# Home Loan Application & Document Guides - Canonical URL: https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents 1. [Home](https://bond.co.za/) 3. [Guides](https://bond.co.za/guides) 5. Applying & documents A home loan application stands or falls on its paperwork. These guides list the documents South African banks require — for salaried, self-employed, foreign and trust applicants — explain how pre-approval works, and walk through the approval process stage by stage with realistic timelines for each step. [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Bond pre-approval](https://bond.co.za/home-loans/pre-approval) How to get bond pre-approval in South Africa: where to apply (bank direct or originator), how long it takes, what it costs, the documents to have ready and how long the certificate lasts. Updated 21 Oct 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [When to apply for bond pre-approval](https://bond.co.za/guides/when-to-apply-bond-pre-approval) When to apply for bond pre-approval in South Africa: the timing that fits a 90-day certificate, what to have ready before you apply, and what pre-approval does — and does not — mean. Updated 17 Oct 20266 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Verify a buyer’s bond pre-approval](https://bond.co.za/guides/verify-buyers-bond-pre-approval) Verify a buyer’s bond pre-approval in South Africa: what a genuine certificate shows, the red flags of a weak letter, and how to confirm it with the issuing bank or originator. Updated 19 Oct 20266 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [What does a pre-approved bond mean](https://bond.co.za/guides/bond-pre-approval) A pre-approved bond means a bank has credit-checked you and indicated in principle how much it will lend — typically valid for 90 days, but not a final home-loan approval. Updated 26 Oct 20266 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [How long bond approval takes](https://bond.co.za/guides/how-long-bond-approval-takes-south-africa) Bank approval typically takes 5–10 working days after a complete application, pre-approval 2–5 working days, and signed offer to registration 8–12 weeks — durations by stage and buyer type, with sources. Updated 17 Oct 20266 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Home loan approval process & timeline](https://bond.co.za/guides/home-loan-approval-process-timeline) A step-by-step timeline from pre-qualification to registration, with typical timeframes and a checklist. Updated 19 Oct 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [How to apply for a home loan](https://bond.co.za/guides/how-to-apply-for-a-home-loan) The full South African application sequence: check qualification, gather your documents, choose bank or originator, submit your application, and compare any offers. Updated 10 Sept 20268 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Building loans](https://bond.co.za/guides/building-loan-south-africa) How building loans work in South Africa: progress payments, interest-only draws, NHBRC-registered builders, approved plans and the extra documents banks need. Updated 09 Oct 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Self-employed home loans](https://bond.co.za/guides/self-employed-home-loan-south-africa) How freelancers, contractors and business owners qualify without a payslip: documents, income assessment, and preparation. Updated 04 Sept 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Buying property in a trust](https://bond.co.za/guides/buying-property-in-a-trust-south-africa) What buying through a trust really involves: asset protection and estate planning, the tax and lending downsides, and what it means for your bond. Updated 04 Sept 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Home loans for South African expats](https://bond.co.za/guides/home-loan-expats) Can you get a South African home loan while living abroad: how banks assess foreign income, deposits, documents and exchange control for expat buyers. Updated 23 Oct 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Home loans for foreigners](https://bond.co.za/guides/home-loan-foreigners-south-africa) How non-residents, work-permit holders and SA expats get a bond: deposit expectations, foreign income, documents and exchange control. Updated 08 Sept 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Home-loan documents checklist](https://bond.co.za/guides/home-loan-documents-required-south-africa) Typically your ID, proof of address under 3 months old, 1–3 payslips, 3 months’ bank statements and the signed OTP; self-employed add 6 months’ statements and 2 years’ financials — by applicant type and bank. Updated 17 Oct 20269 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [What is a bond originator?](https://bond.co.za/guides/what-is-a-bond-originator) What a bond originator actually does between application and grant, how the bank-paid commission model works, and when going direct to your own bank is genuinely fine. Updated 07 Oct 20266 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [ooba reviews: what SA homebuyers say](https://bond.co.za/guides/ooba-reviews-south-africa) What 800+ Hellopeter reviewers say about ooba Home Loans, how its free-to-buyer, bank-paid commission model works, and how to tell customer reviews apart from employee and insurance reviews. Updated 05 Oct 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [ooba vs BetterBond: which bond originator to use](https://bond.co.za/guides/ooba-vs-betterbond) A sourced comparison of ooba and BetterBond — cost to you, bank panels, turnaround claims and reviews — why neither is reliably better, and when a third route (your own bank’s written offer) belongs in the mix. Updated 15 Oct 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [The bond registration process](https://bond.co.za/guides/bond-registration-process) What happens after your bank grants your bond: attorney appointment, signing, Deeds Office lodgement and registration — and when the seller gets paid. Updated 15 Sept 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [How to dispute a low home loan valuation](https://bond.co.za/guides/home-loan-valuation) What a low bank valuation actually means for your loan amount, whether you can dispute it, and the realistic options — second valuation, bigger deposit, or renegotiating price — when you can’t. Updated 02 Oct 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Home loan requirements for commission earners](https://bond.co.za/guides/home-loan-commission-earners-south-africa) What the NCA actually requires when a bank assesses commission income, what each major South African bank publishes, and why no bank publishes its commission-averaging formula. Updated 09 Oct 20268 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [Home loan application tips](https://bond.co.za/guides/home-loan-application-tips) The tips that actually strengthen a South African home loan application: what to avoid, when to apply, and where the full detail on documents, credit and timing lives. Updated 09 Oct 20267 min read [Applying & documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents) [How to improve home loan approval chances](https://bond.co.za/guides/improve-home-loan-approval) The levers that decide a South African home loan approval: your credit score, the 30% affordability rule, your deposit, a complete document set and pre-approval timing. Updated 22 Oct 20268 min read > This is the Markdown version of [https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents](https://bond.co.za/guides/applying-and-documents); that HTML page is the canonical version of this content.