Transfer costs when buying a house in South Africa
Transfer costs when buying a house in South Africa are three separate charges paid to get the property registered in the buyer's name: SARS transfer duty, the conveyancing attorney's fee, and the Deeds Office transfer fee. On a R1,500,000 purchase, bond.co.za calculates these at R 47 968,25, as at 2026-09-06 — before any bond registration costs.
By bond.co.za Editorial Team, Home loan content editor · Reviewed by Registered Mortgage Originator · Published 2026-09-19 · Last verified 2026-09-19
What do transfer costs pay for when you buy a house in South Africa?
Three different recipients charge three different amounts — all triggered by the sale itself, not by whether you use a bond.
A once-off tax paid to the South African Revenue Service on the property's value, charged on a sliding scale. Nothing is payable on the first R1,210,000 of the purchase price.
Source: South African Revenue Service (SARS). Effective 2026-04-01, verified 2026-09-06.
The seller appoints a conveyancing attorney to draft and lodge the transfer documents, but South African convention is for the buyer to pay this fee. It follows the Law Society of South Africa's recommended guideline, plus 15% VAT.
Source: Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) recommended conveyancing fee guideline. Effective 2026-07-01, verified 2026-09-06.
A fixed government fee charged to register the transfer of ownership itself. It is based on the purchase price, and is separate from any Deeds Office fee charged on the bond side of the same transaction.
Source: South African Deeds Office Schedule of Fees of Office. Effective 2026-04-01, verified 2026-08-15.
Transfer costs apply whether or not you use a bond — a cash buyer pays them too. If you are financing the purchase, bond registration costs (the bond attorney fee, the Deeds Office bond fee and the bank's initiation fee) are charged separately, on top of these. For that side of the transaction, see bond registration costs and bond registration vs transfer costs.
How much does it cost to transfer ownership of a house in South Africa?
Computed with bond.co.za's own transfer cost calculator methodology — the same figures the calculator itself produces, not a generic estimate.
| Purchase price | SARS transfer duty | Attorney fee (incl. VAT) | Deeds Office fee | Total transfer cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R 800 000,00 | R 0,00 | R 25 340,25 | R 1 346,00 | R 26 686,25 |
| R 1 000 000,00 | R 0,00 | R 30 216,25 | R 1 546,00 | R 31 762,25 |
| R 1 500 000,00 | R 8 700,00 | R 37 530,25 | R 1 738,00 | R 47 968,25 |
| R 2 000 000,00 | R 33 786,00 | R 42 406,25 | R 1 738,00 | R 77 930,25 |
| R 3 000 000,00 | R 107 356,00 | R 54 596,25 | R 2 408,00 | R 164 360,25 |
All figures as at 2026-09-06. Transfer duty follows the South African Revenue Service (SARS), effective 2026-04-01. Attorney fees follow the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) recommended conveyancing fee guideline, effective 2026-07-01. Deeds Office fees follow South African Deeds Office Schedule of Fees of Office, effective 2026-04-01. Your conveyancer's written quote is the number that governs your transaction — this table is an illustration, not a quote.
On the same R1,500,000 purchase with a R1,350,000 bond (a 90% loan-to-value bond), the transfer-side and bond-side costs together total R 90 836,00 — about 6.1% of the purchase price — as at 2026-09-06, before the deposit itself. That combined figure is what most buyers mean when they ask about “the costs of buying a house in South Africa”, rather than transfer costs alone.
Who pays transfer costs, the buyer or the seller?
The buyer pays transfer costs when buying a house in South Africa. SARS transfer duty, the conveyancing attorney's fee and the Deeds Office transfer fee are all budgeted for and paid by the purchaser. The seller typically pays the estate agent's commission and settles any outstanding bond, plus their own bond cancellation costs, out of the sale proceeds.
Parties can agree otherwise in the offer to purchase, but buyer-pays-transfer-costs is the standard default in South African property transactions.
Is there a way to avoid or reduce transfer duty?
Transfer duty is not payable at all on properties priced at R1,210,000 or below, per the South African Revenue Service (SARS) table effective 2026-04-01. Buying directly from a VAT-registered developer also avoids transfer duty, because that sale carries VAT instead — the two taxes are mutually exclusive on one transaction.
Beyond these two genuine exemptions, transfer duty is a statutory tax with no legitimate way to reduce it by restructuring an ordinary resale purchase.
How do I calculate the transfer costs for my own property?
The table above uses illustrative purchase prices — your own price will land between the rows, or above them.
bond.co.za's transfer cost calculator applies the current SARS transfer duty table, the Law Society conveyancing fee guideline and the Deeds Office fee schedule to your exact purchase price, and shows the line-item total in seconds — the same sourced figures used to build the table on this page. Toggle in a bond amount and it adds the bond-side costs too, for the full cash-to-close figure.
The Complete Home Buyer Cost Checklist
Every upfront cost on a South African home purchase — transfer and bond registration alike — who charges it, and when it is due, in a printable PDF.
Get the Complete Home Buyer Cost Checklist
A printable PDF checklist of every upfront cost, who charges it, and when it is due — so nothing catches you off guard.
Quick answers about transfer costs
Who pays transfer costs when buying a house in South Africa — the buyer or the seller?
The buyer pays transfer costs when buying a house in South Africa. SARS transfer duty, the conveyancing attorney's fee and the Deeds Office transfer fee are all budgeted for and paid by the purchaser, not the seller. The seller typically pays the estate agent's commission and settles any outstanding bond and its own bond cancellation costs out of the sale proceeds. Parties can agree otherwise in the offer to purchase, but buyer-pays-transfer-costs is the standard default.
What do transfer costs actually pay for when you buy a house?
Transfer costs when buying a house in South Africa pay for three separate things: SARS transfer duty, a once-off tax on the property's value; the conveyancing attorney's fee for preparing and lodging the transfer documents; and the Deeds Office fee to register the new title deed in the buyer's name. None of these amounts are optional and none go toward the deposit or the purchase price — they are cash required over and above what the buyer pays the seller.
How much does it cost to transfer ownership of a house in South Africa?
Transfer costs when buying a house in South Africa typically run from around R26,700 on an R800,000 property, where no transfer duty is payable, to well over R160,000 on a R3,000,000 property once transfer duty applies. As at 6 September 2026, bond.co.za's own transfer-cost table shows the SARS transfer duty, conveyancing attorney fee and Deeds Office fee at common purchase prices — the total rises with the property's value, so there is no single flat figure that applies to every purchase.
Is there any way to reduce or avoid paying transfer duty in South Africa?
Transfer duty when buying a house in South Africa is not payable at all on properties priced at R1,210,000 or below, per the SARS transfer duty table effective 1 April 2026. Buying directly from a VAT-registered developer also avoids transfer duty, because that sale is subject to VAT instead — the two taxes are mutually exclusive on the same transaction. Beyond these two genuine exemptions, transfer duty is a statutory tax and there is no legitimate way to reduce it by restructuring an ordinary resale purchase.
How do I calculate the transfer costs for my own property purchase?
The fastest way to calculate transfer costs for a specific property purchase in South Africa is bond.co.za's transfer cost calculator. It applies the current SARS transfer duty table, the Law Society conveyancing fee guideline and the Deeds Office fee schedule to the exact purchase price entered and shows the line-item total in seconds — the same sourced figures used to build the table on this page.
Informational disclaimer
This guide is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice, and nothing on this page guarantees a specific fee, approval or savings outcome. Transfer duty tables, conveyancing tariffs and Deeds Office fees change over time — always confirm your actual costs with your conveyancing attorney and SARS before signing an offer to purchase. bond.co.za earns a commission from lenders when a home loan application is approved through the platform; this does not change the figures shown here. For advice on your specific transaction, consult a qualified conveyancing attorney or financial adviser.
Last updated: 2026-09-19. Cost data last verified 2026-09-06. Next review expected when the transfer duty table, conveyancing tariff or Deeds Office schedule changes.
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