Use TaxTim's free property transfer cost calculator to estimate the upfront costs of buying a home in South Africa — over and above your deposit. Enter the purchase price and (if you're taking a home loan) the bond amount to see your transfer costs and bond registration costs broken down line by line. Transfer costs include the SARS transfer duty and the transferring attorney's conveyancing fee; bond costs are the separate fees the bond attorney and bank charge to register your home loan.
When you buy a property in South Africa there are two sets of costs, each paid to a different attorney, on top of the purchase price and your deposit:
Transfer duty is charged by SARS on a sliding scale — there is no duty on property up to R1,210,000, and the rate steps up for higher values. When the seller is registered for VAT and sells in the course of their business, 15% VAT is already in the price and no transfer duty is payable (VAT and transfer duty are mutually exclusive).
The conveyancing and bond attorney fees follow the Law Society (LSSA) recommended guideline tariff and attract 15% VAT. These are guidelines, not fixed fees — attorneys may quote differently. The Deeds Office fees are set by gazette and carry no VAT.
SARS transfer duty — 2026/27 (effective 1 April 2025, unchanged for the 2027 year, valid to 28 February 2027). The same table applies to all buyers — natural persons, companies, close corporations and trusts.
| Property value | Transfer duty |
|---|---|
| R0 – R1,210,000 | R0 (no duty) |
| R1,210,001 – R1,663,800 | 3% of the value above R1,210,000 |
| R1,663,801 – R2,329,300 | R13,614 + 6% of the value above R1,663,800 |
| R2,329,301 – R2,994,800 | R53,544 + 8% of the value above R2,329,300 |
| R2,994,801 – R13,310,000 | R106,784 + 11% of the value above R2,994,800 |
| R13,310,001 and above | R1,241,456 + 13% of the value above R13,310,000 |
Source: SARS Transfer Duty table (sars.gov.za). The conveyancing and bond attorney fees use the LSSA Guideline of Fees, Column B (effective 1 August 2025) plus 15% VAT, and are negotiable guidelines — not statutory minimums. Deeds Office fees follow Government Gazette No. 54225 (effective 1 April 2026) and carry no VAT. The bank bond initiation fee is a flat R6,037.50 (incl VAT). Attorney, FICA and sundry figures are guideline estimates that vary by firm.
Illustrative — 2026/27 rates. Thandi buys a freehold home for R1,500,000 with a R1,200,000 bond. The seller is not VAT-registered and she's a natural person.
Transfer costs:
Bond registration costs (on the R1,200,000 bond):
Estimated total upfront cost: about R89,465. If Thandi paid cash, the entire bond block falls away and she'd need only the transfer costs. Enter your own figures above for an estimate tailored to your purchase.
The buyer pays the transfer costs (including transfer duty and the conveyancing attorney's fee) and the bond registration costs. These are over and above the purchase price and your deposit. The seller pays estate agent commission and the cost of cancelling their own existing bond, which are not included in this calculator.
No. There is no SARS transfer duty on property purchased for R1,210,000 or less for the 2026/27 period. Duty only kicks in above that threshold, starting at 3% of the amount over R1,210,000. You'll still pay conveyancing, Deeds Office and sundry costs, but the transfer duty line is R0.
On a R1,000,000 home there is no transfer duty (it's under the R1,210,000 threshold), so your transfer costs are mainly the conveyancing fee plus Deeds Office and sundries. On a R2,000,000 home the transfer duty alone is R13,614 + 6% of R336,200 = about R33,786, on top of the attorney and Deeds Office fees. Use the calculator for an exact estimate including any bond.
Transfer costs are paid to the transferring attorney to register the property into your name and include the SARS transfer duty. Bond registration costs are paid to a separate bond attorney appointed by your bank to register your home loan, plus the bank's initiation fee. If you buy in cash there are no bond costs at all.
Yes. When the seller is a VAT vendor selling in the course of their business (common with developers and new builds), the price already includes 15% VAT and no transfer duty is payable — VAT and transfer duty are mutually exclusive. The calculator zeroes the transfer duty line in that case so you aren't double-counted.
Usually not automatically. Transfer and bond costs are normally paid upfront in cash, separately from your deposit, although banks sometimes let you add the bond initiation fee to the loan. It's safest to budget for these costs as cash you'll need on top of your deposit.
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