Conveyancing Attorneys

When to hire a conveyancing attorney

• You are buying or selling residential or commercial property.
• You are transferring a property between family members or a trust.
• You are cancelling an existing bond and registering a new one.
• You need a subdivision, consolidation, or servitude registered.
• The Deeds Office has rejected your transfer and you need to fix it.

What to expect

The seller appoints the transferring conveyancer (by convention). The buyer separately appoints a bond-registration conveyancer if a new bond is being taken. Both firms work in parallel: title deed obtained, transfer duty paid to SARS, rates and levies clearance certificates obtained, FICA completed, documents signed, and the three linked lodgements (transfer, bond cancellation, new bond) filed at the Deeds Office. Registration typically takes 7-15 days after lodgement.

Typical fees

Transfer fees follow the Law Society guideline scale - roughly R13,500 on a R1M property, R28,000 on a R3M property, plus transfer duty to SARS (none below R1,100,000; graduated above). Bond registration adds similar amounts. Buyer pays transfer and bond registration. Seller pays bond cancellation and estate agent's commission.

Frequently Asked Questions