Step 9 · 5–15 days
Go unconditional
Once your conditions are met — finance approved, building report acceptable — you confirm the offer and pay the deposit. From here the sale is legally binding and walking away usually costs you the deposit.
How to approach it
Work through each condition with your lawyer and keep every confirmation in writing. Once everything is satisfied, notify the seller's agent in writing and arrange the deposit payment through your lawyer.
Watch out for
Don't go unconditional until you've actually seen the finance confirmation and inspection reports in writing. A verbal 'all good' is not enough. After this point, backing out generally forfeits your deposit.
Cost & timeframe
Typical cost
Deposit due
Typical time
5–15 days
Common questions
What happens to the deposit?
It's paid to the real-estate agent's trust account (or your lawyer's), and held there until settlement, then released to the seller.
Can I still renegotiate at this stage?
Only for genuine new issues that emerge before going unconditional. After confirmation, the price is fixed.