Upfront costs of buying a home in Australia: what you need on top of the deposit

On top of the deposit, an Australian home buyer pays transfer (stamp) duty, land registry fees to register the transfer and mortgage, conveyancing, building and pest inspections (and a strata report for a unit), settlement adjustments for rates and levies the seller has prepaid, plus insurance and moving costs. Duty is usually the largest by far: for an $850,000 established home bought without a concession it is $32,437 in New South Wales and $46,070 in Victoria at the current scales. A first home buyer in the right price band may pay no duty at all, which can cut the upfront costs to a few thousand dollars.

This guide belongs to the net sale proceeds worked example section. Loan costs, such as lender fees and lenders mortgage insurance, depend on your lender and are not covered here.

The cost list

Cost	Paid to	Notes
Transfer (stamp) duty	State revenue office	Based on the dutiable value; concessions may apply
Transfer registration fee	State land titles office	Fixed or sliding fee set each year by the state
Mortgage registration fee	State land titles office	If you have a loan
Conveyancing	Conveyancer or solicitor	Professional fee plus disbursements such as searches and electronic settlement fees
Building and pest inspection	Licensed inspector	Before signing or within a cooling-off or finance period
Strata report	Strata search provider	Unit or townhouse: levies, special levies, disputes, repairs
Settlement adjustments	Seller, through settlement	Reimburses prepaid rates, water and levies
Building insurance	Insurer	From the date the property is at your risk
Moving and connections	Removalist and utilities	Electricity, gas, internet connection fees
Foreign buyer surcharge	State revenue office	Only if a buyer is a foreign person

Worked budget 1: established house in Melbourne, not a first home

An illustrative $850,000 house bought by a couple who have owned before.

Item	Amount
Land transfer duty: $2,870 + 6% x $720,000	$46,070
Transfer and mortgage registration fees (illustrative)	$1,600
Conveyancing fee and disbursements (quote)	$1,800
Building and pest inspection	$650
Settlement adjustment: council rates prepaid by seller for 60 days ($2,600 a year)	$427
Building insurance, first year	$1,700
Removalist	$1,500
Total on top of the deposit	$53,747

The duty alone is 5.4% of the price. Registration fees in Victoria depend on the value of the property; check Land Use Victoria's fee schedule.

Worked budget 2: first home unit in Brisbane

An illustrative $650,000 established unit bought by a first home buyer who will live in it.

Item	Amount
Transfer duty: exempt under the first home concession (up to $700,000)	$0
Transfer and mortgage registration fees (illustrative)	$700
Solicitor's conveyancing fee and disbursements (quote)	$1,700
Building and pest inspection	$550
Body corporate search and records inspection	$300
Settlement adjustment: body corporate levies prepaid by seller	$380
Contents insurance (building cover is held by the body corporate)	$350
Removalist	$900
Total on top of the deposit	$4,880

Without the concession, duty at home concession rates would have been $15,100, so the first home exemption is worth more than three times the rest of the costs combined. Since 1 August 2025, Queensland sellers must give buyers a seller disclosure statement before the contract is signed; read it before paying for your own searches, as some information is already there.

Timing: when each cost is paid

Before signing: inspections and strata report (some buyers inspect during the cooling-off period instead).
On signing: deposit, commonly 10% in many states though it is negotiable; some buyers use a deposit bond.
At settlement: duty (in most states), registration fees, conveyancing, adjustments. Your conveyancer gives you a settlement statement showing the total.
After settlement: moving, connections and any repairs.

In New South Wales, duty must be paid within three months of the contract date, which can fall before a long settlement.

Ways to reduce upfront costs legally

Check every concession: first home, principal place of residence, off-the-plan, pensioner, and in Queensland the home concession.
Ask conveyancers for fixed-fee quotes with disbursements listed.
For a unit, read the strata report carefully: a special levy for repairs can be a bigger cost than everything else.
Avoid paying duty on chattels or on land you do not need, but do not undervalue anything to cut duty.

Common mistakes

Budgeting for the deposit and forgetting duty until finance approval.
Assuming a lender will add duty to the loan.
Missing the occupation condition of a concession and having to repay it later. See concession conditions and clawback.
Skipping the building inspection to save a few hundred dollars on a home worth hundreds of thousands.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I budget on top of the deposit?

It depends mainly on duty. Without a concession, duty is commonly 3% to 5.5% of the price at mid-range prices in the eastern states, plus a few thousand dollars of other costs. Calculate duty exactly for your state.

Are inspection costs refundable if I do not buy?

No. Inspections are paid whether or not you proceed. That is why some buyers inspect only after a price is agreed, within the cooling-off period.

Do I pay GST when buying a home?

Not on an established home. On a new home bought from a developer, GST is included in the price and you withhold part of it for the ATO at settlement.

What does a settlement statement show?

The price, deposit paid, adjustments, duty and fees, and the balance payable. Ask your conveyancer to explain each line before settlement.

Official sources

Revenue NSW — transfer duty and payment deadlines
State Revenue Office Victoria — land transfer duty calculator
Queensland Revenue Office — transfer duty and concessions
Land Use Victoria — land registry fees in Victoria
Moneysmart (ASIC) — budgeting for buying a home