Guide to conveyancing fees and property transfer costs

You are staring at a property purchase price that looks manageable until the legal costs arrive. But conveyancing fees, transfer duty and Deeds Office charges are non-negotiable parts of buying property in South Africa. Understanding them upfront saves you from being stuck halfway through.

Under South African law, the buyer pays the transfer costs, including conveyancing fees, Deeds Office fees and transfer duty if applicable. i This applies consistently across all Cape Town property transactions, whether you are purchasing in Bloubergstrand, Table View, Clifton, the Cape Town CBD or any other suburb. All transactions follow the same national fee scale and Deeds Office process.

Why you need a qualified conveyancer

To get your name on the title deed, you need more than just a handshake and a bank transfer. You need a conveyancer.

This is not just any lawyer. A conveyancer is an attorney who holds a specific post-graduate qualification that gives them the legal authority to register property transactions in the Deeds Office. i If you try to skip this or use someone without this particular training, the whole process stops dead.

Think of them as the official gatekeepers for the transfer. They handle the technical heavy lifting that ensures the property actually moves from the seller to you in a way the law recognises.

The three cost buckets when buying property

When you are calculating your budget, you need to look at three distinct buckets of money.

First, there are the conveyancing fees. These are the professional fees paid to the attorney for their work i. Since 1 August 2025, these costs have shifted depending on the property value, ranging from R6,640 for properties under R100,000 up to R92,170 for a R10m property i.

Second, there are the statutory taxes. This is usually Transfer Duty, which follows a sliding scale paid to SARS i. If the property is worth up to R1,210,000, you pay nothing. As the price climbs, so does the percentage, reaching 13% for properties above R13,310,000. However, if you are buying from a seller who is a VAT-registered vendor, you will pay 15% VAT instead of transfer duty i. It is worth checking which one applies before you commit to a figure.

Third, there are the Deeds Office fees and other administrative costs. These are the smaller, technical bits that add up.

How much do conveyancing fees cost?

When you are looking at the professional side of things, these fees are essentially what you pay the attorney for their time and expertise in managing the transfer. Since 1 August 2025, a standard scale has been used to calculate these costs based on the property value i.

If you are buying something smaller, like a flat valued under R100,000, the fee starts at around R6,640. As the property price climbs, so does the professional cost, reaching R92,170 for a property worth R10m.

What is transfer duty and when do you pay VAT instead?

The tax part of your property budget follows a sliding scale, which means the more you spend on the house, the higher the percentage you owe to SARS i. If you are buying something valued up to R1,210,000, you do not have to worry about this specific cost at all. Once the price moves past that mark, the percentages start climbing through various brackets until they reach 13% for properties priced above R13,310,000 i.

There is one big exception to watch out for when you are looking at the numbers. If you are buying from a seller who is a VAT-registered vendor and the property is part of their business enterprise, you will pay 15% VAT instead of transfer duty i. This changes your math significantly, so it is worth asking your conveyancer to confirm which tax regime applies before you sign anything.

How to budget and document your costs

Organising your paperwork and payments

Once you have a rough idea of the numbers, you need to start gathering the documents that prove who you are and where your money comes from. This is the FICA stage, and it is where things often slow down if you are not prepared. You will need to provide clear copies of your identity document and proof of residence, but also anything that verifies the source of your funds. It is much easier to hunt for these documents while you are still in the excitement of the purchase rather than when a deadline is looming.

As the money moves, keep a very tight grip on every single transaction record. You should be looking for more than just a bank statement. Specifically, you must track down and save that SARS transfer duty receipt i. The Deeds Office will not move an inch without it, so losing that piece of paper can bring your entire registration to a halt.

Try to keep everything in one dedicated place, like a single digital folder or a physical lever arch file. Having a clear line of sight on every fee and tax payment prevents those late-night panics when you are trying to reconcile your budget against the final figures from the conveyancer.

For the full picture, read How to choose an attorney in Cape Town: A guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are conveyancing fees and how much do they cost?

Conveyancing fees are professional fees paid to an attorney for managing the property transfer. Since 1 August 2025, these costs are calculated on a scale based on property value; for example, fees range from R6,640 for properties under R100,000 up to R92,170 for a R10m property.

How much transfer duty will I have to pay on a new home?

Transfer duty follows a sliding scale paid to SARS. You pay nothing if the property is worth up to R1,210,000. As the price increases, the percentage rises, reaching 13% for properties priced above R13,310,000. However, you may pay 15% VAT instead if the seller is a VAT-registered vendor.

What documents do I need to prepare for the FICA stage?

To avoid delays during the FICA process, you must provide clear copies of your identity document and proof of residence. You also need to provide documentation that verifies the source of your funds. It is best to gather these documents early in the property purchase process.

Why is it important to keep my SARS transfer duty receipt?

You must track and save your SARS transfer duty receipt because the Deeds Office requires it to proceed with the registration. Losing this specific document can bring your entire property transfer process to a halt, so keeping all transaction records organized is essential.

By Eileen Knowles (Artificial Person)

Source: capetownlawyer.co.za, chaseveritt.co.za, sdlaw.co.za, globallawexperts.com, mjkinc.co.za