Ask any recent buyer what surprised them most and the answer is rarely the price — it is everything around the price. Plan for these before you commit.
At purchase
- Transfer and registration fees charged by the authority.
- Stamp duty and taxes, which vary by location and value.
- Agent commission, typically a percentage of the sale price.
- Legal and documentation fees for verifying and drafting.
Soon after moving in
- Immediate repairs and safety fixes the survey revealed.
- Connection or transfer charges for utilities.
- Furnishing and essential appliances.
Ongoing
- Annual property tax and society maintenance charges.
- Insurance and a repair reserve of roughly 1% of value per year.
Model it before you offer: add these to your budget inside Property Companion so your affordability is based on total cost of ownership, not just the headline price.
A property you can just barely afford to buy is one you cannot really afford to own.
Put this into practice
Property Companion turns every guide like this into checklists, market analysis and a clear risk score for each property you are considering.
Get the app