Upfront buying costs calculator
The purchase
Fees (edit to your quotes)
Defaults: PEXA's published NSW single-title transfer with financial settlement ($146.30) plus mortgage lodgement ($73.04); registry fees at the $120 to $230 each our costs guide lists; inspections at the $475 to $850 Sydney range the inspection companies publish; conveyancing and lender fees as typical quotes. Edit them to yours.
Breakdown
LMI can often be added to the loan; the other costs are paid from your funds. See the LMI calculator and the stamp duty calculator for the detail behind those two lines.
Want the exact figures for your purchase?
A licensed broker partner confirms the duty and concessions, the real LMI premium at each lender, and which costs can be capitalised, before you exchange.
What the upfront costs are
Moneysmart's deposit guide puts it simply: beyond the deposit you need to cover the other costs of buying a house, like stamp duty and legal fees. In order of size they are usually stamp duty, then lenders mortgage insurance if the loan is above 80% of the value (AMP publishes that the bank's valuation sets the LVR and so whether LMI applies), then the professional and government fees: conveyancing, the land registry's transfer and mortgage registration fees, PEXA's settlement fees, and building and pest inspections. Lenders may add an application, valuation or settlement fee; our costs guide lists the published ranges. The settlement and PEXA fees guide restates PEXA's published schedule by state, and the building and pest guide the inspection companies' published prices.
How to bring the total down
First home buyer stamp duty concessions are the largest saving and vary by state; the stamp duty calculator applies them. The 5% Deposit Scheme removes LMI on a 5% deposit for eligible first home buyers, which on an $800,000 purchase is the difference between the LMI line above and zero. A larger deposit reduces LMI and the loan; the saving a deposit guide covers the method, including the First Home Super Saver Scheme.
Related guides and calculators
Upfront costs FAQs
What are the upfront costs of buying a house?
The deposit, then the costs on top of the price: stamp duty (the largest, unless a first home buyer concession applies), lenders mortgage insurance if the loan is above 80% of the value, the land registry fees to register the transfer and the mortgage, the PEXA settlement fees, conveyancing, building and pest inspections, and the lender’s application, valuation or settlement fees where charged. Moneysmart’s deposit guide lists stamp duty and legal fees as the other costs to cover beyond the deposit.
How much deposit do I need for a house worth $650,000?
At least 5% ($32,500) at most lenders, with LMI charged on the loan, or 20% ($130,000) to avoid LMI. Under the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme an eligible first home buyer pays no LMI on a 5% deposit, and a single parent can go to 2%. Add the upfront costs this calculator lists on top, because they are paid at settlement from your own funds, not from the loan.
How much is stamp duty on a $1,000,000 house?
It depends on the state and whether you are a first home buyer or investor; the calculator applies each state’s current scale and concessions. Pick your state and enter $1,000,000 and the duty line shows the figure, with the first home buyer toggle showing the concession where one applies at that price.
Which of these costs can go on the loan?
LMI can usually be capitalised onto the loan if you have the income to service the larger amount, which ANZ publishes as an option. Stamp duty, registration, conveyancing and inspections are paid from your own funds at or before settlement. Some lenders let you borrow more than the price with a guarantor, which the guarantor guide covers.
Why are the registration and PEXA fees so small next to stamp duty?
Because they are fixed fees for the paperwork, not a tax on the price. PEXA publishes its per-transaction service fees, for example $146.30 for a single-title transfer with financial settlement in NSW and $73.04 to lodge a mortgage, and the land registries charge their own registration fees on top, which the refinancing costs guide lists at $120 to $230 each. Stamp duty is a percentage of the price and runs to tens of thousands.
How accurate is this?
Stamp duty follows each state’s published scales and concessions as built into our stamp duty calculator; LMI uses an indicative tier table and the real premium depends on the insurer and lender; the fee ranges for conveyancing, inspections and lender fees are the published ranges you can edit. Treat the total as a budget, and get the exact figures from your conveyancer and lender before exchange.