Estimate the cash you will need at settlement, on top of your deposit, to buy a property in any Australian state or territory.
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The purchase price and deposit are only part of the cash a buyer needs at settlement. A range of government charges, professional fees and lender costs sit on top — and most buyers find these add between 3% and 6% of the purchase price to the total outlay. This estimator brings those costs together in one place so you can plan your total cash requirement before you commit.
Transfer (stamp) duty is typically the largest single additional cost. It is a state and territory government charge calculated on the purchase price, and the amount varies significantly by jurisdiction and buyer type. Conveyancing covers the legal work of transferring title from vendor to buyer, including contract review, searches and settlement coordination. Building and pest inspections are strongly recommended before exchanging contracts on an established property — they are a cost incurred before settlement rather than at it, but they are part of the total buying outlay.
If your deposit is below 20% of the purchase price, your lender will typically require Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). This is an insurance premium that protects the lender — not you — in the event of a default, and it can add a material amount to the upfront cost. Title transfer and mortgage registration fees are government charges for registering the change of ownership and the mortgage on the title; these vary by state. For more on what these costs involve, see our guide Conveyancing in Australia: from contract to settlement.
The main additional costs are transfer (stamp) duty, conveyancing and legal fees, building and pest inspection fees, loan application and establishment fees, title transfer and mortgage registration fees, and — if your deposit is below 20% — Lenders Mortgage Insurance. The total commonly adds between 3% and 6% of the purchase price on top of the deposit, varying by state, lender and property type.
LMI is a premium charged by lenders when a borrower's deposit is below 20% of the purchase price (LVR above 80%). It protects the lender, not the borrower, if the loan defaults. The cost scales with the loan amount and LVR and can be significant. The figure shown in this estimator is indicative only and not a quote — confirm with your lender.
Settlement adjustments are pro-rata apportionments of ongoing costs — such as council rates, water rates and owners corporation fees — made between buyer and seller at settlement. If the vendor has paid rates in advance beyond the settlement date, the buyer reimburses the proportional share. These are not captured in this estimator but your conveyancer will include them in the final settlement statement.
Transfer duty is set by each state and territory, and title and mortgage registration fees also differ by jurisdiction. Conveyancing markets and inspection costs vary regionally too. The estimator applies the current duty schedule for the selected state and uses indicative defaults for other costs — edit the conveyancing field if you have a firm quote from your solicitor.
General information from AgentBridge, a property distribution business. It is not financial, legal or taxation advice, and not a quote. Confirm all figures with your conveyancer, lender and the relevant state revenue office.