The Costs Involved
Buying a home involves a range of upfront costs that you will need to factor into your budget
Stamp duty
Stamp duty is a state government charge that may be payable on the purchase price of your home and on the value of your mortgage. The amount payable varies depending state and territory. Below is the Victorian State Revenue Office website or use the Mortgage Gallery calculators or see the table in the centre page.
While stamp duty can be a significant upfront expense, valuable concessions are available for first home buyers
Lenders Mortgage Insurance (applies to deposits less than 20%)
If you borrow more than 80% of the value of the property that you are buying you will need to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). This insures the lender (not you, the borrower) against non repayment or default. By protecting your lender against default, LMI allows you to borrow with lower deposits. Your lender will organise LMI on your behalf, so it’s not something you need to shop around for.
The LMI premium you can expect to pay will be based on the size of your mortgage and the purchase price. One of the best ways to reduce the cost of LMI is to save a larger deposit. However, this is not always possible, and to make the premiums more manageable some lenders will let you add the LMI premium to the home loan. This is called ‘capitalising’ the expense, and it lets you pay the LMI bill gradually rather than adding it to other upfront expenses.
Other costs
Purchasing a property involves other associated costs that are listed below, these can add up to around 5% of your home’s value. Aim to get several quotes for services like insurance and furniture removal to ensure you get the best deal. And don’t forget to set funds aside for the house warming.
Loan costs
Loan application fee
Valuation and lenders legal fees
Conveyancing fees
Inspection costs
Building inspection
Pest inspection
Insurance
Property insurance
Contents insurance
Moving in costs
Council and water rates
Utilities connections
Mail redirection
Furniture removal
