Buy a Home
A step-by-step guide through every financial decision in the home buying process — from readiness to ownership optimisation.
Budget Planner
Map your income and expenses to confirm you have room for a home loan.
EasyEquities
Home Deposit Planner
Plan how long it will take to save your deposit — or how much to save monthly to hit a target date.
FLISP Eligibility Checker
Find out if you qualify for a government housing subsidy of up to R169,264.
Home Insurance Estimator
Estimate your building rebuild cost and annual insurance premium — and understand why market value and insured value are different.
HippoLife Cover for Your Bond
Calculate the minimum life cover your family needs to protect your home loan.
HippoYour numbers carry forward automatically between stages. No re-entering required.
Buying a Home in South Africa: What You Need to Know
Buying a home is the largest financial decision most South Africans will ever make — and it involves far more than finding a property and applying for a bond. Transfer duty, bond registration costs, conveyancing fees, rates, levies, and insurance all add up significantly before and after the sale goes through. This journey guides you through every step so nothing catches you off guard.
How Much Can You Borrow?
Under the National Credit Act (NCA), South African lenders are required to limit your total monthly debt repayments to 30% of your gross monthly income. This includes your bond, car finance, credit cards, store accounts, and personal loans combined. The Affordability Checker in this journey calculates your exact NCA position before you approach a bank.
Transfer Duty and Upfront Costs
Transfer duty is a government tax on property purchases above R1,210,000. At R1,500,000, you pay R8,700. At R2,000,000, you pay R33,786. These amounts are fixed by SARS and apply to all resale properties — new developments are VAT-inclusive and transfer duty exempt. Beyond transfer duty, expect bond registration fees, conveyancing attorney fees, and a bond initiation fee of up to R6,037.50 regulated by the NCA.
FLISP: The Subsidy Most First-Time Buyers Miss
The Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) offers once-off subsidies of between R38,878 and R169,264 to first-time home buyers earning between R3,501 and R22,000 gross per month. The subsidy is paid directly to reduce your bond — meaning a lower repayment from day one. The FLISP Eligibility Checker in this journey tells you exactly what you qualify for based on your income and purchase price.
The True Monthly Cost of Home Ownership
Your bond repayment is only part of what owning a home costs. Rates and taxes, levies (for sectional title and estate properties), home insurance, maintenance, and utilities add meaningfully to your monthly commitment. At the current prime rate of 10.50%, a R1,500,000 bond over 20 years costs approximately R14,900 per month — before any of these additional expenses. The True Ownership Cost Estimator in this journey gives you the complete picture.
Bond Originators vs Applying Directly
Bond originators like ooba and BetterBond apply to multiple banks simultaneously on your behalf at no cost. They typically secure better rates than going directly to a single bank, because banks compete for the business. Once you have completed the Bond Calculator stage in this journey, the apply links take you directly to their application pages with your Calcura numbers as a reference.