Why Due Diligence Can Make or Break a Property Deal
Every year, Queensland property buyers lose thousands of dollars because they failed to conduct proper due diligence before signing a contract. Undisclosed easements, restrictive covenants, unresolved caveats, and boundary discrepancies are just some of the issues that a thorough title investigation can uncover before they become expensive problems.
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Use the article as a reference, then order the actual record below when you need evidence for a purchase, conveyancing file, council check or due-diligence review.
Current Title / State Lease
Start here to confirm the current registered owner, title reference and registered interests.
$74.50 · Order this document
Image of Survey Plan (SP/RP)
Add the plan if boundaries, lot layout, easements or strata/common property matter.
$85.90 · Order this document
Not sure which document fits? Start with the current title search, then add the plan or instrument if the title points to one.
This checklist walks you through the essential title searches and document reviews you should complete before committing to any property purchase in Queensland.
Step 1: Current Title Search
The current title search is the foundation of all property due diligence. It confirms who currently owns the property, the lot and plan description, any registered mortgages, all easements and encumbrances, active caveats or statutory charges, and administrative advices such as heritage or contamination notices.
A current title search through TitleFinder costs $74.50 AUD and is delivered instantly. This should be the very first document you order — before inspections, before valuations, before anything else.
Step 2: Review All Registered Easements
Easements are one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of property due diligence. A drainage easement running through your backyard could prevent you from building a pool or extension. An access easement might mean your neighbour has a legal right to drive across your property.
For each easement listed on the title, order the relevant Dealing Instrument ($91.80 AUD) to understand the exact terms, width, location, and beneficiary. Cross-reference this with the survey plan to see the physical extent of the easement on the ground.
Step 3: Check for Restrictive Covenants
Covenants are particularly common in master-planned communities, new estates, and heritage-listed areas. They can restrict building height and materials, minimum lot sizes for subdivision, commercial or home business use, the number and type of structures permitted, and even landscaping requirements.
Violating a covenant can result in legal action from the beneficiary — often a developer, council, or neighbouring owner. Always obtain and read the full covenant instrument before purchasing.
Step 4: Investigate Any Caveats
A caveat on a title is a serious matter. It means someone other than the registered owner is claiming a legal interest in the property. Common reasons include a buyer who has paid a deposit but settlement has not occurred, a builder claiming an unpaid debt, a family law proceeding where property division is disputed, and an informal agreement that one party wants to protect.
If the property you are considering has a caveat, your solicitor or conveyancer should investigate it thoroughly before you proceed. In some cases, the caveat may need to be removed by court order before settlement can occur.
Step 5: Order the Survey Plan
A Survey Plan ($85.90 AUD) provides the physical dimensions and boundaries of the property. This is essential for verifying that fences and structures are within boundaries, confirming the exact location of easement corridors, understanding setback requirements for future building work, identifying any encroachments from neighbouring properties, and checking lot area matches what is advertised.
For older properties, the original survey plan may show different measurements than what exists on the ground today. This can indicate boundary shifts from road realignments, lot amalgamations, or unregistered encroachments.
Step 6: Historical Title Search
A Historical Title Search ($86.50 AUD) reveals the complete chain of dealings on the title over time. This can uncover previous ownership disputes or caveats, cancelled easements that may still affect the land physically, historical contamination notices, past subdivisions and boundary changes, and patterns of frequent ownership changes that may indicate problems.
For properties with titles issued before the digital transition in 1994, an Image of Certificate of Title ($76.90 AUD) provides the original paper record with handwritten annotations from decades of dealings.
Step 7: Council and Planning Checks
While not part of the Titles Registry, council searches complement your title due diligence. Check the current zoning and any proposed zoning changes, approved and pending development applications on the property and nearby lots, flood mapping and overlay codes, heritage listings, and infrastructure charges or levies.
These searches are typically conducted through the relevant local council and may incur separate fees.
Step 8: Body Corporate Records (If Applicable)
For strata and community title properties, request a Form 13 body corporate records search from the body corporate manager. This reveals financial statements and outstanding levies, meeting minutes showing disputes or planned works, insurance certificates and claims history, by-law breach notices, and upcoming special levy proposals.
The Cost of Skipping Due Diligence
Consider these real-world scenarios. A buyer discovers after settlement that a sewer easement runs directly through their planned building site — redesign costs exceed $40,000. A first-home buyer purchases in a covenant-restricted estate without checking, only to learn they cannot build their preferred house design. An investor buys a unit with a $15,000 special levy pending for waterproofing repairs that was disclosed in body corporate minutes but never checked.
In each case, a few hundred dollars spent on title searches would have saved tens of thousands in unexpected costs.
Your Due Diligence Package
For comprehensive due diligence on a standard Queensland property, we recommend as a minimum a current title search at $74.50, a survey plan at $85.90, and dealing instruments for each easement and covenant at $91.80 each. For additional confidence, add a historical title search at $86.50 and an image of Certificate of Title at $76.90 for pre-1994 properties.
TitleFinder delivers all documents instantly with no waiting for postal delivery or office visits. Start your due diligence today at titlefinder.com.au.
