Bond and Transfer Cost Calculator South Africa (2026): Total Upfront Cost of Buying
On a R 1 500 000 home bought with a 100% bond, budget about R 93 274 in upfront costs before registration — R 8 700 transfer duty plus conveyancing, bond-registration, Deeds Office and bank initiation fees. Below R 1 210 000 there is no transfer duty at all (SARS table effective 2026-04-01). Attorney fees are at the LSSA guideline; your quotes may be lower.
By Neil B · Checked against published primary sources · Published 2026-08-15 · Last verified 2026-10-09
Total upfront cost by price (100% bond)
Every figure below is computed from sourced, dated tariffs — see the worked example and caveats further down.
Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources: SARS transfer duty (2026-04-01), LSSA conveyancing guideline (2026-07-01), Deeds Office fees (2026-04-01), NCA-capped initiation fee (2016-05-06). Estimates only — attorney fees are negotiable and disbursements vary.
What are the bond and transfer costs on your price?
Drag the purchase price and loan amount. The calculator adds SARS transfer duty, conveyancing and bond-attorney fees, Deeds Office fees and the bank initiation fee.
Adds bond registration costs and the bank initiation fee.
About 6.1% of the purchase price.
How this estimate works
Transfer duty uses the SARS sliding scale effective 01 Apr 2026. Conveyancing fees follow the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) recommended tariff effective 01 Jul 2026, plus 15% VAT. Deeds Office fees use the schedule effective 01 Apr 2026. The bank initiation fee is the NCA cap effective 06 May 2016.
- No transfer duty on properties bought for R1 210 000 or less, or on VAT-inclusive sales from registered developers.
- Attorney fees are negotiable. The LSSA tariff is a guideline; firms may quote higher or lower.
- This is an estimate, not a quote. Disbursements, rates clearance, levy clearance and occupational rent are not included.
Sources: SARS transfer duty, LSSA conveyancing fee guideline, Deeds Office fee schedule. Verified 06 Sept 2026.
What cash would you need at your price?
Two questions, no contact details — we'll estimate the total upfront cash for your price band, including your deposit.
Purchase price
Deposit you plan to pay
What do bond and transfer costs actually cover?
The upfront cash you need splits into two groups: transfer costs to move the property into your name, and bond registration costs to register the mortgage over it. The calculator above totals both, plus the bank’s initiation fee.
- Transfer costs — SARS transfer duty on the purchase price, the conveyancing attorney who registers the property in your name, and the Deeds Office transfer fee.
- Bond registration costs — the bond attorney who registers the mortgage bond, the Deeds Office bond fee, and the bank's once-off initiation fee (capped under the National Credit Act).
What is the full cost stack on a R 1 500 000 home with a 100% bond?
Six fees add up to about R 93 274 — roughly 6.2% of the purchase price, all paid in cash at registration. Here is every line, computed from the sourced tariffs rather than rounded rules of thumb.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer duty (paid to SARS)0% up to R 1 210 000; 3% on the portion above (table effective 2026-04-01) | R 8 700 |
| Conveyancing attorney fee (transfer)LSSA guideline incl. 15% VAT (effective 2026-07-01) — negotiable | R 37 530 |
| Deeds Office transfer feeSchedule of Fees of Office (effective 2026-04-01) | R 1 738 |
| Bond attorney fee (bond registration)LSSA guideline incl. 15% VAT — based on the bond amount, not the price | R 37 530 |
| Deeds Office bond registration feeBased on the bond amount | R 1 738 |
| Bank initiation feeNCA-capped maximum incl. VAT (in force since 2016-05-06) — banks may charge less | R 6 038 |
| Total cash to register | R 93 274 |
Worked example: R 1 500 000 purchase price, 100% bond of R 1 500 000, tariffs as at 9 October 2026. Attorney fees at the LSSA recommended guideline incl. 15% VAT — the guideline is a ceiling and individual firms may quote less. Estimates, not a quote.
How much are bond and transfer costs in 2026?
At the 2026 tariffs, total upfront costs run from zero duty below R 1 210 000 to roughly 6.4% of the purchase price at R 2 000 000. Buying for cash removes the bond-registration side entirely.
| Purchase price | Transfer duty | Cash purchase (transfer side) | Bond side (100% bond) | Total with bond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R 1 000 000 | R 0 | R 31 762 | R 37 800 | R 69 562 |
| R 1 500 000 | R 8 700 | R 47 968 | R 45 306 | R 93 274 |
| R 2 000 000 | R 33 786 | R 77 930 | R 50 182 | R 128 112 |
Bond side includes the bond attorney, Deeds Office bond fee and the NCA-capped bank initiation fee of R 6 038. Conveyancing and bond-attorney fees include 15% VAT; transfer duty is not VAT-able. Figures as at 9 October 2026.
How much is transfer duty on a R 1 500 000 house?
R 8 700 — 3% of the value above the R 1 210 000 duty-free threshold. The duty is charged only on the portion above the threshold, so a R 1 200 000 home pays none and a R 1 800 000 home pays R 21 786. The full bracket-by-bracket table, who pays, and the two genuine ways to pay no duty are covered in our transfer duty explainer.
Do you pay transfer duty and bond costs on a 100% bond?
Yes — a 100% bond means no deposit, but it also means the full bond-registration side applies on top of the transfer side. The bank lends the whole purchase price, so the bond attorney, Deeds Office bond fee and initiation fee are all chargeable, in addition to transfer duty and conveyancing. A larger deposit shrinks the bond amount and trims the bond side; buying for cash removes it entirely.
Can you add the transfer and bond costs to your bond?
Usually not — upfront costs generally cannot be financed through a standard home loan, so budget them in cash. Some lenders offer a “costs-included” bond that adds the transfer and registration costs to the loan, but every rand of costs financed is a rand less available for the purchase price, and you pay interest on it for the full term. Ask the bank or originator to price both options before you commit.
What costs are not included in the estimate?
The estimate covers the four statutory and professional fees that make up most of the total, but a few extras land on the same statement of account:
- Disbursements — FICA checks, postage and sundries, which vary by attorney.
- Rates and levy clearance certificates, payable to the municipality and body corporate — often a few months paid up front.
- Your deposit, unless you qualify for a 100% bond.
- Homeowner’s insurance and monthly service fees, which start once the bond registers.
- Occupational rent, if you move in before registration.
- A VAT-inclusive sale from a registered developer attracts no transfer duty — the price already includes VAT.
Attorney fees are negotiable — the LSSA figures are a recommended guideline, not a fixed tariff. Banks decide the final loan and fees; this is an informational estimate, not a quote or financial advice. Figures verified 9 October 2026.
Related guides
- Want the duty side in full? Read the transfer duty guide — the 2026 SARS brackets and the two genuine ways to pay none.
- Selling a property and cancelling the existing bond? Estimate the bond cancellation fees.
- Buying your first home and want to know what government help is available? Read our guide to first-time buyer grants and subsidies.
- Working out how much you can borrow? Use the affordability calculator.
- Getting ready to approach a bank? Read how bond pre-approval works.
- Wondering how this total stacks up in 2026? Read the breakdown of the 2026 upfront cost stack.
Common questions about bond and transfer costs
How is transfer duty calculated in South Africa?
SARS charges transfer duty on the purchase price using a sliding table: 0% up to R 1 210 000, then marginal rates from 3% to 13% on the portion above each threshold. On a R 1 500 000 home the duty is R 8 700 — 3% of the value above R 1 210 000. The current table applies to properties acquired on or after 2026-04-01 (South African Revenue Service (SARS)). For the full worked table, read our transfer duty explainer.
What is the difference between transfer duty and transfer costs?
Transfer duty is the tax paid to SARS on the purchase price. "Transfer costs" is the wider umbrella: the duty plus the conveyancing attorney's fee, the Deeds Office transfer fee and related disbursements. On a R 1 500 000 home the duty alone is R 8 700, while the whole transfer side comes to about R 47 968 at guideline tariffs.
What are the new transfer fees in 2026?
The 2026 figures are: the SARS transfer duty table effective 2026-04-01 (SARS confirmed no changes for 2026/27), the LSSA conveyancing fee guideline effective 2026-07-01, and Deeds Office fees effective 2026-04-01. The bank initiation fee is capped by the National Credit Act — the figures used here have applied since 2016-05-06.
How are conveyancing fees calculated?
Conveyancing attorneys price off the LSSA recommended guideline: a base fee for the value band plus a fixed increment per R 200 000 (or part) above it, with 15% VAT added. On a R 1 000 000 property the guideline works out to about R 30 216 incl. VAT, and individual firms may quote less — the guideline is a ceiling, not a fixed price.
How much are the transfer costs on a R2 million house?
On a R 2 000 000 home bought with a 100% bond, budget about R 128 112 in total upfront costs — R 33 786 of that is SARS transfer duty, and the rest is conveyancing, bond registration, Deeds Office and bank initiation fees. That is roughly 6.4% of the purchase price, paid in cash at registration.
Do first-time buyers pay transfer duty?
Below R 1 210 000 nobody pays transfer duty — the zero-rated threshold applies to every buyer, not just first-time buyers. First-time buyers may also qualify for the First Home Finance subsidy, which can help cover the deposit and upfront costs. See our guide to first-time buyer grants and subsidies for the current income bands.
Who pays the transfer costs — the buyer or the seller?
The buyer pays them: transfer duty to SARS, the conveyancer handling the transfer, the bond attorney registering the mortgage, the Deeds Office fees and the bank's initiation fee. The seller pays the estate agent's commission, their own attorney, and the municipal rates-clearance certificate. On a 100% bond the buyer's total is highest, because both the transfer and the bond sides apply.
Can I add the transfer and bond costs to my bond?
Usually not. Upfront costs generally cannot be financed through a standard home loan, so buyers budget them in cash. Some lenders offer a "costs-included" bond that adds the transfer and registration costs to the loan, but that shrinks the amount left for the property itself — on a R 1 500 000 purchase the roughly R 93 274 of costs is money the bank will not also lend for the price.
Do I pay transfer duty on a property bought from a developer?
Not if the sale is VAT-inclusive. When a registered developer sells a new property, the advertised price already includes VAT, and SARS charges no transfer duty on top — you still pay conveyancing, bond registration, Deeds Office and initiation fees. A second-hand sale from a private seller carries transfer duty instead of VAT.
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