Pricing

• Reviewing your sale and purchase agreement.

• Checking the property title to confirm ownership and spot any restrictions.

• Reviewing the LIM report (you’ll need to order this from council).

• Confirming any conditions in your agreement are met.

• Running a final guaranteed title search before settlement.

We’re here to guide you through the whole process, answering your questions and making sure nothing slips through the cracks. This includes:

• Communicating with the seller’s lawyer on your behalf.

• Working collaboratively with your bank/mortgage broker and agent to make the process as smooth as possible

• Keeping you updated and explaining things in plain language.

• Giving you advice on related matters like:

  • Whether you might need a Property Agreement with your partner.

  • Why it’s a good idea to have a Will once you own a home.

• Providing clear accounting and a final report so you know exactly where you stand.

This is where everything comes together on settlement day. We’ll:

• Work with your bank to prepare and sign loan and mortgage documents (if you have finance).

• Get the paperwork in order (including council and water company notifications, authority forms, electronic dealings, and solicitor certificates).

• Arrange the money — drawing down from the bank and collecting your contribution.

• Pay the seller’s lawyer and complete the transfer.

• Register the property into your name and (if relevant) your mortgage on the title.

• Let you know as soon as settlement has gone through — so you can celebrate getting the keys!

The sooner the better. Getting your lawyer involved early (even while you are still house hunting) means we can:

• Spot any red flags before you sign.

• Help with wording in the agreement so your interests are protected.

• Give you peace of mind and reduce stress as you move through the process.

That said, it’s never too late. Even if you’ve already signed an agreement, you can still sign up with us and we’ll guide you through from that point onwards.

And don’t worry — booking us early doesn’t change the price. It just helps you get the best possible outcome.

What our fixed fee does not cover:
Sometimes extra work is needed if things aren’t straightforward. Our fee estimate does not include situations such as:

• Properties with a complex title (leasehold, unit title, or lots of restrictions/covenants).

• Kiwisaver withdrawals or subsidies.

• Complications with builder’s reports, LIM reports, or other conditions that require extra negotiations.

• Buying in a trust or company name.

• More than one mortgage, or bank guarantees.

• Urgent settlements or delays to settlement.

• Extra meetings to sign documents (e.g. if you and your partner can’t sign together).

• Anything outside a standard purchase that requires extra investigation or time.

• Specialist advice on things like climate risk or the commercial aspects of your purchase.

If any of these situations apply, extra work will be charged at our hourly rate, which will be clearly set out for you at the start of your transaction in our engagement documents.

If your agreement doesn’t go unconditional:

• If your purchase falls through before going unconditional, we charge a $650 due diligence fee (plus GST and disbursements).

• This covers the standard review work we do for every client — checking the agreement, title, LIM, and advising you on conditions — so you have peace of mind before deciding whether to proceed.

• Please note: this fee is based on a standard transaction. If your matter involves any of the extra work listed above, additional charges may apply at our hourly rate.

Disbursements and GST:

• Our fee is for our professional services only.

• On top of our fee, you’ll also need to pay disbursements (the standard out-of-pocket costs we must pay on your behalf). These are usually around $250 and cover things like AML checks, Land Registry title searches, and registration costs.

• GST will also be added.

Kiwisaver withdrawal - $300

Complex title (i.e. crosslease or unit title or lots of instruments) - $300

Buying in company or trust - $500

Off-the-plans agreement review - $500

Property sharing agreement/co-ownership agreement (standard form) - $1,500

Build contracts - from $800

We’ll carefully check the most important documents and explain anything you need to know in plain English:

• Certificate of Title – confirms ownership and checks for any restrictions or issues.

• Land Information Memorandum (LIM) – council records, flood risks, building consents, and other land info.

• Sale and Purchase Agreement – the legal contract you’ll be signing at auction.

• Offer of Finance – we’ll review your loan offer so you understand the conditions and requirements before bidding.

• Kiwisaver Withdrawal – if you’re using Kiwisaver funds for your deposit, we’ll help with the withdrawal process.

We’re here to guide you through the whole process, answering your questions and making sure nothing slips through the cracks. This includes:

• Communicating with the seller’s lawyer on your behalf.

• Keeping you updated and explaining things in plain language.

• Giving you advice on related matters like:

  • Whether you might need a Property Agreement with your partner.

  • Why it’s a good idea to have a Will once you own a home.

• Providing clear accounting and a final report so you know exactly where you stand.

Before you bid at auction, it’s crucial to know exactly what you’re signing up for. If you win at auction, you are 100% committed to proceeding with the purchase. So any due diligence/checks need to be done first. Your Movest lawyer will review the key documents and give you clear advice so you can bid with confidence.

What our pre-auction fee does not cover:
Our fee is based on a standard pre-auction review. It does not include:

• Properties with a complex title (leasehold, unit title, or lots of restrictions/covenants).

• Detailed investigations or negotiations about issues raised in the LIM, builder’s report, or other documents.

• Urgent or out-of-hours reviews.

• Advice on buying in a trust or company name.

• More than one mortgage or bank guarantees.

• Specialist advice on climate risk or the commercial aspects of the property.

• Any other work that falls outside a standard pre-auction check.

If any of these apply, extra work will be charged at our hourly rate, which we’ll provide to you upfront in our engagement documents.

Disbursements and GST:

• Our fee is for our professional services only.

• On top of our fee, you’ll need to pay disbursements (the standard out-of-pocket costs we must pay on your behalf).

• GST will also be added.

We’ll:

• Review your sale agreement and check the property title.

• Communicate with the buyer’s lawyer about conditions.

• Confirm when conditions (like finance, LIM, or builder’s reports) are satisfied so the agreement becomes unconditional.

Throughout the process, we’ll:

• Working collaboratively with your agent and bank to ensure the process goes as smooth as possible

• Arrange to discharge your mortgage with the bank (if you have one).

• Review notices of sale, water meter readings, and council rate details.

• Prepare the paperwork you need to sign and meet with you to explain everything clearly.

• Keep you updated and answer your questions along the way.

• Provide final accounting and a clear report so you know exactly where the money went.

On settlement day, we’ll:

• Finalise all the paperwork (including electronic dealings).

• Prepare and send the settlement statement to the buyer’s lawyer.

• Receive the purchase funds from the buyer’s lawyer.

• Repay your mortgage (if any) and release the title to the buyer.

• Pay you the balance of the sale proceeds as per your instructions.

• Notify the council and water company of the change of ownership, and pay water rates if needed.

• Confirm settlement has gone through so you can move forward stress-free.

What’s not included in our standard fee:
Our fixed fee is based on a straightforward sale. It does not include situations such as:

• Issues that arise from a builder’s report, LIM, or other conditions that require extra negotiations.

• Selling through a trust or company.

• More than one mortgage needing to be repaid.

• Urgent settlements or delays to settlement.

• Extra meetings to sign documents (e.g. if you and your partner can’t meet at the same time, or if changes require multiple appointments).

• Any other factor that requires more time than usual.

If any of these apply, extra work will be charged at our hourly rate, which will be clearly provided to you at the start of the transaction in our engagement documents.

If the sale doesn’t proceed:

• If the agreement falls through before settlement, we will still charge for the time we have spent on your transaction, in line with our hourly rate. This covers the work we’ve already done reviewing the agreement, title, notices, and other preparation.

If any of the above extra work applies, additional time will also be charged at our hourly rate, which we’ll provide to you upfront in your engagement documents.

Disbursements and GST:

• Our fee is for our professional services only.

• On top of our fee, you’ll also need to pay disbursements (the out-of-pocket costs we must pay on your behalf). These are usually around $150 and cover things like AML checks, Land Registry title searches, and registration costs.

• GST will also be added.