See the real upfront cost of buying a home.
Estimate your deposit, transfer duty and other buying costs in one place — with state-specific Australian duty rules and first-home-buyer treatment where it can be modelled reliably.
Your purchase
Enter the property details and the calculator will estimate the cash required upfront.
Deposit + estimated duty + the other costs you entered.
We'll show the duty treatment used for your selected jurisdiction.
Explore your home-buying costs
Your deposit is only part of the upfront cost
A property can be affordable from a mortgage-repayment point of view but still require considerably more cash at settlement than the deposit alone. This calculator is designed to bring the main upfront amounts together so you can plan around the total cash requirement, not just the advertised property price.
Transfer duty
Commonly called stamp duty. The amount depends on the jurisdiction, dutiable value and any exemption or concession that applies.
Deposit
The part of the purchase price you fund yourself. A larger deposit generally means a smaller loan and lower LVR.
Other buying costs
Conveyancing, inspections and lender-related charges vary by purchase. Enter your own estimates rather than relying on a generic allowance.
How the estimate works
The calculator starts with the property's dutiable value. In many ordinary purchases this will be the purchase price, but revenue authorities generally use the higher of the consideration paid and the property's relevant market/unencumbered value where those differ.
The estimated loan amount is simply the property value less the deposit. The loan-to-value ratio (LVR) compares that estimated loan with the property value. It does not determine whether a lender will approve the loan or whether lenders mortgage insurance will apply.
Why the state or territory matters
Australia does not have one national stamp-duty system. Transfer duty is administered by the states and territories, with different brackets, home-buyer concessions, property-type rules and eligibility conditions. That is why changing the jurisdiction can materially change the result even when the property price stays the same.
First-home buyer relief is not one national rule
First-home support varies substantially across Australia. Some jurisdictions provide a full exemption below a threshold and a reduced amount above it; others have different treatment for new homes, established homes or vacant land. Eligibility can also depend on residency, previous ownership, occupancy and the contract date.
| Jurisdiction | What to watch | CalcNest approach |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Separate home and vacant-land thresholds; partial concessions exist above the exemption thresholds. | Applies verified exemptions automatically; complex concession cases are flagged where confirmation is needed. |
| Victoria | Eligible first-home buyers can receive an exemption or sliding concession within the relevant value range. | Uses verified treatment where deterministic; does not assume eligibility from price alone. |
| Queensland | Treatment differs between qualifying new homes/vacant land and established homes. | Property type is included in the calculation. |
| Western Australia | First-home thresholds changed from 7 May 2026 and differ for homes and vacant land. | Current 2026 thresholds are built into the calculator. |
| ACT | The Home Buyer Concession Scheme has separate eligibility requirements beyond simply being a first-home buyer. | Shows ordinary duty conservatively rather than automatically assuming a $0 liability. |
Why we sometimes show the standard amount: it is better for an estimate to be conservative than to tell a buyer they definitely qualify for a concession that depends on personal circumstances the calculator has not verified.
Costs worth checking before you make an offer
Not every purchase has the same additional expenses. Depending on the property, lender and transaction, you may need to budget for conveyancing or legal work, building and pest inspections, strata reports, lender fees, settlement adjustments, moving costs, immediate repairs and other purchase-specific expenses.
Government land-registration charges can also apply. These are separate from transfer duty and can be fixed or value-dependent depending on the jurisdiction and transaction. CalcNest does not silently insert an unverified generic amount into your result.
What about lenders mortgage insurance?
A high LVR may result in lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) or another low-deposit lending cost, but the amount depends on the lender, loan, borrower and scheme eligibility. Because there is no single universal LMI formula, it should not be presented as an exact government-style charge. Check the lender's actual quote before relying on a final cash figure.
Where the duty rules come from
CalcNest checks its duty logic against the relevant state and territory revenue authorities rather than using a generic national rate. Rules can change, so the calculator displays the date its underlying duty data was last verified.
Official sources include Revenue NSW, State Revenue Office Victoria, Queensland Revenue Office, RevenueWA, RevenueSA, State Revenue Office Tasmania, ACT Revenue Office and NT Territory Revenue Office.
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Frequently asked questions
No. Transfer duty is administered by each state and territory, so rates, thresholds, concessions and terminology differ.
No. Your deposit is part of the property purchase price. Transfer duty and other transaction costs are separate amounts that may need to be funded in addition to the deposit.
Generally the relevant dutiable value is based on the consideration paid or the property's market/unencumbered value, with the applicable authority's rules determining which value is used.
No. The outcome depends on the jurisdiction, property value and type, contract date and whether the buyer meets the scheme's eligibility requirements.
Usually no. Transfer duty is generally linked to the property's dutiable value and applicable concessions rather than the size of your mortgage deposit.
Yes, if you enter those amounts. They are left blank by default because actual quotes vary by transaction and provider.
Not automatically. LMI and similar low-deposit costs depend on the lender, loan and borrower, so an exact universal amount cannot be inferred from LVR alone.
Your transaction may involve eligibility conditions, surcharges, exemptions, settlement adjustments or facts that a general calculator cannot determine. Use the result as a planning estimate and confirm the final amount before settlement.
The calculator displays its latest verification date. CalcNest checks the underlying rules against official state and territory sources and updates the calculation logic when relevant rates or thresholds change.
This calculator provides estimates for planning purposes only and is not legal, tax, lending or conveyancing advice. Confirm current duty, concessions, fees and eligibility with the relevant revenue authority and your conveyancer or solicitor before relying on the result.