Total upfront cash needed to buy a first home — deposit plus purchase fees.

A 300,000 first home with a 10% deposit needs 30,000 for the deposit itself. On top: 2,000 in legal fees, 800 survey, 1,500 moving, 2,000 early-ownership essentials and buffer — total upfront roughly 36,300. That's 12% of purchase price, not 10% — a common gap that catches first buyers out.

How to use it

Enter the purchase price, deposit percentage, and realistic ancillary costs for your area. Legal fees vary but typically 1,500-2,500 for a standard purchase. Survey ranges 400-1,500. Moving is 500-3,000 depending on distance.

What the result means

Primary is total upfront cash needed. Secondary rows show each component — deposit, fees total, and the deposit-to-purchase ratio. Plan for the total, not just the deposit.

What this doesn't include

Stamp duty / land transfer tax — intentionally excluded because rates and thresholds vary by jurisdiction and change with budgets. Use a dedicated local calculator for that. Add the local figure to this tool's total for the full picture.

Quick example

With purchase price of 300,000 and deposit of 10% (plus legal fees of 2,000 and survey of 800), the result is 36,300.00. Change any figure and watch the output shift — it's often more useful to see the pattern than to memorise the formula.

Which inputs matter most

You enter Purchase Price, Deposit %, Legal Fees, Survey, and Moving. Frequency and unit price pull the total in different directions. The biggest surprise for most people is how small recurring amounts compound into large annual figures — that's where this calculation earns its keep.

What's happening under the hood

Sum of deposit (purchase × deposit %) and ancillary costs. Excludes property transfer tax / transfer tax — these vary by jurisdiction and change with government budgets. Include the local statutory figure separately. The formula is listed in full below. If the number looks off, you can retrace the calculation by hand — that's the point of showing the working.

Using this to think, not predict

Financial plans are wrong by month six — new information arrives and reshapes the picture. The point of running projections isn't to be right in ten years; it's to be less wrong in the decision you're making this week.

What this doesn't capture

Real plans get re-run against new information every year or two. The result here is a reasonable direction, not a destination. Treat it as a starting point for thinking, not a commitment to a specific future.