The costs a buyer pays on top of the deposit, from stamp duty to inspections and registration fees.
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Use this checklist to work out the cash you need on top of your deposit. Buyers often save for the deposit and then find that duty, conveyancing and inspections add tens of thousands of dollars that a lender will not usually lend.
How to use it. Work down the list and write a figure against each item. Transfer duty is usually the largest. Calculate it on the state revenue office calculator for the contract date, because rates and thresholds change. Then add your conveyancer's quote, inspection costs and registration fees.
Example (illustrative). For an $850,000 established home bought by a non-first-home buyer in New South Wales, duty for the 2026-27 year is $32,437 at the published rates. Add, say, $2,000 for conveyancing and disbursements, $600 for a building and pest inspection and a few hundred dollars of registration fees, and the buyer needs about $35,500 on top of the deposit.
Limits. Loan costs such as lender fees and lenders mortgage insurance are not included here; ask your lender for them. The checklist does not replace advice from your conveyancer on state-specific costs. See upfront costs of buying a home.
Costs, Duty and 2026 Rules
Current first home buyer duty exemptions and concessions in every Australian state and territory as at October 2026, with thresholds, conditions and worked savings.
Costs, Duty and 2026 Rules
How transfer (stamp) duty works in each Australian state and territory in 2026, current NSW, Victorian and Queensland rate scales, due dates and surcharges.
Worked Cost Examples and Checklists
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.
