All guides
Australian property selling and buying costs explained: agent commission and marketing, stamp duty by state, first home concessions, conveyancing, CGT and foreign buyer rules.
Costs, Duty and 2026 Rules
- Capital gains tax when you sell your home: the main residence exemption explained
When selling your home in Australia is free of CGT, when only part is exempt, the six-year absence rule, foreign resident rules and how selling costs reduce a gain.
- Cost of selling a house in Australia: every fee, by state, in 2026
What it costs to sell a home in Australia in 2026, including agent commission, GST, marketing, conveyancing, mortgage discharge, CGT and withholding, with a worked total.
- First home buyer stamp duty concessions by state (2026 thresholds)
Current first home buyer duty exemptions and concessions in every Australian state and territory as at October 2026, with thresholds, conditions and worked savings.
- Foreign buyers in Australia: duty surcharges, FIRB and the established home ban
The 2025 ban on foreign persons buying established homes, FIRB approval and fees, state foreign buyer duty surcharges and land tax surcharges, with a worked example.
- Foreign resident CGT withholding: the 15% rule and clearance certificates in 2026
Why every Australian property seller needs an ATO clearance certificate since 1 January 2025, how the 15% withholding works, variations for foreign residents and worked examples.
- Real estate agent commission by state: how fees are set and regulated
How agent commission works in each Australian state and territory in 2026, the laws and regulators, agency agreement rules, GST and what to negotiate.
- Stamp duty by state in 2026: transfer duty rates, who pays and when
How transfer (stamp) duty works in each Australian state and territory in 2026, current NSW, Victorian and Queensland rate scales, due dates and surcharges.
- Victoria's off-the-plan stamp duty concession: who qualifies until April 2027
How Victoria's temporary off-the-plan duty concession works for apartments, units and townhouses, its extension to 20 April 2027, eligibility and a worked saving.
Worked Cost Examples and Checklists
- Flat fee vs percentage vs tiered commission: which costs less? (worked example)
Percentage, flat-fee and tiered real estate commission compared in dollars at three sale prices, with the agent's incentive and a method to set a fair target price.
- Partial main residence exemption: CGT worked examples when you rented out your home
Three worked examples of capital gains tax on a home that was rented out for part of the time, including the six-year rule and the market value rule, with the arithmetic shown.
- Conveyancing fees in Australia: conveyancer vs solicitor and how to read a quote
Who can do conveyancing in each state, what a conveyancing quote includes, professional fees versus disbursements, a worked quote comparison and when to use a solicitor.
- How to choose a real estate agent: interview questions and a scoring checklist
A practical method for comparing selling agents in Australia, with questions to ask, how to test price estimates against comparable sales and a weighted scoring example.
- How much will I get from selling my house? A net proceeds worked example
A full worked example of the money left from an Australian home sale after commission, marketing, conveyancing, mortgage payout and settlement adjustments.
- Property marketing costs: what vendor-paid advertising buys and how to control it
What goes into a real estate marketing campaign in Australia, who pays, when it is payable, a worked budget comparison and the agreement clauses that decide your risk.
- How to calculate stamp duty: worked examples for NSW, Victoria and Queensland
Step-by-step transfer duty calculations at $500,000, $650,000 and $1.5 million in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, including owner-occupier rates, first home and foreign buyers.
- Upfront costs of buying a home in Australia: what you need on top of the deposit
Every cost a home buyer pays besides the deposit, from stamp duty and registration fees to inspections, conveyancing and settlement adjustments, with two worked budgets.
Costly Mistakes and Official Sources
- Agency agreement traps: the clauses that cost sellers money
The real estate agency agreement clauses behind most commission and marketing disputes in Australia: exclusive periods, introduction clauses, continuing authority and more.
- How to complain about a real estate agent, conveyancer or duty assessment
Where to take a complaint about an agent's commission, a conveyancer's error or a stamp duty assessment in each Australian state, the steps in order and what to include.
- Costly mistakes when selling a house in Australia (and how to avoid them)
The mistakes that cost Australian sellers and buyers the most money, from agency agreements and price guides to missing clearance certificates, with the dollar impact of each.
- First home duty concession conditions: move-in rules, renting out and clawback
The occupation and ownership conditions attached to first home stamp duty concessions in each state, what triggers a reassessment and how much repaying a concession can cost.
- Official sources for property buying and selling costs in Australia
A directory of the official websites for stamp duty, first home concessions, agent rules, conveyancing, CGT, foreign resident withholding and foreign investment, state by state.
- Underquoting, price guides and cooling-off periods by state: what they cost you
How underquoting laws work in NSW and Victoria, what misleading price guides cost buyers, and the buyer cooling-off period and termination fee in each Australian state.