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Contract Review Preparation.
A contract of sale is a legal document. Walking into your conveyancer’s review knowing what to look for means a more useful conversation about what actually matters.
Why this matters
Your conveyancer or solicitor reads every contract of sale they review. Most of their clients do not read theirs. The result is a professional review that identifies the legal issues — but a buyer who doesn’t understand what has been found, what it means, or which issues are material to their decision versus which are standard inclusions that appear in every contract.
A buyer who has read the contract before meeting their conveyancer — even without fully understanding every clause — has a fundamentally different conversation. They know which special conditions are unusual. They have already noted the settlement date and thought about whether it works for their finance timeline. They have identified the included and excluded chattels and checked them against what was at the property when they inspected.
Understanding the basics of what a contract of sale contains, what the most important sections are, and what questions to ask your conveyancer does not require legal training. It requires knowing what you are looking for — which is precisely what this prompt teaches.
**Real case study summary:** A buyer in Victoria exchanged contracts on a property without noting that the settlement date had been specified as 90 days rather than the standard 30 or 60 days. This suited the vendor, who was simultaneously purchasing another property. It did not suit the buyer, who had a lease expiring in 45 days. The cooling-off period had expired before the settlement date issue was raised with the conveyancer. The early release of possession clause that would have resolved the situation had not been included.
The 90-day settlement date was in the contract particulars on page two. Reading the contract before exchange takes 20 minutes and would have surfaced this issue immediately.
“Your conveyancer reads the contract. You need to understand what you’re signing.
What you're building
A contract of sale preparation checklist identifying: vendor special condition risks, settlement period timing alignment, chattel inclusion discrepancies, easement and title restrictions, and sunset clause limits.
Claude (free tier works), the draft contract of sale, your preferred settlement date, and finance clause timeframes.
Copy the prompt.Paste your details.Analyze the output.
Paste the prompt below into Claude or ChatGPT. Replace the bracketed fields with your specific property or portfolio details.
Always verify the AI's assumptions with qualified professionals. This output is a first-pass educational tool, not advice.
Contract preparation
Contract of sale review prep · special conditions and terms checklist
You are an Australian property education assistant helping a buyer understand what a contract of sale contains, what to look for, and what questions to ask their conveyancer before they review it. This prompt prepares me for the professional conversation — it does not replace it. MY DETAILS: - State: [NSW / VIC / QLD / SA / WA / TAS / ACT / NT] - Property type: [house / apartment / vacant land / off-the-plan / other] - Purchase type: [private treaty / post-auction / off the plan] - Anything unusual about this property: [vendor circumstances, development potential, tenanted property, deceased estate, subject to conditions, other] - Have I read the contract: [yes — I'll describe what I found / not yet] Return a contract review preparation guide with these 5 sections: ## 1. WHAT A STANDARD CONTRACT OF SALE CONTAINS For my state, explain the standard structure of a residential property contract: - The standard form: which form is standard in my state and what it covers - Section 32 / Vendor disclosure statement (VIC): what it must contain and what it signals if items are missing - Contract particulars: parties, price, deposit amount, settlement date, excluded chattels, included chattels - Special conditions: what they are and why they are the most important section to read carefully ## 2. THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO CHECK For my state and property type, explain: - Settlement date: what is standard, what is vendor-preferred, and what I should negotiate if I need more time - Deposit amount: standard is 10%, but 5% can be negotiated. What this means for my cash position. - Subject to finance clause: if purchasing by private treaty, how to include one and why it matters - Subject to building and pest clause: when to include one and the standard terms - Cooling-off period: how long it is in my state, when it starts, and under what circumstances it does not apply (auction, signed waiver) - Excluded items: what the vendor is taking with them that I might assume is included — be specific about lights, dishwashers, curtains, gardens, pool equipment - Included items (chattels): what is specifically included and whether the condition is warranted - Tenancy disclosure: if the property is currently tenanted, what must be disclosed ## 3. SPECIAL CONDITIONS TO SCRUTINISE Explain what to look for in special conditions: - Sunset clauses (off-the-plan): what they are and why they can be used against buyers - Early release of deposit: vendor wanting access to the deposit before settlement — what this means and when to agree - Vendor finance extensions: what it means if the vendor has asked for an extended settlement - Lease-back arrangements: when vendors want to stay in the property after settlement - Development conditions: if this is a lot in a development, what conditions might affect me - FIRB conditions: if applicable, how FIRB approval should be structured in the contract ## 4. QUESTIONS FOR MY CONVEYANCER Generate 12 specific questions I should ask my conveyancer when reviewing this contract. Make them specific to my state, property type, and any unusual circumstances I described. Include questions about: - The section 32 or vendor disclosure statement (where applicable) - Any title or easement issues - Any restrictive covenants on the land - The settlement date and whether it works for my finance timeline - Any special conditions in this specific contract - My rights if defects are discovered after exchange ## 5. THE COOLING-OFF DECISION In my state, explain: - What the cooling-off period is and when it applies - The cost of exercising cooling-off (typically 0.25% of purchase price) - When it is appropriate to exchange quickly versus take time for due diligence - What circumstance would lead me to exchange immediately (hot market, seller requirement) versus why I should use the full cooling-off period --- Educational framework only. Not legal advice. Contract law, conveyancing practice, and vendor disclosure requirements vary significantly by state. A qualified solicitor or conveyancer must review any contract of sale before you sign or exchange. Do not rely on this prompt as a substitute for professional legal advice.
A buyer in Victoria exchanged contracts on a property without noting that the settlement date had been specified as 90 days rather than the standard 30 or 60 days. This suited the vendor, who was simultaneously purchasing another property. It did not suit the buyer, who had a lease expiring in 45 days. The cooling-off period had expired before the settlement date issue was raised with the conveyancer. The early release of possession clause that would have resolved the situation had not been included.
The 90-day settlement date was in the contract particulars on page two. Reading the contract before exchange takes 20 minutes and would have surfaced this issue immediately.
Your first run is fine. Your fifth is sharp.
Incorporate vendor special conditions
Add the text of any special conditions added by the vendor to search for hidden penalties or settlement extensions.
Test settlement timeframe options
Run scenarios for 30, 42, 60, and 90-day settlements to see how they align with your bank's loan approval speed.
Verify chattel inclusions list
Cross-check the list of included items (like dishwashers, air conditioners, light fittings) with what you saw during inspections.
Save this contract prep checklist in your Claude Project. Use it to prepare for your call with your conveyancer.
What it still gets wrong.
Contracts favor the vendor by default
Draft contracts are prepared by the vendor's solicitor to protect the vendor's interests, not yours. Never sign without legal review.
Sunset clauses carry cancellation risks
In off-the-plan contracts, sunset clauses allow the developer to terminate the contract if settlement is delayed, potentially reselling at a higher price.
Verbal representations are void
Any promise made by the selling agent regarding repairs or inclusions is legally invalid unless written as a special condition in the contract.
Settlement date delays trigger penalties
If your bank is not ready on settlement day, the vendor can charge penalty interest and serve a notice to complete, risking your deposit.
How this stacks.
Day 21 prepares the contract check. Day 01 screens property details. Day 26 maps settlement timelines. Stack them to control contract exchange.
Before you meet your conveyancer.
You'll have identified unusual special conditions and chattel inclusions.
You'll have verified that the settlement date and finance clauses work for your loan timeline, allowing a highly productive, focused consultation with your lawyer.
Building report check
Building and pest report analysis guide · major vs minor defect screen
Read Day 22 ↗