Buying a house in Australia: the complete checklist
Buying a house in Australia usually takes three to six months and runs through eight stages: deciding what you are buying, working out the full cost, getting finance pre-approved, researching suburbs, inspecting properties, making an offer or bidding at auction, moving from contract to settlement, and the admin after you move in. Beyond the purchase price you pay stamp duty, conveyancing, inspections and, if your deposit is under 20%, lenders mortgage insurance. Stamp duty, cooling-off periods and first home buyer concessions all differ by state.
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47 steps
What should you do before you start looking?
Work out what you are actually buying and why. Buyers who skip this stage tend to bid on the wrong property at the right price.
What does buying a house actually cost?
The purchase price is not the amount you need. Stamp duty, legal fees, inspections and lenders mortgage insurance are all paid on top, mostly before you get the keys.
How do you get your finance ready?
Pre-approval tells you what you can borrow and shows an agent you are a real buyer. It is a conditional answer, not a guarantee.
How do you research a suburb properly?
Two streets in one suburb can behave differently. Look at sold prices rather than asking prices, and visit at more than one time of day.
What should you check when inspecting a property?
An open home is a sales environment. Go back a second time, and never rely on your own eyes for anything structural.
How do you make an offer or bid at auction?
The rules differ sharply. A private treaty offer usually has a cooling-off period; a winning auction bid is binding on the spot, with no cooling off and no finance condition.
What happens between contract and settlement?
Everything you conditioned the contract on has to be satisfied inside its deadlines. Missing one can cost you the deposit.
What do you need to do after buying a house?
The short administrative tail most checklists stop before. Doing it in the first fortnight avoids the expensive version later.
What are the upfront costs of buying a house?
These are paid on top of the deposit, and most fall due before settlement. Ranges are indicative; the government charges are set by your state.
| Cost | Typical amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty Calculate it | Varies by state | Usually the largest upfront cost after the deposit. Set by your state or territory, and reduced or waived for many first home buyers.Usually the largest upfront cost after the deposit. Set by your state or territory, and reduced or waived for many first home buyers. |
| Conveyancing or solicitor | $500 - $3,200 | Reviews the contract, runs the searches and handles settlement. Licensed conveyancers sit at the lower end, solicitors at the higher.Reviews the contract, runs the searches and handles settlement. Licensed conveyancers sit at the lower end, solicitors at the higher. |
| Building and pest inspection | $400 - $850 | Combined inspection of a house. Not compulsory, but consumer bodies recommend it, and at auction it must be done before you bid.Combined inspection of a house. Not compulsory, but consumer bodies recommend it, and at auction it must be done before you bid. |
| Strata or body corporate report | $200 - $600 | For a unit or townhouse. Shows the levies, the balance of the capital works fund and any defect or special levy history.For a unit or townhouse. Shows the levies, the balance of the capital works fund and any defect or special levy history. |
| Loan application fee | $0 - $990 | Only some lenders charge one. Ask for it to be waived; it is often negotiable.Only some lenders charge one. Ask for it to be waived; it is often negotiable. |
| Lender valuation | $200 - $350 | The lender values the property it is lending against. Sometimes absorbed by the lender.The lender values the property it is lending against. Sometimes absorbed by the lender. |
| Title transfer and registration | Set by your state | A government fee for registering you as the owner. A flat charge in some states and scaled to the price in others.A government fee for registering you as the owner. A flat charge in some states and scaled to the price in others. |
| Lenders mortgage insurance | Nil at a 20% deposit | Charged when you borrow more than 80% of the value. It insures the lender, not you, and the cost climbs steeply as the deposit shrinks. Waived under the government 5% Deposit Scheme.Charged when you borrow more than 80% of the value. It insures the lender, not you, and the cost climbs steeply as the deposit shrinks. Waived under the government 5% Deposit Scheme. |
| Council and water adjustment | Pro-rata | You reimburse the seller for rates and water they have already paid covering the period after settlement. Your conveyancer calculates it.You reimburse the seller for rates and water they have already paid covering the period after settlement. Your conveyancer calculates it. |
Amounts marked as a range are indicative market prices and vary by provider, property and state; the government charges are set by your state or territory. Checked 3 September 2026.
How do the rules differ by state?
Stamp duty, the cooling-off period and the document a seller must give you are all set by the state or territory, not nationally.
| State | Cooling off | Seller must give you | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSWNew South Wales | 5 business daysForfeit 0.25% of the price if you withdraw | Contract for sale with prescribed documents attached before you sign | The standard contract has no finance clause. Unless you negotiate one, the cooling-off period is your only way out if finance falls through. |
| VICVictoria | 3 clear business daysForfeit $100 or 0.2% of the price, whichever is greater | Section 32 vendor statement | A finance clause usually requires written notice within a couple of business days of the approval date. Miss it and you may lose the right to terminate. |
| QLDQueensland | 5 business daysForfeit up to 0.25% of the price | Seller Disclosure Statement (Form 2) | The Form 2 disclosure regime replaced the old rules on 1 August 2025. If it is not given, or is materially wrong, you can terminate up until settlement. |
| WAWestern Australia | NoneNo statutory cooling-off period exists | No mandatory vendor statement. Offer and acceptance plus the general conditions | You are bound as soon as your offer is accepted. Every protection you want, finance and inspections included, has to be written into the offer. |
| SASouth Australia | 2 clear business daysRuns from when the Form 1 is served; you forfeit at most $100 | Form 1 vendor's statement, served at least 10 clear days before settlement | The clock starts when the Form 1 is served, not when you sign, so check the date it was actually given to you. |
| TASTasmania | Only if electedAn optional 3 business days, and only if the box is ticked in the contract | No mandatory vendor disclosure. Standard form contract for sale | Property is sold as is. With no compulsory disclosure and no automatic cooling off, your own inspections and searches are the only protection. |
| ACTAustralian Capital Territory | 5 business daysForfeit 0.25% of the price if you withdraw | Seller-supplied building and pest reports plus an energy efficiency statement | The seller must provide inspection reports up front. Read them, and consider your own inspection as well, because they were commissioned by the seller. |
| NTNorthern Territory | None in lawThe usual 4 business days comes from the standard contract, not legislation | No mandatory disclosure regime. Law Society standard contract of sale | Because the cooling-off period is contractual, it can be varied or removed by negotiation. Check what your specific contract actually says. |
Cooling-off periods do not apply to properties bought at auction anywhere in Australia. For stamp duty rates and first home buyer concessions, which change often, check your state revenue office. Checked 3 September 2026.
Common questions
What is the checklist for buying a house in Australia?
How much deposit do you need to buy a house in Australia?
What are the upfront costs of buying a house besides the deposit?
How long does it take to buy a house?
Do you need a building and pest inspection?
Is there a cooling-off period when buying a house?
What should a first home buyer do first?
What do you need to do after buying a house?
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Sources
Government charges, concessions and cooling-off rules change. Everything below was checked on 3 September 2026. Confirm the figures with the relevant authority before you commit to a purchase.
- First Home Buyers (Australian Government) — 5% Deposit Scheme, Help to Buy and First Home Super Saver Scheme rules and price caps
- Moneysmart (ASIC) — Upfront costs, lenders mortgage insurance and buying process guidance
- Revenue NSW — NSW transfer duty rates and first home buyer thresholds
- State Revenue Office Victoria — Victorian land transfer duty rates and concessions
- Queensland Revenue Office — Queensland transfer duty rates and first home concessions
- RevenueWA — Western Australian transfer duty rates and first home owner rate
- RevenueSA — South Australian conveyance duty and first home buyer relief
- State Revenue Office Tasmania — Tasmanian property transfer duty rates and concessions
- ACT Revenue Office — ACT conveyance duty and the Home Buyer Concession Scheme
- Territory Revenue Office (NT) — Northern Territory stamp duty and home owner assistance
This checklist is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. It does not account for your circumstances. Get advice from a licensed professional before acting on it.