Knowledge for a Rapidly Growing Market

By David Dawn, Licensed Conveyancer
📍 Victorian Property Settlements – Serving Somerville and Greater Westernport
📞 (03) 9783 0111 | ✉️ david@quick32.com

Somerville: Growing, Changing—and Legally Complicated

Somerville is no longer just orchards and train crossings. With major residential growth over the past 15 years, it’s now one of the Mornington Peninsula’s busiest property markets—and that brings legal risks.

Since 2001, Joanne and I have handled contracts across Somerville’s older streets, lifestyle blocks, and expanding residential estates. Whether it’s a timber cottage on Eramosa Road or a new build on Potts Road, we know where these properties can trip up unwary buyers.

What We Flag in Somerville Contracts

• Drainage and sewer overlays – Particularly in low-lying and newly filled areas

• Easements along new estates and shared driveways in unit developments, with old ones in the town, not on plans

• Subdivided blocks with ambiguous fencing and access rights

• Bushfire and environmental overlays on fringe areas toward Baxter or Tyabb

• Unpermitted structures (sheds, studios, carports) on older lots

• Heritage overlay pockets in the original township grid

We’ve seen buyers hit roadblocks when trying to extend or add a granny flat due to overlays, and sellers who faced delays because their garage was built without a final inspection certificate.

Selling in Somerville?

We prepare your Section 32 thoroughly and clearly, including:

• Title review

• Disclosure of any easements or overlays

• Accurate sewer and drainage authority information

• Confirmation of building permits and occupancy certificates

• Zoning and development potential for subdividable land

We’ve handled everything from standard home sales to multi-lot developments—and we’ve seen how even a missing permit can unravel a contract.

Local Conveyancing. Professional Advice.

If you’re buying in Somerville, you want a conveyancer who knows:

• The difference between GRZ and NRZ lots

• Why a block might not be able to be subdivided despite the agent’s claims

• How to protect your rights before signing

• What easements, fencing, and shared access issues actually mean in practice

With more than 20 years in the local area, we bring more than textbook knowledge—we bring experience with Somerville's properties, people, and paperwork.

Somerville Snapshot

• Population: 11,767

• Median House Price: $732,500

• Median Unit Price: $615,000

• Median Rent (House): $470/week

• Zoning Considerations: GRZ, NRZ, BMO, Drainage Overlays

• Development Growth Areas: Bungower Rd corridor, Potts Rd estates

(Source: ABS 2021, REIV, Mornington Peninsula Shire)