In our experience, buyers rarely come unstuck on the big numbers — they've planned for the price and the duty. It's the quiet line items that arrive at settlement, all at once, that catch people out. Here are the ones we see forgotten most.
Most-forgotten line items
- LMI — and that the First Home Guarantee can wipe it. It insures the lender, not you, when your deposit is small, and buyers miss it because it's rolled into the loan rather than quoted upfront.
- Council rates adjustment — out of pocket at settlement, not from the loan. You're reimbursing the seller for rates already paid past settlement day, and it's overlooked because it's a cash figure settled on the day.
- Body corporate adjustment on strata — special levies can run thousands. It's your share of strata fees the seller prepaid, topped up at settlement; buyers budget the regular levy but forget the adjustment.
- Conveyancer's disbursements — a headline fixed fee usually excludes $200–$600 of disbursements: the searches, certificates and lodgement costs paid on your behalf.
- Insurance from the day risk passes, not move-in day. In QLD, property risk passes to you at 5pm on the first business day after the contract is signed — insure immediately. In NSW and VIC risk generally stays with the seller until settlement, but your lender will require cover in place before settlement day.
- Title registration fees — separate from stamp duty; scale with price in QLD and VIC. They're the government charge to register the transfer and mortgage, and get missed because buyers mentally fold them into stamp duty.
- State cliffs — $1 over can cost tens of thousands. These are the price thresholds where nudging over a bracket removes a duty concession, and buyers round their offer without checking where the line sits.
- First Home Guarantee price caps by state and region — check Housing Australia's tool before you sign. The cap is the top price the scheme allows in your area, and because it varies by state and region a slightly higher price can quietly disqualify you.