Transfer duty (most people still call it stamp duty) is usually the biggest single cost on top of the price. In Western Australia what you pay depends on the price, on whether you are a first home buyer, and on whether you are buying a home or land to build on.
Western Australian transfer duty, general rate, and the first home owner rate that applies from 7 May 2026. Rates published by RevenueWA, current at August 2026. This estimates duty from the price alone. Your own assessment can differ, the first home owner rate has eligibility conditions you have to meet, and foreign buyers pay an additional surcharge that is not included here. Check your position with RevenueWA or your settlement agent before you rely on the figure.
The thresholds that matter
From 7 May 2026 a first home buyer pays no transfer duty on a home up to $600,000, and a reduced rate between $600,000 and $800,000. Above $800,000 the general rate applies and the concession is gone entirely, which makes the gap either side of that line larger than most people expect.
On vacant land the first home buyer thresholds are lower: nothing up to $450,000, a reduced rate to $550,000, then the general rate.
Everyone else, including investors and anyone who has owned before, pays the general rate at every price. There is no investor loading in Western Australia, but there is an additional surcharge for foreign buyers.
Working out what you can actually afford?
Duty, the deposit and the strata levies together decide your real budget, not the price on the portal. We can talk you through what a given scheme costs to hold before you commit to it.