Free · no sign-up · every figure shown
Can we afford it?
Enter your savings. See your price ceiling, the suburbs it reaches, and every cost of buying: deposit, stamp duty, mortgage insurance, legal, inspection and registry fees, and moving.
“No figures needed for this step.”
Step 1 of 6 · Where you stand
What does buying a home cost?
The listing price is one of up to ten upfront costs. This step lists them. The next three calculate them for your state.
“No figures needed for this step.”
Upfront, by settlement day: deposit, stamp duty, lenders mortgage insurance (deposit under 20%), conveyancing, a building and pest inspection or strata report, land transfer and mortgage registration, lender fees, settlement adjustments, and moving.
Monthly, after settlement: loan repayments, council rates, water, insurance, maintenance, and strata levies for units and townhouses.
Stamp duty, first home buyer concessions and grants differ by state. Steps 2 to 4 calculate each cost from your savings.
“Enter your savings. A rough figure works.”
Step 2 of 6 · Your budget
What can I afford?
One required figure: your savings. Everything else is calculated from it.
“Enter your savings. A rough figure works.”
A rough figure works. You can change it any time. It stays in your browser.
“Select a state. The suburbs are sorted for you.”
Step 3 of 6 · Where it reaches
Where does that money reach?
Suburbs under your price ceiling, with median prices. Each price is labelled as measured from sale records or estimated.
“Select a state. The suburbs are sorted for you.”
Tap a state to explore its suburbs
Select a state. You can change it later.
“Tap any line to see its source.”
Step 4 of 6 · The true cost
What does this place cost?
The cash needed by settlement, itemised, and the monthly cost after it: repayment, rates, water, insurance, maintenance and, for units and townhouses, strata levies.
“Tap any line to see its source.”
“Listed in the order you need them.”
Step 5 of 6 · Who you need
Who do I need to call next?
You need four or five providers before you get the keys. Each card shows what they do, when you need them, and what they cost.
“Listed in the order you need them.”
None of these providers work for us, and none are ranked. They are listed in the order you need them. Each card states the cost first.
A mortgage broker
First, before you look at listings.
Checks what a lender will lend you, which differs from a calculator estimate, and arranges pre-approval so your offer is backed by a lender. Compares 20 to 40 lenders, not only your own bank.
- What it costs
- Usually nothing to you. The lender pays the broker a commission. Under the Best Interests Duty, brokers are legally required to act in your interests, not the lender's.
- Ask them
- “How many lenders are on your panel, and how are you paid on this loan?”
See licensed brokersNothing here pays usA conveyancer or solicitor
Before you sign anything, ideally before you bid.
Reviews the contract before you are bound by it, runs title and planning searches, and handles settlement. Finds issues such as easements, unapproved decks and road-widening proposals.
- What it costs
- Roughly $1,200 to $2,500 including search fees. Most quote a fixed fee over the phone.
- Ask them
- “Is that a fixed fee including searches, and can you review a contract before auction?”
How we choose who to listNothing here pays usA building and pest inspector
After your offer is accepted, before the cooling-off period ends.
Independently inspects the structure, roof, wiring and termite activity. The written report can be used to negotiate or to withdraw.
- What it costs
- $400 to $800 for a house. For a unit, a strata report instead: around $300 to $650. It shows the body corporate's finances and any upcoming special levy.
- Ask them
- “Are you licensed and insured, and do I get the report before my cooling-off period ends?”
What an inspection coversNothing here pays usA home insurer
From exchange of contracts, not from settlement.
Covers the building from when the risk passes to you: in most states at exchange, not at handover of keys. Lenders require it as a loan condition.
- What it costs
- Roughly $1,400 to $2,600 a year for a house. Flood and bushfire exposure move it a long way in either direction. For a unit, the strata policy covers the building, so you insure contents only.
- Ask them
- “Am I covered from exchange, and what is excluded for flood at this exact address?”
What property insurance coversNothing here pays usA removalist
Two to three weeks before the move. Good ones book out.
Moves your belongings. The one provider on this list where the cheapest quote is often adequate.
- What it costs
- $600 to $3,000 depending on distance and how much you own, not on what the house cost.
- Ask them
- “Is the quote fixed or hourly, and does it include insurance in transit?”
Moving checklistNothing here pays us
How we make money. Nothing on this page is a paid placement today. If that changes, the link will say “Paid link” before you click it. Payment will never change who is listed, their order, or what we say about them.
“Start with step one.”
Step 6 of 6 · This week
What do I do this week?
Three actions, each sized to fit one week, worked out from your figures.
“Start with step one.”
Get pre-approved before you look at listings
Your savings cover settlement. The remaining step before an offer is written approval from a lender. Pre-approval lasts about 90 days and means you can bid at auction with finance approved in principle.
Find a licensed brokerCheck whether a grant applies to you
State grants and duty concessions are worth five figures. You have to claim them yourself. Eligibility depends on whether the home is new, its price, and whether you have owned before. Each state sets different rules.
See what your state offersWalk the suburb on a weekday evening
The figures on this page cover cost, not whether you want to live there. Visit at 6pm on a Tuesday, not at a Saturday open. Time your actual commute. No calculator covers this step.
View the area on the map
Go straight to a calculator
Each is free, shows its formula, and needs no sign-up.
Common questions about Australian housing affordability
Questions first home buyers, renters and investors ask about property in Australia.
Get property market updates
No spam. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy Act 1988 compliant.