Property Calculators — Stamp Duty, Buying Costs & More.
6 free calculators for the property side of buying a home — upfront costs, stamp duty by state (including ACT), deposit planning, and the rent vs buy decision.
What's in this category
These calculators focus on the property transaction itself — not the loan, but the costs and decisions around buying or selling. Stamp duty alone can run into tens of thousands of dollars and varies hugely by state and buyer type, so getting this right is one of the highest-value calculations you'll do.
We've grouped the 14 home loan calculators by purpose:
Calculate your full upfront and ongoing costs
Stamp duty calculator (all Australian states)
- ACT — including Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS) eligibility for first home buyers and certain other categories. The ACT has been phasing out stamp duty over a 20-year reform, so current rates are lower than NSW or VIC equivalents at many price points.
- NSW — including first home buyer concessions and the choice between stamp duty and annual property tax (where applicable).
- VIC — including first home buyer exemptions, principal place of residence concessions, and off-the-plan reductions.
- QLD — including the home concession and first home concession.
- WA, SA, TAS, NT — current published rates and applicable concessions.
Property selling costs calculator
Stamp duty is just the beginning. This calculator tallies the full upfront cost of buying a property:
- Stamp duty (transfer duty)
- Mortgage registration and transfer fees
- Conveyancing and legal fees
- Building and pest inspection
- Loan application and lender fees
- Lenders Mortgage Insurance (if applicable)
- Settlement adjustments (council rates, water rates)
Many first home buyers budget for the deposit and then get blindsided by these additional costs — typically 4–6% of the purchase price on top of the deposit.
Rent vs buy calculator
The other side of the transaction. Calculates the costs you'll incur when selling:
- Real estate agent commission (typically 2–3.5% in Australia)
- Marketing and advertising costs
- Conveyancing and legal fees
- Mortgage discharge fees
- Capital gains tax considerations (general guidance only — see your accountant)
Home deposit calculator
Works out the deposit you'll need for the property you're targeting. Most lenders want at least 5% genuine savings, though 20% lets you avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). The calculator factors in:
- The minimum deposit required by typical lenders
- The deposit needed to avoid LMI (usually 20%)
- LMI cost at different loan-to-value ratios
- First Home Guarantee eligibility (5% deposit with LMI waived)
How long to save calculator
Once you know your target deposit, this calculator tells you how long it'll take to save it at your current savings rate — and what changes would get you there faster (saving more per month, getting a better interest rate on your savings, or both).
Stamp duty in the ACT — what makes it different
If you’re buying in Canberra, the stamp duty story is genuinely different from the rest of Australia. The ACT Government began a long-running tax reform in 2012, gradually reducing stamp duty over 20 years in exchange for higher general rates. The result:
- Lower stamp duty for many price points compared with NSW or VIC equivalents.
- The Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS) lets eligible buyers pay no (or significantly reduced) stamp duty, subject to income thresholds that change annually.
- No First Home Owner Grant in the ACT (abolished in 2019) — but for many buyers, the HBCS concession is more valuable than the old grant would have been.
- Land Rent Scheme — a Canberra-only option where you rent the land from the ACT Government and only borrow against the house.
Our stamp duty calculator handles ACT-specific calculations including current concessions. For eligibility checks against the latest HBCS thresholds, book a call.
Browse other calculator categories
Property Calculators
Stamp duty, buying costs, rent vs buy
Income Calculators
Australian income tax and lender income tools
Savings Calculators
Compound interest, budget, savings goals
Frequently asked questions
Q1- Why is stamp duty so much lower in the ACT?
The ACT Government has been gradually phasing out stamp duty since 2012, replacing the revenue with higher general rates. The reform was designed to be roughly revenue-neutral over time but to remove the upfront-cost barrier to home buying.
Q2 - Do I pay stamp duty as a first home buyer?
Depends on your state and your purchase price
Q3 - How much should I budget for buying costs beyond stamp duty?
A reasonable rule of thumb is 4–6% of the purchase price for total buying costs (stamp duty plus everything else), but this varies significantly by state and purchase type. The property buying costs calculator gives you a specific number.
Q4 - Should I avoid LMI by saving a 20% deposit?
Not always. The opportunity cost of waiting another two years to save a bigger deposit — during which property prices may rise — can exceed the LMI cost. The First Home Guarantee also lets eligible first home buyers buy with 5% and no LMI. Worth running both scenarios through the home deposit calculator
Q5 - Is buying always better than renting?
No. The rent-vs-buy decision depends on your time horizon, local market conditions, capital growth expectations, and personal flexibility needs. The rent vs buy calculator helps you compare both sides honestly. Generally, the longer you stay in a property, the better buying looks.
