You have spent months scrolling through listings, sat through awkward open homes, argued with your partner about whether you really need a second bathroom, and finally found a place you love. Now your agent is asking if you have a conveyancer. You are not entirely sure what one does. And the contract needs to be signed by Friday.

Sound familiar? That is how most first home buyers in Brisbane end up engaging a conveyancer — in a rush, at the last minute, without understanding the process. This guide is here to change that.

What a conveyancer actually does (in plain language)

A conveyancer is the person who handles the legal side of buying your property. Not the finance — that is your broker or bank. Not the inspection — that is your building inspector. The conveyancer deals with the paperwork, the searches, the contract, the government lodgements, and the coordination of settlement day.

For first home buyers specifically, your conveyancer also handles the applications for grants and stamp duty concessions. That part alone can save you tens of thousands of dollars, so getting it right matters.

Here is a rough breakdown of what they do, in the order it happens:

They review the contract before you sign it. This is arguably the most important step, and the one most first home buyers skip because they are in a hurry. The contract of sale is a legal document. It contains conditions, deadlines and obligations that bind you once you sign. Your conveyancer reads it, flags anything unusual, and tells you whether the terms are reasonable or whether something needs to change.

They check the seller's disclosure. Since August 2025, every Queensland seller has to provide a Form 2 Seller Disclosure Statement and a bundle of certificates before you sign. Your conveyancer reviews these documents and tells you if anything looks off — missing certificates, unapproved building work, environmental flags, easement issues. Think of it as the first layer of protection.

They run searches on the property. Title searches, council rate searches, flood checks, contamination searches, transport and main roads searches. Each one answers a specific question about the property that could affect your decision or your finance. For units and townhouses, add body corporate records to that list — and those records can reveal upcoming special levies or financial issues within the scheme that would not be visible on an inspection.

They handle your grant and concession applications. The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG), the first home buyer stamp duty concession, the first home new home concession — your conveyancer prepares and lodges all the relevant forms so you actually receive the benefits you are entitled to. More on these below.

They coordinate settlement. On settlement day, your conveyancer manages the transfer of funds and documents through PEXA (the electronic settlement platform). Once it is done, the title is registered in your name and you can pick up the keys from your agent.

The financial incentives you need to know about

Queensland first home buyers in 2026 have access to the most generous package of grants and concessions the state has ever offered. But several of them have expiry dates, so the window is not open forever.

$30,000 First Home Owner Grant. This applies if you are buying or building a brand-new home valued under $750,000. The grant is paid at settlement — not upfront as a deposit — so you still need genuine savings to get into the contract. The $30,000 amount applies to contracts signed before 30 June 2026. After that, it drops back to $15,000. That is a $15,000 difference for anyone on the fence.

Zero stamp duty on established homes under $700,000. If you are buying an existing home as your first property and it is valued under $700,000, you pay no transfer duty at all. Between $700,001 and $800,000 there is a partial concession. Above $800,000, the first home concession does not apply.

Zero stamp duty on new homes — no price cap. This one is significant. For contracts signed on or after 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers purchasing a new home pay zero stamp duty regardless of the purchase price. On an $850,000 new home, that saves you over $20,000 compared to the standard rate. This concession is uncapped, which is unusual.

Zero stamp duty on vacant land — no price cap. Buying land to build your first home? Same deal. Zero duty with no value cap, provided you build and move in within two years of settlement.

Boost to Buy shared equity scheme. The Queensland Government chips in up to 30% of a new home purchase (or 25% for an existing home), and you only need a 2% deposit on properties up to $1 million. Income caps are $150,000 for singles and $225,000 for couples.

Federal First Home Guarantee. Buy with a 5% deposit and skip Lenders Mortgage Insurance entirely. Property price caps are $1 million in South East Queensland.

Your conveyancer should be confirming your eligibility for each of these at the start of the process — not at settlement.

The mistakes we see first home buyers make

We handle first home purchases every week, and the same mistakes come up over and over.

Signing the contract before getting it reviewed. This is the big one. Once you sign, you are bound by whatever terms are in the contract. If the finance condition is too short, or the building inspection window is too narrow, or there is a special condition that disadvantages you, it is too late to change it. Twenty-four hours of patience before signing can save you thousands.

Confusing pre-approval with approval. Your bank gave you pre-approval. Great. That means they have looked at your income and expenses and said "in principle, you can borrow this much." It does not mean they have approved a loan for this specific property. Final approval requires a valuation, full document verification, and sometimes additional conditions. We see deals fall apart because buyers assumed pre-approval was a done deal and waived their finance condition early. Do not do this.

Skipping the building and pest inspection. Brisbane's climate is ideal for termites. That is not a scare tactic — it is a fact. We have seen brand-new homes with termite activity. We have seen beautifully renovated Queenslanders with structural issues hidden behind fresh paint. A building and pest inspection costs $400 to $700. The problems it can uncover cost tens of thousands. Always include a building and pest condition in your contract, and always use it.

Leaving the conveyancer until last. If you engage a conveyancer before you start making offers, they can review contracts quickly when the time comes. If you scramble to find one after you have already committed, you are starting behind.

Not understanding the deadlines. Your contract will have specific dates for satisfying conditions — finance, building inspection, due diligence. These deadlines are not suggestions. If you miss a finance condition deadline and your approval has not come through, you lose the right to exit without penalty. Your conveyancer tracks these dates, but you need to be responsive too. When they call or email asking for documents or signatures, respond the same day if you can.

A quick note on buying at auction

If you are thinking about buying at auction, the rules are different and you need to know this upfront. Properties sold at auction in Queensland are sold unconditionally. No cooling-off period. No finance condition. No building and pest condition. You sign, you are in. Full stop.

That means all your due diligence — building inspection, finance approval, contract review, disclosure review — needs to happen before auction day. Talk to your conveyancer well in advance if you are considering bidding at auction.

Frequently asked questions

When should I get a conveyancer?

Before you start making offers. Having a conveyancer ready means they can turn around a contract review quickly when you find a property, and you avoid the stress of searching for one under time pressure.

How much does conveyancing cost for a first home buyer?

Professional fees usually sit between $800 and $1,800 inclusive of GST. First home buyers who qualify for stamp duty concessions will find their total costs significantly lower than subsequent buyers, since transfer duty is often the largest expense.

Does my conveyancer sort out the First Home Owner Grant?

Yes. Your conveyancer prepares and lodges the FHOG application and the stamp duty concession application as part of the process.

What happens on settlement day?

It is all electronic. Your conveyancer handles the transfer through PEXA. Funds move, the title registers in your name, and you get the keys from your agent. You do not need to be anywhere.

Is the $30,000 grant really ending?

The $30,000 amount applies to contracts signed before 30 June 2026. After that date, the grant reverts to $15,000 for new homes. If you are planning a new home purchase, the timeline matters.

ConveySure helps first home buyers in Brisbane navigate the conveyancing process with confidence. [Get a first home buyer quote →]