Who pays transfer costs: the buyer or the seller?
In South Africa, the buyer pays the transfer costs: transfer duty to SARS, the conveyancing attorney’s fee and Deeds Office fees. The seller pays the estate agent’s commission and the cost of cancelling their existing bond. bond.co.za sets out below who pays each item, with 2026 figures, dates and sources.
By bond.co.za Editorial Team, Home loan content editor · Reviewed by Registered Mortgage Originator · Published 2026-09-27 · Last verified 2026-09-27
Free · Instant · No email required for the calculator.
Who pays transfer costs when buying a house in South Africa?
The buyer pays the costs of moving ownership into their name. The seller pays the costs of selling and of clearing their own bond.
| Cost | Paid by | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer duty | Buyer | SARS (via the conveyancing attorney) |
| Conveyancing (transfer) attorney fee, plus VAT | Buyer | Transfer attorney, nominated by the seller |
| Deeds Office transfer fee | Buyer | Deeds Office (via the attorney) |
| Bond registration costs, if financing | Buyer | Bond attorney, appointed by the bank |
| Estate agent’s commission | Seller | Estate agency |
| Cancellation of the seller’s existing bond | Seller | Cancellation attorney and Deeds Office |
| Municipal rates, levies and clearance certificates | Seller | Municipality / body corporate |
| Compliance certificates required by the sale agreement | Seller | Approved inspectors |
Default allocation in a standard South African residential sale. The signed offer to purchase can change who bears a cost between buyer and seller. Sources: SARS (transfer duty); Law Society of South Africa conveyancing fee guideline; Deeds Office Schedule of Fees of Office. Dates are shown beside each figure below.
Who pays the transfer duty, the buyer or the seller?
The buyer pays transfer duty. It is a tax on the acquisition of property, payable to SARS, and the conveyancing attorney collects it from the buyer before transfer registers. The seller never pays transfer duty on the sale.
The duty is on a sliding scale. As at 6 September 2026, per SARS, the first R1 210 000 of the price attracts no duty for properties acquired on or after 1 April 2026 (SARS confirmed no change to the 2026/27 table).
Sales by VAT-registered developers carry VAT in the price instead of transfer duty, which is why a new-build purchase can show a different cost stack.
Read the full transfer duty guide for the complete bracket table.
How much are transfer costs on a R1 500 000 house?
Our own calculation from the sourced 2026 tables, not a bank or attorney quote. It covers the buyer’s transfer side only and excludes bond registration costs.
| Buyer’s transfer cost on a R1 500 000 purchase | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer duty (SARS) | R8 700 |
| Conveyancing attorney fee, excl. VAT (LSSA guideline) | R32 635 |
| Conveyancing attorney fee, incl. 15% VAT | R37 530,25 |
| Deeds Office transfer fee | R1 738 |
| Total buyer transfer-side cost | R47 968,25 |
Transfer duty: SARS, verified 6 September 2026. Attorney fee: Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) recommended conveyancing fee guideline, effective 1 July 2026, verified 6 September 2026; a guideline that firms may discount. Deeds Office fee: South African Deeds Office Schedule of Fees of Office (Government Gazette No. 54225), effective 1 April 2026, verified 15 August 2026. The price is illustrative; use the calculator for yours.
How are transfer costs calculated in South Africa?
Transfer costs are worked out in four steps, all on the purchase price:
- Look up transfer duty on the SARS sliding scale for the price.
- Apply the LSSA conveyancing fee guideline scale to the price, then add 15% VAT.
- Add the Deeds Office transfer fee for the price bracket.
- Add the three amounts to get the buyer’s transfer-side total.
If you are financing, bond registration costs are separate. They are calculated on the loan amount, not the price, and many banks let you add them to the loan. The transfer versus bond registration costs guide explains the difference.
What does the seller pay when selling a house?
A seller pays for selling, not for the buyer’s transfer. The largest item is usually the estate agent’s commission. It is negotiated with the agent, has no regulated rate, and bond.co.za has no sourced, dated benchmark for it, so no figure is quoted here.
If the seller still owes on a bond, they also pay to cancel it. On the LSSA 2026 guideline, the cancellation attorney’s fee is R3 375 excluding VAT (R3 881,25 including VAT), plus Deeds Office fees of R178 for the cancellation and R52 for lodgement: about R4 111,25 in total (as at 9 September 2026, per the LSSA guideline effective 1 July 2026).
An early-settlement charge may apply on top. The National Credit Act caps it at three months’ interest, reduced by any notice given (National Credit Act, No. 34 of 2005, section 125(2)(c)). The bank’s written settlement quote governs the real number. See bond cancellation costs.
How can I avoid or reduce transfer costs?
Transfer costs cannot be avoided on a normal purchase, and transfer duty cannot be negotiated. Legitimate levers are limited:
- Price: duty and attorney fees both rise with the price, and the first R1 210 000 attracts no duty.
- Attorney choice: the LSSA scale is a guideline. Ask for a written quote before signing the offer to purchase and request a conveyancer you nominate.
- Offer to purchase: a seller contribution to your costs must be written into the signed offer.
Read the offer to purchase guide before you sign.
Get your own transfer cost number
The bond & transfer cost calculator applies the sourced 2026 tables to your purchase price and loan amount, so you see the cash you need upfront before you sign.
Next, check what you could borrow. A pre-qualification takes minutes and does not commit you to anything.
Straight answers about who pays
Are transfer fees paid by the buyer or the seller?
The buyer pays the transfer fees in South Africa: the conveyancing attorney’s fee and the Deeds Office transfer fee, plus transfer duty to SARS. The seller usually nominates the conveyancing attorney, but the buyer settles the account. The seller pays the estate agent’s commission and the cost of cancelling their existing bond.
Who pays the transfer duty, buyer or seller?
The buyer pays transfer duty to SARS. On properties acquired on or after 1 April 2026, no duty is payable on the first R1 210 000 of the price, per SARS (verified 6 September 2026). The seller does not pay transfer duty, and sales by VAT-registered developers carry VAT instead of transfer duty.
Who pays the transfer fees when selling a house in South Africa?
A seller does not pay the transfer fees of the buyer’s purchase. A seller pays the agent’s commission (a negotiated percentage, not a regulated rate), any outstanding municipal rates and levies needed for clearance certificates, compliance certificates required by the sale agreement, and the cost of cancelling their own bond.
Can the buyer and seller agree to split transfer costs?
Yes. Transfer costs are a default allocation, not a legal rule that cannot change. The offer to purchase can record that the seller contributes to the buyer’s costs. Any such agreement must be written into the signed offer to purchase, and it does not change what SARS or the attorneys are owed.
How can I reduce transfer costs?
Transfer duty is set by law and cannot be negotiated. Two things can move the total: the purchase price, because duty and attorney fees both scale with it, and the attorney’s fee, because the LSSA scale is a guideline that firms may discount. Ask for a written quote before signing the offer to purchase.
Related guides and tools
Informational disclaimer
This guide is general information for South African home buyers and sellers, not legal or financial advice. Consult a qualified conveyancer or financial adviser for your own transaction. Figures come from SARS, the LSSA conveyancing fee guideline and the Deeds Office Schedule of Fees, as dated beside each figure. The LSSA scale is a guideline, and your attorney’s written quote governs. bond.co.za is an independent educational resource and does not provide legal or conveyancing services.
More in costs & fees
The most recently updated guides in this category.
What it really costs to cancel a bond in 2026 — the LSSA guideline fee, Deeds Office schedule, early-settlement charge, and why you pay an attorney you never appointed.
Updated 21 Sept 20267 min read
What SARS transfer duty is, the 2026/27 bracket table with the R1,210,000 threshold, how the tax is calculated, who pays it, and how long you have to pay.
Updated 21 Sept 20268 min read
What transfer costs actually are — SARS transfer duty, the conveyancing attorney fee and the Deeds Office transfer fee — with a dated cost table by purchase price and who pays.
Updated 19 Sept 20268 min read