PropPocket · Buyer guide
A 5% deposit is not the whole cash target
In our $1 million NSW repeat-buyer example, a 5% deposit needs $123,187 cash to buy (12.3% of the price), once standard duty, modelled upfront LMI and buying-cost allowances are included. Weekly ownership cost is $1,531. Your eligibility, quotes and property costs can change both figures.
By PropPocket · Reviewed 16 October 2026 · Figures in Australian dollars
Test the $1m / 5% exampleWhat this comparison shows
On that same property, moving from 5% to 20% deposit needs $119,600 more upfront cash and reduces weekly ownership cost by about $210. That is a deposit trade-off, not evidence that buying now or waiting is better.
We modelled twelve scenarios: four round purchase prices and three deposit percentages. This is a controlled scenario study, not a survey, a market-average report or a forecast. It covers NSW repeat buyers; it does not estimate Australian buyers as a whole.
Prepared and internally checked by PropPocket, 16 October 2026. No independent professional review has been completed. Standard duty is checked against Revenue NSW’s published 2026–27 schedule; LMI remains an illustrative proxy.
Twelve scenarios, with editable inputs
Every row uses 6.1% interest, a 30-year principal-and-interest loan, $10,550 annual holding costs and $3,600 buying-cost allowances. Each linked deposit opens its complete scenario in BidReady.
| Price | Deposit | Duty | LMI proxy | Cash to buy | Weekly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $600,000 | 5% deposit | $21,187 | $18,240 | $73,027 | $1,000 |
| $600,000 | 10% deposit | $21,187 | $11,880 | $96,667 | $958 |
| $600,000 | 20% deposit | $21,187 | $0 | $144,787 | $874 |
| $800,000 | 5% deposit | $30,187 | $24,320 | $98,107 | $1,266 |
| $800,000 | 10% deposit | $30,187 | $15,840 | $129,627 | $1,210 |
| $800,000 | 20% deposit | $30,187 | $0 | $193,787 | $1,098 |
| $1,000,000 | 5% deposit | $39,187 | $30,400 | $123,187 | $1,531 |
| $1,000,000 | 10% deposit | $39,187 | $19,800 | $162,587 | $1,461 |
| $1,000,000 | 20% deposit | $39,187 | $0 | $242,787 | $1,322 |
| $1,500,000 | 5% deposit | $63,787 | $45,600 | $187,987 | $2,196 |
| $1,500,000 | 10% deposit | $63,787 | $29,700 | $247,087 | $2,091 |
| $1,500,000 | 20% deposit | $63,787 | $0 | $367,387 | $1,881 |
Download all figures and assumptions (JSON)
Cash to buy excludes moving costs and a retained emergency reserve. Annual costs are held constant to isolate the deposit and price effects; real properties will differ. Figures are rounded for display.
First-home buyers may get a very different result
These are repeat-buyer examples. Eligible first-home buyers can receive NSW duty relief, and qualifying buyers using the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme may avoid LMI. Lender-specific professional waivers may also apply. A 5% deposit does not prove eligibility or loan approval.
Use the official scheme information and NSW first-home assistance guidance, then change the buyer settings and confirmed quotes in BidReady.
Method you can reproduce
- Deposit cash = price × deposit percentage. Loan principal = price − deposit.
- Standard NSW duty uses the 2026–27 schedule, assuming price equals dutiable value. For these examples up to $1.29m: $11,602 + 4.5% of value above $387,000. At $1.5m: $52,237 + 5.5% of value above $1,290,000.
- LMI proxy = 3.2% of loan principal at 5% deposit, 2.2% at 10%, and zero at 20%. These are PropPocket planning assumptions, not published insurer premiums. LMI is paid upfront here; financing it changes both outputs.
- Cash to buy = deposit + duty + LMI + $2,000 legal + $600 inspections + $1,000 other buying-cost allowances.
- Weekly cost = (12 monthly loan repayments + $10,550 annual holding costs) / 52. Monthly repayment uses the standard amortisation formula at 6.1% / 12 for 360 months. Principal repayment is included in cash spending.
Holding costs comprise $2,400 council, $4,000 strata, $900 insurance, $2,500 repairs and $750 other. Both holding and purchase costs are chosen editable allowances, not quotes or market averages. The same interest rate applies at each deposit level; actual lender rates can differ with loan-to-value ratio.
All outputs use the existing BidReady engine. A separate arithmetic check reproduces duty, loan repayments and cash reconciliation for all twelve rows. It checks those calculations, not eligibility, complete purchase costs or an insurer’s pricing.
Sources, reuse and corrections
- Revenue NSW: 2026–27 rates, dutiable value and worked duty examples
- Helia: obtain an indicative insurer estimate; upfront or capitalised treatment
- ASIC Moneysmart: purchase costs and preparation
When referencing these figures, link to this page and include the date, repeat-buyer scope and LMI assumption. Do not describe the figures as observed buyer costs or a quote. Brokers and conveyancers can open any linked scenario to check their own assumptions.
For a correction, identify the scenario, input and source in an email to hello@proppocket.com.au. PropPocket publishes these examples and operates the linked calculators.