What costs do you pay when buying property in Australia in 2026?

Budget state stamp duty (transfer duty) using the revenue office calculator for the property’s state. First-home concessions may apply to eligible citizens and permanent residents; temporary residents and foreign persons often do not. Foreign purchasers commonly face an additional foreign-purchaser duty surcharge on residential land. Published state summaries put NSW around 9%, Victoria and Queensland around 8%, and South Australia and Western Australia around 7% of dutiable value, on top of ordinary duty. Confirm the live rate and definitions before you bid.

Hire a conveyancer or property solicitor early. Add building and pest inspections, a valuation if the lender requires one, and lender establishment fees if you borrow: Foreigner mortgage. When ATO foreign-investment approval is required, pay the value-based residential application fee published on ato.gov.au for the property band you are buying. Do not contract before approval if the rules for your status require it.

Council rates, water, insurance, and utilities arrive immediately. Apartments and many townhouses add strata or body corporate levies for shared insurance and capital works: Condominium fees. Special levies for major repairs can surprise buyers who only checked the weekly rent equivalent. City housing pressure still shapes what “affordable extras” mean: Sydney cost of living and Melbourne cost of living. If purchase is blocked or delayed, rent remains the default: How to rent a home.