The particulars of sale record everything unique to the transaction, being the parties, the property and title reference, the price and deposit, the day of sale, the settlement date, and the elections such as GST treatment and whether the sale is subject to finance or is a terms contract. The general conditions then supply the standard machinery for deposit, settlement, default, adjustments, notices, nomination and the rest.
The general conditions commonly default to a position unless the particulars say otherwise, which is why the elections matter. GST is the clearest example, where the default is that no additional GST is payable, so an incorrect election changes the price outcome.
Special conditions are added to deal with matters the standard form does not cover, or to vary the standard position. Lengthy special conditions that restate or adjust the standard form for every conceivable situation are common, increase the risk of internal conflict, and can turn a cooperative conveyance into an adversarial one. The particulars, general conditions and any special conditions are construed as one document.
CMK Legal's property and conveyancing team can act on matters like this.
General conditions are not boilerplate to skim, because they govern default, deposit release, adjustments and rescission. A special condition that contradicts a general condition creates uncertainty that is resolved only by construction or litigation.
Law referenced: Sale of Land Act 1962; contract of sale of land (particulars of sale, general conditions, special conditions).