When we get to the cost question, I think it's important that every individual looking to buy a house really understands what they can afford and the life stage that they will be in the next one to three years. That will help them plan better for the type of house that they should be buying at that point in time.
Then moving on to the costs. There are a number of once-off and ongoing costs that you would need to consider as part of a purchase of a new house.
So in terms of the costs that you can expect to pay once-off, are firstly your bond initiation fee, which is the fee that is charged by a bank to initiate the bond and open it up in your name.
Secondly, you can expect to pay a bond registration cost, which is a cost that is paid to the lawyers registering the bond at the Deeds Office.
The third cost will be transfer costs, which is a cost that is levied by the South African Revenue Services in as far as taxes are concerned.
The fourth cost would be the cost of moving your house. So costs such as moving your furniture, getting new security in place, and other ongoing costs to ensure that you're settled in your new house.
The fifth cost would be ongoing costs such as paying your levies, rates and taxes, and electricity.
