Investment Property Deposit Calculator Australia 2026
Calculate the total upfront cash you need for an investment property, including deposit, LMI, stamp duty, and other costs at every deposit level.
Deposit Calculator
See the total upfront cash needed at 10%, 15%, and 20% deposit levels.
Enter a property price above
We will show you the total upfront cash needed at 10%, 15%, and 20% deposit levels.
How Much Deposit Do You Need?
For an Australian investment property, most lenders require a deposit of between 10% and 20% of the purchase price. The deposit amount you choose has a significant impact on your total upfront costs and ongoing repayments.
At 10% deposit, you will need to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), which can add $8,000 to $15,000 or more to your costs. At 15% deposit, LMI is still required but is substantially lower. At 20% deposit, you avoid LMI entirely, making it the most cost-effective threshold for most investors.
Beyond the deposit itself, you should also budget for stamp duty (which varies by state), legal and conveyancing fees, and building and pest inspections. The total upfront cash required is typically 25-30% of the property price when all costs are included.
Understanding Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI)
LMI is a one-off insurance premium that protects the lender (not you) if you default on your home loan. It is required whenever your deposit is less than 20% of the property price, meaning your loan-to-value ratio (LVR) is above 80%.
The cost of LMI increases steeply as your LVR rises. For investment properties, LMI premiums are typically higher than for owner-occupied purchases. Some lenders allow you to capitalise LMI into the loan, but this increases your total debt and repayments.
The simplest way to avoid LMI is to save a 20% deposit. Alternatively, some borrowers use equity from an existing property as security. Learn more about how LMI works.
Using Equity from Your Home
If you already own a property, you may be able to access the equity in that property to fund the deposit on an investment purchase. Equity is the difference between your property's current market value and the amount you still owe on your mortgage.
Most lenders will allow you to borrow up to 80% of your existing property's value (minus your current loan balance) as usable equity. This can reduce or eliminate the need for cash savings, though it does increase your overall debt and repayment obligations.
Learn More
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