Buying costs, cash to settle
Upfront costs calculator.
Every cost between a signed contract and settlement, itemised: deposit, stamp duty, lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) where it applies, and fees. The tool opens on an example, so change the figures to match your purchase.
Cash to settle
$143,225
Deposit, stamp duty and fees, plus LMI if you pay it in cash. No buffer.
Cash to settle, with a buffer
$152,225
The cash to settle plus the buffer you set.
Deposit
$120,000
The share of the price you pay from your own funds.
Stamp duty
$20,025
Transfer duty at the state's general investor rate, plus any foreign purchaser surcharge.
Fees
$3,200
Buyer's agent, building and pest, conveyancing, and lender and registration fees.
On these figures you need about $143,225 in cash to settle, or $152,225 with the buffer held back.
Where the money goes
| Deposit | $120,000 |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty | $20,025 |
| Building and pest inspection | $600 |
| Conveyancing | $1,800 |
| Lender and registration fees | $800 |
| Cash to settle | $143,225 |
| Cash buffer | $9,000 |
| Cash to settle, with a buffer | $152,225 |
Sources
Rates last checked 25 October 2026.
How it is worked out
- The deposit is the price multiplied by the deposit share you choose.
- Stamp duty comes from the state's general investor scale, plus the foreign purchaser surcharge if you tick it. It uses the same tables as the stamp duty calculator.
- If your deposit leaves the loan above 80% of the price, the tool asks for your LMI premium. It counts toward your cash only if you choose not to add it to the loan.
- The fees are added as you enter them.
- Cash to settle is the deposit, stamp duty, any LMI paid in cash, and the fees.
- The buffer is the price multiplied by the buffer share. Cash to settle with a buffer adds it on.
- Who you are buying as changes the notes under the result. It does not change the figures.
What this tool leaves out
- Concessions and grants, including first home buyer schemes.
- Settlement adjustments, such as council rates or strata levies the seller has already paid for the period after settlement.
- Whether a lender would lend. The tool does not look at your income, your debts or your borrowing capacity.
- An LMI estimate. Premiums vary by lender, so the tool uses the figure you enter and does not estimate one.
- The cost of setting up or running a company, trust or SMSF.
- Costs after settlement, such as insurance, letting fees and repairs. The buffer is there for those.
Questions investors ask
Why does the buyer's agent fee start empty?
This tool is for working out your costs, so it does not assume a fee. If you use a buyer's agent, enter the fee you have been quoted, and the totals update.
What is the cash buffer for?
Money held back for the first months of ownership: a vacant week, a repair, a change in your rate. The starting figure is an assumption, so set it to what you would want in reserve.
Why does the tool not estimate LMI?
Premiums vary from lender to lender, and no insurer publishes a rate card, so any estimate here could mislead you. Ask your broker for the premium on your loan and enter it in the LMI field. The totals then include it.
Should I add LMI to the loan?
Most lenders allow it, and it keeps cash in hand. The trade-off is that the loan is larger, and you pay interest on the premium for as long as it sits in the loan. Your broker can show you both versions on your figures.
Can I use this for an SMSF purchase?
For the costs, yes, with care. From 10 August 2026, an SMSF can use a new limited recourse borrowing arrangement (the loan structure a super fund uses to borrow) to buy real property only if it is business real property, which generally means land and buildings used wholly and exclusively in a business. In practice, a fund cannot take out a new loan for a residential rental property. If a fund buys residential property outright, the cash it needs is the full price plus the duty and fees that apply, not the deposit shown here. CHAD coordinates with your SMSF accountant and adviser; we do not advise on the fund or its structure.
Does buying in a company or trust change the stamp duty?
This tool applies the general investor rate whoever buys. Your conveyancer will confirm whether anything else applies to your purchase, including whether a company or trust counts as a foreign purchaser under that state's own test, and your accountant is the person to ask about the structure itself.
Is this the cash I need for a pre-approval?
No. It is the cash to complete one purchase on your figures. A lender looks at much more before it approves a loan, including your income, your debts and how the loan is set up, and your broker works that through with you.
Where to next
If you are close to signing, we can work through the cash side of a real purchase with you.
This calculator gives general information only. The result adds up the figures you enter, with stamp duty from each state's published general rates for an investor, as at the date shown; the fees start as assumptions, LMI is the figure you enter, and the tool does not assess whether a lender would lend. It is not financial, credit, tax or legal advice, and apart from the figures you enter, it does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. CHAD Property coordinates with conveyancers, brokers and accountants and does not give credit, tax or financial advice, so speak with your conveyancer, broker and lender before you rely on these costs.
The tools on this page give general information only. Each result is an estimate, worked out from the figures you enter and the assumptions shown, using rates and rules as at the date shown. It is not a quote, and it is not intended to be relied on to make a decision about a financial product, a loan or your tax. It is not personal financial, tax, credit or legal advice, and apart from the figures you enter, it does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Rates, thresholds and laws change, and some details of recent changes are not yet final. CHAD Property is a buyer's agency. It does not hold an Australian financial services licence or an Australian credit licence, and it is not a registered tax agent. We do not advise on tax, lending, financial products or how to structure ownership, including through a self-managed super fund, a company or a trust; we work alongside the brokers, accountants and financial planners who do. Before you make a financial decision, consider getting advice from a licensed financial adviser, and check any figure here with a licensed or registered professional who knows your situation.