Your Complete Checklist for Buying Vacant Land in Queensland
Buying vacant land in Queensland can be an exciting opportunity, whether you're building your dream home, investing, or developing. But unlike purchasing an established property, buying land comes with its own unique risks and due diligence requirements. This checklist walks you through every key step so nothing falls through the cracks.
1. Before you sign anything
- Engage a Queensland conveyancer or solicitor early, do this before signing the contract, not after.
- Obtain a copy of the contract of sale and have your conveyancer review all terms and special conditions.
- Confirm the cooling-off period applies (usually 5 business days). Note that auctions are excluded.
- Review any special conditions, including sunset clauses, finance conditions, and build covenants.
- Confirm the deposit amount and how it will be held (usually 10% in a trust account).
2. Finance & budget
- Get pre-approval for land finance, which is separate to a construction loan, lenders assess vacant land differently and LVR limits may apply.
- Budget for stamp duty (transfer duty) on the land purchase. Use the Queensland Revenue Office calculator to estimate your liability.
- Check your eligibility for the Queensland First Home Owners' Grant. Note it applies when you intend to build, not for land-only purchases.
- Account for ongoing land rates and council charges from the date of settlement.
3. Title & property searches
- Order a title search to confirm ownership and identify any registered interests, including caveats, mortgages, easements, and encumbrances.
- Review the survey plan and check lot dimensions and boundaries.
- Identify any registered easements (e.g. drainage, powerlines, or access) as these affect how you can use and build on the land.
- Check for a body corporate or community management statement if the land is within a residential estate or community scheme.
- Request a rates search to confirm no outstanding council rates.
- Conduct a land tax search with the Queensland Revenue Office.
4. Planning & zoning checks
- Confirm the zoning of the land through the local council planning scheme. The Queensland Globe or your council's online mapping tool can help.
- Check permitted land uses under the zone, residential, rural, commercial, or otherwise.
- Review building setbacks, height limits, and site coverage rules.
- Check for any overlays including flood, bushfire, heritage, or environmental, as these can significantly restrict what you can build.
- Confirm whether the land is affected by a vegetation order or clearing restrictions.
5. Land condition & infrastructure
- Confirm connection availability for water, sewerage, electricity, NBN, and gas. Rural land in particular may require costly on-site solutions.
- Check the soil type and whether a geotechnical report is needed. Clay or reactive soils can substantially increase building costs.
- Investigate flood risk using QFES flood maps and your local council's flood data.
- Confirm road access to the lot and whether the road is constructed or council-maintained.
- Enquire about any infrastructure charges payable at the time of building, these can amount to tens of thousands of dollars.
6. Settlement & post-settlement
- Confirm the settlement date and ensure your finance is formally approved.
- Arrange land insurance from the date of contract where applicable.
- Complete a final inspection of the land before settlement to confirm boundaries are pegged and no new issues have arisen.
- Ensure transfer duty is paid to the Queensland Revenue Office within 30 days of settlement.
Important: This checklist is a general guide only and does not constitute legal advice. Every vacant land purchase is different. A Queensland-licensed conveyancer or property solicitor will tailor advice to your specific contract and circumstances.