Buying a home involves more than just the purchase price and your bond repayment. Use this calculator to estimate the transfer duty payable to SARS, the conveyancing fees charged to transfer the property into your name, and the cost of registering a new bond.
Transfer duty uses current SARS brackets. Conveyancing and bond registration costs are all-inclusive estimates (fees, VAT and disbursements) - get a formal quote from your conveyancing attorney.
Transfer duty is calculated using SARS transfer duty rates effective from 1 March 2023. These thresholds can be adjusted in future Budget Speeches, so confirm the current rates on the SARS website. Conveyancing and bond registration fees vary between attorneys and are shown here as estimates only.
Budgeting for the costs of buying
Transfer and bond registration costs are usually paid upfront, in cash, separately from your deposit - so it pays to plan for them early.
These costs are usually not financed
Most banks will not add transfer and registration costs to your home loan. Make sure you have these funds available in cash, in addition to any deposit, before you make an offer.
Get a formal quote from your conveyancer
Conveyancing attorneys charge fees based on guideline tariffs that can vary by firm and province. Once you have an accepted offer, ask the transferring attorney for a detailed cost estimate (a "pro forma" account).
New vs. resale properties
If you buy a new property directly from a developer who is registered for VAT, the sale price usually includes VAT and no transfer duty is payable. Resale (second-hand) properties are generally subject to transfer duty instead.
Bond costs are separate from transfer costs
If you are taking out a home loan, your bank's attorneys will register the bond over the property. This registration has its own set of fees, in addition to (not instead of) the costs of transferring the property itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is transfer duty and who pays it?
Transfer duty is a tax payable to SARS on the transfer of immovable property, calculated on a sliding scale based on the purchase price. It is paid by the buyer, and the transferring attorney typically arranges payment to SARS as part of the transfer process before the property can be registered in your name.
Is transfer duty payable on a new development bought from a developer?
Usually not. If the seller is a VAT-registered developer and the sale price includes VAT, no transfer duty is payable - VAT and transfer duty are mutually exclusive on the same transaction. Always confirm with the seller or your conveyancer whether the price you have been quoted includes VAT.
What's included in conveyancing or "transfer" costs?
Conveyancing costs typically include the transferring attorney's professional fee, VAT on that fee, the deeds office registration fee, a deeds office search, and other small disbursements such as a rates clearance certificate application. The estimate shown here bundles these into a single all-inclusive figure.
Can transfer costs be added to my bond?
In general, no - South African banks usually only finance the purchase price (or slightly more in some cases), not the transfer and registration costs. A small number of products allow you to finance a portion of these costs, but you should budget to pay them in cash unless your bank has confirmed otherwise.
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