property acquired by a foreign purchaser, on top of standard land transfer duty. Foreign purchaser status is wider than most buyers expect and can capture certain trusts and companies with foreign interests, which matters given how many Toorak purchases are made through a structure. It also interacts with foreign investment approval requirements and the absentee owner land tax surcharge. Resolve this before the contract is signed, not before settlement.

Heritage controls are still being extended

Stonnington Planning Scheme Amendment C320ston, arising from a heritage review of Toorak, Armadale and Kooyong, was adopted by council on 18 December 2023 and submitted to the Minister for Planning. It proposes heritage controls over further individual properties and precincts and updates the citations for many existing ones. If you plan to demolish, check both the current planning certificate and the status of that amendment.

Large garden allotments rarely subdivide easily

Toorak's big garden blocks look subdividable and often are not. Heritage controls over demolition and subdivision, landscape and tree controls over mature plantings, minimum lot sizes and neighbourhood character policy all bear on it, and some titles carry a covenant restricting the land to a single dwelling. Get all of these checked before pricing a property on the basis of two titles.

Yarra River corridor along the northern edge

Toorak's northern boundary follows the Yarra at Alexandra Avenue, and Stonnington is one of the schemes carrying both the Birrarung provision at clause 51.06 and river corridor overlays. Where they apply, they can bring overshadowing prohibitions, height caps, setbacks and permit requirements for removing or lopping vegetation near the river. Check the planning certificate for the specific title before assuming a building envelope.

South East Water, not Yarra Valley Water

Toorak is serviced by South East Water, unlike most of Melbourne's eastern suburbs. Different corporation, different tariff structure and different billing cycle, all of which feed into the water rates adjustment at settlement. If you are moving from a Boroondara or Whitehorse property, do not assume the adjustment works the same way.

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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 Toorak

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

Does foreign purchaser additional duty apply to my Toorak purchase?

It applies where residential property is acquired by a foreign purchaser, on top of standard land transfer duty. The definition is broader than many buyers expect and can capture certain trusts and companies with foreign interests, so a purchase made through a structure needs checking rather than assuming. It also interacts with foreign investment approval requirements and the absentee owner land tax surcharge. Get the position confirmed before you sign the contract.

Which water authority services Toorak?

South East Water, which is confirmed by South East Water's own annual drinking water quality reporting listing Toorak among the suburbs it supplies. That differs from most of Melbourne's eastern suburbs, which are serviced by Yarra Valley Water. The difference affects the tariff structure and the billing cycle, and therefore how the water rates adjustment is calculated at settlement.

Can I knock down and rebuild on a Toorak block?

Check the heritage position first. Stonnington Planning Scheme Amendment C320ston, from a heritage review of Toorak, Armadale and Kooyong, was adopted by council on 18 December 2023 and submitted to the Minister for Planning, and proposes heritage controls over further properties and precincts. Where a heritage precinct applies, demolition generally requires a planning permit. Take the position from a current planning certificate and confirm the status of that amendment.

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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