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Buying or selling in Western Australia.

In Western Australia, there is no cooling-off period. The conditions must be right before you sign.

Aerial view of Perth suburbs with the city skyline behind

A WA purchase usually starts with an Offer and Acceptance form from the agent.

Once both sides agree on all terms, it is a binding contract.

There is no mandatory cooling-off period in Western Australia.

Fred Kalouche has acted on Western Australian property matters personally.

The Offer and Acceptance form

The agent will ask you to sign an Offer and Acceptance form.

It becomes binding once the buyer and seller agree on all terms.

Any counter offer must be initialled and dated, and the whole document signed and dated, to be binding.

Read it with us before you sign it.

Conditions to consider

Because there is no cooling-off period, protection comes from the conditions you add, for example:

  1. Subject to finance approval.
  2. Subject to the sale of your existing property.
  3. Subject to a building or pest inspection.
  4. The seller to repair or replace something before settlement.

If the property is sold "as is", the seller will not agree to these conditions.

Disclosure and the deposit

There is no mandatory seller disclosure statement in WA. Ask the agent your questions before you make an offer.

A deposit is not required by law. It is negotiated, and is generally no more than 10% of the price.

Pay it to the agent's trust account or your settlement agent's or solicitor's trust account. Never pay the seller directly.

If the seller accepts another offer

A seller can accept or decline any offer.

If the seller accepts a new offer on a property already under offer, the first buyer has 48 hours to make their contract unconditional, or it ends.

Common questions

Is there a cooling-off period in WA?

No. There is no mandatory cooling-off period for real estate contracts in Western Australia.

Can I protect myself?

Yes, by adding conditions to the Offer and Acceptance before you sign.

Can a Sydney firm act on my WA property?

We act on property in Western Australia.

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