Calculator / Off the plan settlement

Settlement valuation calculator.

You sign at today's price and settle at completion, often two or three years later. The bank values the finished property then and lends against that figure, not the contract price. This works out how much cash you need at settlement under a range of valuations, and lets you check the contract price per square metre against sales you have found yourself.

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The contract

The deposit is what you have already paid under the contract. If you used a deposit bond, enter the amount you will need to pay in cash at settlement as the deposit and leave the bond out.

Contract price Deposit paid Loan to value ratio the lender will go toAbove 80% most lenders require lenders' mortgage insurance. Stamp duty and settlement costsUse the stamp duty calculator for the duty figure.

Price per square metre check

Optional. Enter the internal area of the apartment you are buying and up to three recent sales of similar apartments nearby, with their internal areas. The result is a sense check against what you found, not a valuation.

Internal area of the apartment you are buying (sqm)

Comparable 1 Sale price Internal sqm

Comparable 2 Sale price Internal sqm

Comparable 3 Sale price Internal sqm

Cash to settle

Arithmetic on the figures you entered. Lenders set their own valuation, loan ratio and insurance rules, and a valuation can also come in above the price. Confirm your position with your lender and broker before you rely on it.

What this means if you are buying

The price is fixed. The loan is not.

An off the plan contract locks the price. It does not lock the lender's view of what the finished apartment is worth, or your own position at settlement. The gap between the two is the cash you have to find on the day, and it is the reason to look at comparable sales before you sign, not after. Our property team does this comparison with you on any development on the site.

Tell us what you're looking at

Common questions

Settlement valuations, answered.

What happens if the valuation is lower than the contract price at settlement?

The lender lends against its valuation, not the contract price, so a lower valuation means a smaller loan and more cash from you at settlement. On a $1,000,000 contract with a 10% deposit and an 80% loan, a valuation of $900,000 cuts the loan from $800,000 to $720,000 and raises the cash you need at settlement from $100,000 to $180,000. The contract still obliges you to settle at the contract price.

When does the bank value an off the plan property?

At completion. CommBank's guidance says a lender will not loan you money until at least the property is built and they have performed a valuation of the finished product and re-evaluated your financial situation. Conditional approval at contract is not a commitment to lend at settlement.

How do I check whether the contract price is fair?

Compare the price per square metre of internal area with recent sales of similar apartments nearby, new and resale. Enter the contract price and internal size, then up to three comparable sales, and the calculator shows the contract $/sqm against the mean of the comparables and the value the contract apartment would have at that mean. It is a sense check, not a valuation.

Sources

Where the one external claim comes from.

CommBank: Buying property off the plan
"They won't actually loan you any money until at least the property is built and they have performed a valuation of the finished product and re-evaluated your financial situation." Read 28 October 2026; no page date shown.