Bond and transfer cost calculator
Buying with a home loan means paying transfer costs and bond registration costs. Estimate both in one place — transfer duty, attorney fees, Deeds Office fees and the bank initiation fee — so you know the cash you need before making an offer.
What are the bond and transfer costs?
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 Nov 2015.
- 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 bond and transfer costs actually cover
When you buy a property with a home loan, the upfront cash you need splits into two groups:
- 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).
This is an estimate, not a quote. Disbursements, rates clearance, levy clearance and occupational rent are not included. Conveyancing and bond-attorney fees include 15% VAT; transfer duty is not VAT-able.
Sources: SARS transfer duty (2026-04-01), LSSA conveyancing tariff (2026-07-01), Deeds Office fees (2026-04-01), NCA initiation fee (2015-11-06). Verified 2026-09-06.
Related guides
- 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.
- Worried about losing your deposit if finance falls through? Read about what happens to your deposit if your bond is declined.
- Ready to see what a bank would actually offer? Start your free bond pre-approval.
- Wondering how this total stacks up in 2026? Read the breakdown of the 2026 upfront cost stack.
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