Delora

Section 32 checklist · Victoria

Know what’s in your contract before you sign it.

A Section 32 (vendor statement) covers rates, easements, owners-corporation costs and any overlays on the land — and what it leaves out can matter as much as what it says. Read the plain-English guide, then work through the full due-diligence checklist for what to verify before you sign. Nothing here is uploaded anywhere.

What to look for

Three things every buyer should know before they’re bound to a contract.

clarity Every clause, in plain English

Rates and outgoings, easements, covenants, building permits, owners-corporation fees — what each one means for you.

flags The red flags to watch for

Non-standard special conditions, restrictive covenants, special levies, unregistered works — the clauses that quietly change what you’re buying.

omissions What can be missing

Cross-check the statement against the public record — heritage, flood and bushfire overlays. If required information appears missing or inconsistent with current official records, don't assume the legal consequence yourself — preserve the documents and get advice from a licensed conveyancer or solicitor before signing or before any applicable deadline expires.

How to check it yourself

STEP 01

Read the guide

The plain-English walkthrough of every part of a Section 32, in order.

STEP 02

Work through your document

Go through your Section 32 against the checklist below, section by section.

STEP 03

Bring your questions to your conveyancer

Take the flags and open questions to a licensed conveyancer or solicitor before you sign.

This is general education, not a legal review. It does not review your specific contract, and it is not legal advice. Whether a buyer may withdraw or is otherwise protected depends on the specific facts — always have the Section 32 and contract of sale reviewed by a licensed conveyancer or solicitor before you sign.

Property-specific checks commonly relevant in this suburb

A suburb-level pattern isn't proof of a specific parcel's Section 32 being deficient — but heritage overlays cluster in the inner north, flood zones near the creeks and bay, and knowing what's common locally tells you what to specifically confirm on the actual document.

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What every Section 32 covers

Every division of the vendor statement — plus the checks buyers often skip.

Financial — rates, outgoings, charges against the land
Easements & covenants — restrictions on how you use or build
Owners corporation — fees, special levies, insurance, disputes
Building permits — works in the last 7 years and their approvals
Notices & orders — anything an authority has served on the land
Planning & zoning — the zone and what it allows
Title & plan — that the mandatory documents are actually attached
Overlays (the omission check) — heritage, flood, bushfire vs the public record