Transferring a Property?

Conveyancing FAQs when transferring property

Why would I transfer property?

Couples often transfer the ownership of a property from one partner to another for a range of tax and legal purposes. One example of this is where the transferee would be better off wearing the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) implications when it comes time to sell the property, as they may sit in a lower tax bracket than the transferor.

In other cases, a property transfer may be required as a result of a breakdown of marriage and a court order or binding financial agreement.

How much does conveyancing cost when transferring property?

As transferring property is not necessarily a sale, the costs both parties would face are typically limited to government fees for transacting and lodging forms.

The following list was created for 2022 and may not be applicable in the future, so it's important to seek accurate costs from your conveyancer.

Stamp duty exemption

In general, stamp duty is not payable on property transfers from one partner to another.

If you’re either married, in a de facto relationship, or recently separated, you may get the stamp duty exemption for transferring property to your spouse. For this exemption, the property needs to be a matrimonial house; the principal place of residence of which both or either partner is an owner.

However, your situation may call for an formal agreement that will help you get a stamp duty exemption, for which you should contact our team for advice.

Government fees

See the official document for a detailed breakdown.

PEXA fee

The Property Exchange of Australia (PEXA) is the electronic conveyancing platform used in South Australia. PEXA charges $117.92 for a single title transfer. See PEXA's full pricing guide here.