Preparing financially

Fees and costs when buying a house in Victoria

Every fee you pay when buying a house in Victoria, from duty and the transfer fee to searches, conveyancer and legal fees, inspections, title insurance, loan and moving costs, with who sets each one and an exact worked example.

What fees do you pay when buying a house in Victoria?

Buying a house in Victoria involves government fees set by law, a handful of searches and certificates with their own fixed or capped fees, and professional and lender charges that each provider prices themselves. The table lists every common line item, who sets the amount, and when it usually falls due. Regulated means a statute, a regulation or a published government schedule fixes the amount; market-priced means the provider sets it, so this page states no dollar figure for it and the only reliable number is a written quote. Your contract deposit is not on the list: it is a part-payment of the purchase price, not an extra cost.

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You may also pay for inspections and contract reviews more than once if an earlier offer or property does not proceed, which is a cost of searching rather than of the home you finally buy. The worked example below adds up the regulated lines that can be calculated exactly on a $700,000 purchase.

Land transfer duty (stamp duty) in Victoria

Land transfer duty (often called "stamp duty") is calculated on the property's dutiable value, generally the greater of the purchase price and market value, and is usually the largest single upfront cost for most buyers. Eligible first-home buyers in Victoria currently pay no duty on a home valued up to $600,000 (State Revenue Office Victoria, verified 7 Aug 2026), with a reduced (concessional) rate up to $750,000. Buyers who don't meet the first-home buyer criteria pay duty at the general rate (State Revenue Office Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026), a meaningfully larger cost to budget for. The stamp duty calculator applies the same rules to any price, buyer type and state, and the true cost to buy and own calculator adds them to your deposit, loan repayments and yearly running costs.

What is the transfer fee in Victoria?

The "transfer fee" is the registration fee Land Use Victoria charges to record you as the new owner on the title. It is separate from duty: duty goes to the State Revenue Office, the transfer fee to Land Use Victoria. It is a fixed amount plus a charge for each $1,000 of the purchase price, and it stops rising once the price reaches the cap (Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (Victoria), verified 27 Sep 2026). If you borrow, Land Use Victoria also charges a flat fee to register the mortgage (Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (Victoria), verified 27 Sep 2026). Both figures below are for electronic (PEXA) lodgement, the usual route, and come straight from the same rules the calculator uses.

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Your conveyancer normally lodges the transfer and pays these fees on your behalf at settlement, and lists them in your settlement statement.

What are the search fees when buying a house in Victoria?

"Searches" is the everyday word for the title search and the certificates a conveyancer collects about the property: what the land title records, what the council and water corporation say is owing, whether any planning controls apply, and, for apartments and units, what the owners corporation says is owing. In a Victorian sale the vendor must give the buyer a Section 32 statement before the contract is signed (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026), and it includes certain certificates about the property (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026), which is why buyers often do not need to order them again. Your conveyancer may still order updated certificates before settlement or extra searches for your own checks, and bill them to you as disbursements. Ask which have been ordered and what each cost. See Section 32 explained for what the statement contains.

Amounts are in dollars as at 21 October 2026 and change on 1 July with the fee unit. Where a row gives no dollar figure, the fee is published by the issuer and could not be confirmed from a current official source. Conveyancers may also pass on other disbursements, such as electronic-lodgement charges, so the total on an invoice can be higher than the certificate fees alone.

Conveyancer and legal fees when buying a house

A conveyancer or solicitor reviews the Section 32 statement and contract, arranges the searches, deals with your lender, prepares the settlement figures and attends electronic settlement. Nobody sets a standard fee for this work: each practice prices it, usually as a fixed fee for a standard purchase with disbursements (the searches, registration and lodgement charges they pay for you) listed separately. Because fees vary by practice and by how complex the purchase is, this page states no typical amount. What is worth comparing in written quotes is the professional fee, the estimated disbursements, what happens if the purchase falls through, and whether contract review before you bid is included or charged on its own.

Building and pest inspection costs

Inspectors price a building and pest inspection themselves, and the quote depends on the property's size, age and type, so there is no fixed fee. It is usually arranged before an offer or an auction, and when you are comparing several properties the cost can be incurred more than once. See what a building and pest inspection covers and specialist inspections for when a second report is used.

Title insurance: an optional one-off cost

Title insurance is a separate insurance product, not a government fee or a required part of buying. An insurer sets the premium, which is normally paid once, and the price depends on the insurer, the property and the policy, so the only reliable figure is a quote. Title insurance explained sets out what it covers, what it excludes and the premium one insurer publishes as an example.

Loan costs: application, valuation and settlement fees

Lenders set their own application, valuation and settlement charges, and they differ between lenders and between loan products. The mortgage registration fee in the table above is the only government charge in this group. If the deposit is low, the lender may also charge lenders mortgage insurance (ASIC (Moneysmart), verified 7 Aug 2026); the deposit guide explains when it applies. To compare loans on their full cost, including upfront and ongoing fees, see comparing home loans.

Moving and set-up costs

Removalists, utility connections, locks and any urgent repairs are priced by the providers, and the total depends on the distance moved, the volume of belongings and the condition of the home, so they are budgeted from quotes rather than a rule of thumb. Ongoing costs of home ownership covers the running costs after the first few weeks.

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The complete cost picture

The genuinely additional costs fall into a few groups: government charges (duty and registration fees, which can be calculated exactly), statutory searches and certificates, professional costs (conveyancing and inspections, which are quote-dependent), finance costs, settlement adjustments (council rates, water charges, owners corporation charges and other contract-specific outgoings apportioned between buyer and seller at settlement, covered in settlement adjustments) and moving costs. Duty and registration are explained further in land transfer duty and registering the transfer.

Worked example: buying costs on a $700,000 established home

How Victoria's duty compares nationally

Land transfer duty (called "conveyance duty" or "stamp duty" in some states) is set independently by each state and territory, and the same $700,000 purchase price can cost tens of thousands of dollars more or less in duty alone depending on where you buy. The figures below are each state's general (non-concessional) rate, what a buyer who doesn't qualify for a first-home-buyer concession pays, the same basis as the Victorian worked example above, so the two are directly comparable.

Every state and territory also runs its own first-home-buyer duty concession or exemption and grant, which can significantly reduce these figures. Victoria's own exemption and concession, covered above, is one of the largest of the eight up to $600,000. See first-home buyer duty concessions outside Victoria for what applies in your state, or government support schemes for the full picture including cash grants.

Before you set a purchase-price ceiling

A percentage allowance is a starting point, not a final figure. Before committing to a price, buyers can ask their conveyancer and lender for a written funds-to-complete figure: the actual cash needed at settlement, combining duty, registration fees, adjustments and loan costs for the specific property and finance. Safe budget vs. borrowing capacity covers how to set the number itself.

Practical checklist

Before you set a purchase-price ceiling

• Get a duty estimate for your specific price and eligibility status
• Get written quotes for conveyancing/legal fees (including disbursements) and a building & pest inspection
• Ask which searches and certificates the Section 32 already includes and which will be ordered again
• Ask your lender for a full breakdown of loan-application and valuation fees
• Budget for inspection and contract-review costs on more than one property if needed
• Get a written funds-to-complete figure from your conveyancer and lender before settlement

Questions for a professional

• What is my exact duty liability at this purchase price, including any concession?
• What will your conveyancing fee cover, and what's charged separately as disbursements?
• Which searches and certificates are already in the Section 32, and which will you order again?
• Are there any settlement adjustments I should expect beyond the purchase price?

Official resources

• State Revenue Office Victoria: land transfer duty
• Consumer Affairs Victoria: buying property
• Land Use Victoria: 2026-27 fees
• Planning Victoria: planning fees

Sources and methodology

• First home buyer duty exemption or concession — State Revenue Office Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Land transfer duty – principal place of residence (current rates) — State Revenue Office Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Land transfer duty – non-principal place of residence (current rates) — State Revenue Office Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Transfer of Land (Fees) Regulations 2016, S.R. No. 29/2016, Authorised Version No. 008 — Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (Victoria) (retrieved 27 Sep 2026). Licence: Victorian legislation — free reuse per legislation.vic.gov.au copyright notice
• Victoria Government Gazette No. S 234 — Monetary Units Act 2004 notice (fee unit 2026-27) — Treasurer of Victoria (retrieved 27 Sep 2026). Licence: State of Victoria copyright — reproduction permitted with acknowledgement
• Monetary Units Act 2004, Authorised Version No. 008 — Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (Victoria) (retrieved 27 Sep 2026). Licence: Victorian legislation — free reuse per legislation.vic.gov.au copyright notice
• Local Government (Land Information) Regulations 2021, S.R. No. 69/2021 (statutory rule page) — Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (Victoria) (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: Victorian legislation — free reuse per legislation.vic.gov.au copyright notice
• Local Government (Land Information) Regulations 2021 — draft regulations (May 2021) — Victorian Government (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: State of Victoria copyright — reproduction permitted with acknowledgement
• South Gippsland Shire Council — Land Information Certificate — South Gippsland Shire Council (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: Council website — factual fee reproduced with attribution
• Planning fees — Planning Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: State of Victoria copyright — reproduction permitted with acknowledgement
• Lower Murray Water — Request a property information statement — Lower Murray Water (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: Water corporation website — factual fee reproduced with attribution
• Yarra Valley Water — Fees and charges — Yarra Valley Water (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: Water corporation website — factual statement reproduced with attribution
• LANDATA service charges 2026-27 (Land Use Victoria) — Land Use Victoria (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: State of Victoria copyright — reproduction permitted with acknowledgement
• State Revenue Office Victoria — Land tax clearance certificate — State Revenue Office Victoria (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: State of Victoria copyright — reproduction permitted with acknowledgement
• Owners Corporations Regulations 2018 (Vic) — contents (AustLII consolidation) — Victorian Government (Owners Corporations Regulations 2018, via AustLII) (retrieved 21 Oct 2026). Licence: AustLII — Victorian legislation; free access, attribute AustLII
• Conveyancing and contracts for sellers — Consumer Affairs Victoria (retrieved 30 Jul 2026, last checked 7 Aug 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Save for a house deposit — ASIC (Moneysmart) (retrieved 29 Jul 2026, last checked 7 Aug 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• Conveyance duty for non-commercial property | ACT Revenue Office — ACT Revenue Office (retrieved 7 Aug 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Transfer duty rates | Queensland Revenue Office — Queensland Revenue Office (retrieved 7 Aug 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• How to calculate transfer duty | Revenue NSW — Revenue NSW (retrieved 7 Aug 2026). Licence: CC BY 4.0
• Rates of duty | State Revenue Office Tasmania — State Revenue Office Tasmania (retrieved 7 Aug 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• Duties Fact Sheet - Residential Land | Western Australian Government — RevenueWA (Dept of Treasury and Finance, WA) (retrieved 7 Aug 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site
• Rate of stamp duty | RevenueSA — RevenueSA (retrieved 7 Aug 2026). Licence: CC BY 3.0 AU
• Land or property transfer stamp duty calculator | NT.GOV.AU — Territory Revenue Office, Northern Territory (retrieved 7 Aug 2026). Reuse terms: see the publisher's site

Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.