i What this page covers
The cash a buyer needs on top of the purchase price, line by line, for the prices South Africans actually pay. Transfer duty comes from the 2026/27 SARS table (nothing below R1,210,000). The conveyancing fee is the Law Society of South Africa's 2026 guideline for the transferring attorney, with 15% VAT added. The Deeds Office fee is the tariff gazetted on 27 February 2026 and in force from 1 April 2026. The second table adds the bond: the bond attorney's fee on the same guideline, the Deeds Office bond fee and a typical bank initiation fee, assuming a 90% bond.
Attorney fees are a guideline, not a tariff: many firms charge below it, some above, and developers often pay the transfer fees on new units. Treat the totals as a budgeting figure within a few thousand rand and ask for a written quote. The Transfer Duty Calculator and Bond Affordability Calculator handle other prices and your own deposit.
★ What changed this year
Two things moved in 2026. The transfer duty threshold rose to R1,210,000 in the 2026/27 budget, so a R1.2 million purchase now attracts no duty at all. And the Deeds Office tariff was re-gazetted (Government Notice 7180, Gazette 54225) with effect from 1 April 2026: a R2 million transfer now pays R1,738 to the Deeds Office, and the bond registration fee at the same amount is also R1,738. The LSSA conveyancing guideline was updated for 2026 on a 3.5% CPI reference.
| Purchase price | Transfer duty (SARS) | Conveyancing fee incl VAT (LSSA guideline) | Deeds Office transfer fee | Total transfer costs | As % of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R500 000 | R0 | R18 026 | R956 | R18 982 | 3.8% |
| R750 000 | R0 | R25 340 | R1 346 | R26 686 | 3.6% |
| R1 000 000 | R0 | R30 216 | R1 546 | R31 762 | 3.2% |
| R1 210 000 | R0 | R35 092 | R1 738 | R36 830 | 3.0% |
| R1 500 000 | R8 700 | R37 530 | R1 738 | R47 968 | 3.2% |
| R1 750 000 | R18 786 | R39 968 | R1 738 | R60 492 | 3.5% |
| R2 000 000 | R33 786 | R42 406 | R1 738 | R77 930 | 3.9% |
| R2 250 000 | R48 786 | R47 282 | R2 408 | R98 476 | 4.4% |
| R2 500 000 | R67 200 | R49 720 | R2 408 | R119 328 | 4.8% |
| R2 750 000 | R87 200 | R52 158 | R2 408 | R141 766 | 5.2% |
| R3 000 000 | R107 356 | R54 596 | R2 408 | R164 360 | 5.5% |
| R3 500 000 | R162 356 | R61 910 | R2 408 | R226 674 | 6.5% |
| R4 000 000 | R217 356 | R66 786 | R2 408 | R286 550 | 7.2% |
| R5 000 000 | R327 356 | R78 976 | R2 922 | R409 254 | 8.2% |
| R6 000 000 | R437 356 | R85 117 | R2 922 | R525 395 | 8.8% |
| R7 500 000 | R602 356 | R97 399 | R3 480 | R703 235 | 9.4% |
| R10 000 000 | R877 356 | R109 681 | R4 068 | R991 105 | 9.9% |
| R15 000 000 | R1 461 156 | R140 386 | R4 844 | R1 606 386 | 10.7% |
| R20 000 000 | R2 111 156 | R171 091 | R5 818 | R2 288 065 | 11.4% |
| R30 000 000 | R3 411 156 | R232 501 | R7 751 | R3 651 408 | 12.2% |
| Purchase price | Bond amount (90%) | Bond attorney fee incl VAT | Deeds Office bond fee | Bank initiation fee (typical) | Bond registration total | Transfer + bond total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R500 000 | R450 000 | R16 761 | R956 | R6 038 | R23 755 | R42 737 |
| R750 000 | R675 000 | R22 902 | R1 346 | R6 038 | R30 286 | R56 972 |
| R1 000 000 | R900 000 | R27 778 | R1 546 | R6 038 | R35 362 | R67 124 |
| R1 210 000 | R1 089 000 | R32 654 | R1 738 | R6 038 | R40 430 | R77 260 |
| R1 500 000 | R1 350 000 | R35 092 | R1 738 | R6 038 | R42 868 | R90 836 |
| R1 750 000 | R1 575 000 | R37 530 | R1 738 | R6 038 | R45 306 | R105 798 |
| R2 000 000 | R1 800 000 | R39 968 | R1 738 | R6 038 | R47 744 | R125 674 |
| R2 250 000 | R2 025 000 | R44 844 | R2 408 | R6 038 | R53 290 | R151 766 |
| R2 500 000 | R2 250 000 | R47 282 | R2 408 | R6 038 | R55 728 | R175 056 |
| R2 750 000 | R2 475 000 | R49 720 | R2 408 | R6 038 | R58 166 | R199 932 |
| R3 000 000 | R2 700 000 | R52 158 | R2 408 | R6 038 | R60 604 | R224 964 |
| R3 500 000 | R3 150 000 | R57 034 | R2 408 | R6 038 | R65 480 | R292 154 |
| R4 000 000 | R3 600 000 | R61 910 | R2 408 | R6 038 | R70 356 | R356 906 |
| R5 000 000 | R4 500 000 | R74 100 | R2 922 | R6 038 | R83 060 | R492 314 |
| R6 000 000 | R5 400 000 | R85 117 | R2 922 | R6 038 | R94 077 | R619 472 |
| R7 500 000 | R6 750 000 | R91 258 | R3 480 | R6 038 | R100 776 | R804 011 |
| R10 000 000 | R9 000 000 | R103 540 | R4 068 | R6 038 | R113 646 | R1 104 751 |
| R15 000 000 | R13 500 000 | R134 245 | R4 844 | R6 038 | R145 127 | R1 751 513 |
| R20 000 000 | R18 000 000 | R158 809 | R5 818 | R6 038 | R170 665 | R2 458 730 |
| R30 000 000 | R27 000 000 | R214 078 | R6 781 | R6 038 | R226 897 | R3 878 305 |
| Value band | Transfer registration | Bond registration |
|---|---|---|
| Up to R100,000 | R50 | R561 (bonds to R150,000) |
| R100,001 to R200,000 | R114 | R727 (R150,001 to R300,000) |
| R200,001 to R300,000 | R727 | |
| R300,001 to R600,000 | R956 | R956 |
| R600,001 to R800,000 | R1,346 | R1,346 |
| R800,001 to R1,000,000 | R1,546 | R1,546 |
| R1,000,001 to R2,000,000 | R1,738 | R1,738 |
| R2,000,001 to R4,000,000 | R2,408 | R2,408 |
| R4,000,001 to R6,000,000 | R2,922 | R2,922 |
| R6,000,001 to R8,000,000 | R3,480 | R3,480 |
| R8,000,001 to R10,000,000 | R4,068 | R4,068 |
| R10,000,001 to R15,000,000 | R4,844 | R4,844 |
| R15,000,001 to R20,000,000 | R5,818 | R5,818 |
| Above R20,000,000 | R7,751 | R6,781 to R30m; R9,690 above |
| Value | Recommended fee |
|---|---|
| R100,000 or less | R6,875 |
| R100,001 to R500,000 | R6,875 plus R1,100 per R50,000 or part above R100,000 |
| R500,001 to R1,000,000 | R15,675 plus R2,120 per R100,000 or part above R500,000 |
| R1,000,001 to R5,000,000 | R26,275 plus R2,120 per R200,000 or part above R1,000,000 |
| Above R5,000,000 | R68,675 plus R5,340 per R1,000,000 or part above R5,000,000 |
How these figures work
A South African transfer involves up to three sets of costs paid by the buyer. Transfer duty goes to SARS and is a tax, non-negotiable, on the SARS sliding scale. The transferring attorney, appointed by the seller but paid by the buyer, charges a professional fee on the LSSA guideline plus VAT, and collects the Deeds Office registration fee as a disbursement. If there is a bond, a second attorney registers it and charges the same guideline on the bond amount, plus the Deeds Office bond fee, and the bank adds an initiation fee that is usually financed into the loan.
The tables stop at those items. Attorneys also bill sundries: FICA verification, postage, electronic lodgement, rates clearance certificate fees, levy clearance for sectional title, and transfer of the municipal account. Budget R2,000 to R4,000 for these on an ordinary transfer. New developments sold by a VAT vendor carry VAT in the price instead of transfer duty and the developer often pays transfer fees, which is why the same price can cost far less to transfer.
★ A worked example
A R2,000,000 resale with a R1,800,000 bond. Transfer duty: R13,614 + 6% of the R336,200 above R1,663,800 = R33,786. Conveyancing: the guideline is R26,275 + R2,120 × 5 = R36,875, plus VAT R5,531 = R42,406. Deeds Office transfer fee R1,738. Transfer costs R77,930. The bond: guideline on R1,800,000 is R26,275 + R2,120 × 4 = R34,755 plus VAT = R39,968; Deeds Office R1,738; initiation R6,038; bond costs R47,744. Cash required on top of the deposit: about R125,700, before sundries.
✕ Common mistakes
- Budgeting only for transfer duty. On a R2 million purchase the attorneys and the Deeds Office add more than the tax.
- Assuming the bank finances the costs. The bond covers the property; costs are paid in cash unless a costs bond is arranged.
- Taking the guideline as fixed. Ask two firms for a written quote; discounts of 10% to 25% on the guideline are common.
- Forgetting bond registration is a second attorney with a second fee.
- Comparing a developer's VAT-inclusive price with a resale price without adding transfer duty to the resale.
Notes on reading these figures
Transfer duty from the 2026/27 SARS table. Conveyancing fees on the LSSA 2026 guideline, applied to the price for the transfer and to a 90% bond for the registration; VAT at 15%. Deeds Office fees from the tariff effective 1 April 2026. Bank initiation fee shown as the typical R6,037.50 including VAT; banks vary. Sundries excluded. Figures are rounded to the rand.
Terms used on this page
Frequently asked questions
What are the transfer costs on a R1.5 million house in South Africa?
About R47,300 for a cash buyer in 2026: transfer duty R8,700, conveyancing R37,530 including VAT on the guideline, and R1,738 to the Deeds Office. With a 90% bond add about R43,000 for bond registration.
What are the transfer costs on a R2 million house?
About R77,900: transfer duty R33,786, conveyancing R42,406 including VAT, Deeds Office R1,738. A R1.8 million bond adds about R47,700.
Who pays transfer costs, the buyer or the seller?
The buyer pays transfer duty, the conveyancing fee and the Deeds Office fee, and all bond registration costs. The seller pays the bond cancellation attorney, the agent's commission and any compliance certificates.
Can transfer costs be included in the bond?
Not normally. Some banks offer a separate costs bond or a slightly larger loan for strong applicants, but most buyers pay the costs in cash before registration.
Are conveyancing fees negotiable?
Yes. The LSSA scale is a guideline and firms compete; 10% to 25% below the guideline is common on straightforward transfers. The Deeds Office fee and transfer duty are fixed.
Why is there no transfer duty on a new development?
A VAT-registered developer charges 15% VAT inside the price and the sale is a VAT supply, so transfer duty does not apply. Many developers also pay the transfer attorney's fee as a sales incentive.
Download this data