True cost of buying a house in Adelaide 2026 — every fee, every bracket

The number on the listing isn't the number you write a cheque for. Buying a $750,000 house in Adelaide typically costs you $790,000–$795,000 by the time the keys are in your hand — $40,000+ of additional fees and taxes that most online "stamp duty calculators" either miss or estimate wrongly.

This guide walks through every line item, the current SA brackets, who pays what, and where the first home buyer concession kicks in. All numbers reference RevenueSA, Lands Titles Office, and CBS SA publications current to 2026.

The full cost breakdown for a $750,000 Adelaide home

Worked example: an established home in metro Adelaide, $750,000 purchase price, 20% deposit ($150,000), 6.14% home loan, non-first-home buyer.

Item	Amount	Who you pay
Purchase price	$750,000	Vendor
Stamp duty	$35,080	RevenueSA
LTO transfer registration	$280	Lands Titles Office
LTO mortgage registration	$280	Lands Titles Office
Form 1 vendor search	$120	Conveyancer / search agent
Conveyancer (pre-purchase to settlement)	$800	Conveyancer
Building inspection	$550	Building inspector
Pest inspection	$220	Pest inspector
Bank valuation	$300	Your bank / valuer
Loan application fee (typical)	$600	Bank
Mortgage stamp duty (SA)	$0 (abolished)	—
Moving costs (interstate-style move)	$1,200	Removalist
Total upfront	~$789,430

$39,430 in costs above the purchase price — about 5.3% of the property value. That's the bracket to budget for. With a smaller deposit you'd add Lender's Mortgage Insurance on top (often $8,000–$25,000 depending on the LVR).

Want the calculation for your exact price + buyer type? Skip the spreadsheet and use our All-In SA Cost Calculator — it includes the first home buyer concession, foreign buyer surcharge, and mortgage repayment schedule.

SA stamp duty brackets — the actual table

SA's stamp duty (formally "conveyance duty") is a progressive bracket scale. Each bracket only applies to the portion of the price within it — it's not a flat percentage. Current RevenueSA brackets:

Price bracket	Rate on the portion in this bracket
$0 – $12,000	1.00%
$12,000 – $30,000	2.00%
$30,000 – $50,000	3.00%
$50,000 – $100,000	3.50%
$100,000 – $200,000	4.00%
$200,000 – $250,000	4.25%
$250,000 – $300,000	4.75%
$300,000 – $500,000	5.00%
Over $500,000	5.50%

Worked example for a $750,000 purchase:

• First $12,000 × 1% = $120
• Next $18,000 × 2% = $360
• Next $20,000 × 3% = $600
• Next $50,000 × 3.5% = $1,750
• Next $100,000 × 4% = $4,000
• Next $50,000 × 4.25% = $2,125
• Next $50,000 × 4.75% = $2,375
• Next $200,000 × 5% = $10,000
• Top $250,000 × 5.5% = $13,750
• Total stamp duty: $35,080

A few things most online calculators get wrong: the SA brackets are not the same as the federal indicative scale, the top bracket kicks in at $500k (not $1M like NSW), and there's no surcharge for off-the-plan.

The SA first home buyer concession

SA abolished stamp duty entirely for eligible first home buyers purchasing a new home or vacant land valued up to $650,000. Above that, no concession applies.

To qualify:

• Australian citizen or permanent resident
• At least one buyer is 18+
• None of the buyers has previously held a residential property interest in Australia (whether owner-occupied or investment)
• Must occupy the property as principal place of residence for at least 6 continuous months within 12 months of settlement
• Property must be a new build, off-the-plan, or vacant land for a home you'll build on

For first home buyers of established homes, SA currently offers no stamp duty concession. This is unique among Australian states — most others have at least partial concessions for established home FHBs.

The First Home Owner Grant (separate from the concession)

SA also offers a $15,000 First Home Owner Grant for new homes only, valued up to $650,000. Same eligibility rules as the stamp duty concession. It's paid as a cash deposit at settlement.

Net effect for an eligible FHB buying a $600,000 new build:

• Stamp duty saved (under FHB concession): ~$25,180
• First Home Owner Grant cash: $15,000
• Total support: ~$40,180

Foreign buyer surcharge

Foreign buyers (non-Australian-citizen, non-PR) pay an additional 7% surcharge on top of standard stamp duty for residential property. On a $750k purchase that's an extra $52,500 — bringing total stamp duty to $87,580.

Where buyers most often get the cost wrong

Underestimating LMI

Lender's Mortgage Insurance is required when your deposit is under 20%. It's paid once at settlement and ranges from $5,000 (small loan) to $35,000+ (large loan). It's not refundable if you refinance. Genworth and QBE both publish premium estimators.

Forgetting the bank's loan application fee

Most banks charge $400–$800 to set up the loan. Negotiable if you ask, especially with a mortgage broker.

Underbudgeting the conveyancer

Cheap conveyancers ($500 range) often don't catch material Form 1 issues. A $800–$950 conveyancer who actually reads the Form 1 properly will save you 10x that on the first bad property they wave you away from.

Not modelling ongoing costs

After settlement: council rates ($1,500–$3,500/year metro), SA Water rates ($1,200–$1,800/year), Emergency Services Levy ($300–$700/year), home and contents insurance ($1,200–$2,500/year), and any strata fees ($1,500–$5,000+/year). Our calculator handles the upfront; the ongoing is a separate budget.

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

Budget 5–6% of the purchase price for upfront costs above the listed price, plus LMI if your deposit is under 20%. For a $750k home that's $40k+ on top of the deposit. Eligible first home buyers of new builds can claw back $25k+ via the FHB concession plus a $15k grant.

Open the calculator, type your numbers, get a complete breakdown. Knowing the real total before you write an offer is the single most useful piece of buying due diligence.