Methodology
Where the starting cost figures come from
The calculator opens with a figure in every cost field so a first answer takes seconds rather than an afternoon of lookups. Those starting figures are benchmarks, not quotes for your property, and every one of them is editable.
What they are
Per-state, per-property-type starting figures for the recurring costs (council rates, water, insurance, and allowances for maintenance, management and vacancy) and nationally for the one-off costs (conveyancing, building and pest, loan establishment, settlement adjustments). Management percentages come from the published fee surveys cited below; the rest are planning benchmarks we set. The point is that the calculation starts from a stated figure you can see and change, not from a blank field.
What they are not
They are not rates, and none of them is verified against an authority the way a duty scale is. A council rate depends on the actual property; a conveyancing fee depends on the firm; an insurance premium depends on the building. Where a figure matters to your decision, replace it with a real quote — the field shows whether it is still a default or has been edited by you.
Editable planning-cost estimates. These are broad planning defaults, not property-specific charges or quotes. Replace them with current conveyancer, lender, council, insurer and property-manager figures.
National one-off starting figures
| Field | Starting value |
|---|---|
| Conveyancing | $1,800 |
| Building and pest inspection | $650 |
| Loan establishment | $600 |
| Settlement adjustments | $2,000 |
| Interest rate a year | 6.2% |
Recurring costs vary by state and property type; the calculator seeds those from the same library and shows each one in the cost-assumptions panel.
Sources
- Local Agent Finder
- Which Real Estate Agent
- conservative-benchmark — Aphelion editorial benchmark
These are recorded as estimates, not verified rates. Every component's status is listed on the sources page.