Buying a resale (subsale) home in Johor: the upfront costs
· Malaysia Home Finder
中文重点摘要
- 二手房一般先付 2–3% 诚意金（earnest deposit），签 SPA 时补足至 10%。
- 律师费按 2023 年律师酬金令（SRO 2023）：首 RM500,000 收 1.25%，之后 RM7,000,000 收 1%；买卖合约和贷款协议分开收费，另加 8% 服务税。
- MOT 印花税：首 RM100,000 1%、RM100,001–RM500,000 2%、RM500,001–RM1,000,000 3%、超过 RM1,000,000 4%；贷款协议印花税 0.5%。首购公民 RM500,000 以下可全免（至 2027 年底签约）。
- 以 RM500,000、贷款 90% 为例：首付 RM50,000 之外，一般还需准备约 RM25,000（非首购）或约 RM14,000（符合首购豁免），未含杂费和分摊费用。
- 整个流程通常约 3–6 个月。
Buying a subsale home in Johor means paying several costs before you get the keys: an earnest deposit, the balance deposit, legal fees on both the sale and purchase agreement and the loan, stamp duty on the transfer and on the loan agreement, and a valuation fee. This page lists each one, then works through a RM500,000 example.在柔佛买二手房，交屋前要付几笔费用：订金、余下的首期、买卖合约与贷款的律师费、转名印花税与贷款合约印花税，以及估价费。本页逐项说明，并以50万令吉为例计算一次。
Last checked: 14 Oct 2026.最后核对：2026年10月14日。
1. Deposits: earnest deposit and balance deposit
When you agree on a price, you sign an offer letter and pay an earnest deposit, commonly 2% to 3% of the price. This is usually held by the agent as stakeholder. When the SPA is signed (often within two to three weeks), you pay the balance deposit to bring the total to 10% of the price. With a 90% loan, the bank pays the remaining 90% on completion.
Before paying the earnest deposit, ask your lawyer to check the offer letter. It should say what happens to your deposit if your loan is not approved.
Want the numbers for a real project?想知道具体项目的数字？
Tell us the project or budget. We go through the costs with you on WhatsApp.告诉我们项目或预算，我们在WhatsApp和您逐一说明费用。
2. Legal fees for the SPA and the loan
Lawyers’ fees for property work in Peninsular Malaysia follow the Solicitors’ Remuneration Order 2023, in force since 15 July 2023. The same scale applies separately to the SPA (on the price) and the loan agreement (on the loan amount):
| Amount | Scale fee |
|---|---|
| First RM500,000 | 1.25% (minimum RM500) |
| Next RM7,000,000 | 1% |
| Above RM7,500,000 | Negotiable, capped at 1% of the excess |
Service tax of 8% is added to legal fees. On top of that, lawyers charge disbursements such as searches, filing, travel and courier costs. These vary, so ask for a written quotation before you sign.
3. Stamp duty on the transfer (MOT)
The Memorandum of Transfer is stamped on the price or the market value, whichever is higher. For Malaysian citizens the scale is:
| Value band | Rate |
|---|---|
| First RM100,000 | 1% |
| RM100,001 – RM500,000 | 2% |
| RM500,001 – RM1,000,000 | 3% |
| Above RM1,000,000 | 4% |
A first-time Malaysian buyer of a home worth up to RM500,000 is fully exempt for SPAs signed up to 31 December 2027. Budget 2027 has proposed partial relief for homes up to RM750,000 for SPAs signed from 2027 to 2030, but this is not law yet. Non-citizens pay a different rate (a flat 8% on residential property from 1 January 2026); see our foreigner buying guide.
One more change: from 1 January 2027, transfers of real property that do not involve a JPPH valuation move into LHDN’s stamp duty self-assessment system (Phase 2). Your lawyer will handle this, but it is a reason to choose a firm that is up to date.
4. Stamp duty on the loan agreement
The loan agreement is stamped at 0.5% of the loan amount. It is exempt for eligible first-time buyers on the same terms as the MOT (property value up to RM500,000).
5. Valuation fee
Your bank will ask a registered valuer to value the property before approving the loan. The Board of Valuers’ general scale is 0.25% of the first RM100,000 and 0.2% of the next part up to RM2 million, with a minimum of RM400. Some banks absorb or subsidise this fee as part of a loan package, so ask.
6. Adjustments: quit rent, assessment and maintenance
On completion, the seller and buyer split the running charges for the year by date. If the seller has already paid for the whole year, you refund the days after completion. Expect adjustments for:
- Quit rent (cukai tanah), paid yearly to the land office
- Assessment (cukai pintu), paid to the local council, such as MBJB or MBIP
- Maintenance fees and sinking fund for strata homes, paid to the management body
- Sometimes water and electricity deposits or meter readings
These are usually small but depend on the unit. Your lawyer will ask the seller for receipts and the management body for an outstanding-charges letter.
7. Other things to know
- Land office registration fee. Johor revised its transfer registration fees from 1 July 2025: for example RM2,500 for values above RM500,000 up to RM600,000, rising in steps. Lower bands are small and usually sit in your lawyer’s disbursements.
- RPGT retention. By law, you hold back part of the price (3% if the seller is a Malaysian citizen, 7% if a non-citizen) and pay it to LHDN within 60 days of the SPA. It comes out of the price you already pay, not on top of it.
- Agent fee. Usually paid by the seller, unless you appoint your own agent.
Worked example: RM500,000 unit with a 90% loan
Assumptions: Malaysian buyer, price RM500,000, loan RM450,000, full SRO 2023 scale fees, 8% service tax on legal fees, valuation at the Board of Valuers’ scale. Disbursements and adjustments are not included because they vary.
| Item | How it is worked out | Not first home (RM) | Eligible first home (RM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earnest + balance deposit | 10% of RM500,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
| SPA legal fee | 1.25% × 500,000 = 6,250 + 8% SST | 6,750 | 6,750 |
| Loan legal fee | 1.25% × 450,000 = 5,625 + 8% SST | 6,075 | 6,075 |
| MOT stamp duty | 1,000 + 2% × 400,000 | 9,000 | 0 |
| Loan stamp duty | 0.5% × 450,000 | 2,250 | 0 |
| Valuation fee (approx.) | 0.25% × 100,000 + 0.2% × 400,000 | 1,050 | 1,050 |
| Total upfront | 75,125 | 63,875 | |
| Of which costs beyond the 10% deposit | 25,125 | 13,875 |
The point to take away: on a RM500,000 resale home, budget roughly RM14,000 to RM25,000 in cash on top of the 10% deposit, depending on whether you qualify for the first-home exemption. Some banks offer packages that finance legal and valuation fees into the loan, which lowers the cash you need but raises the loan.
Typical timeline
| Stage | When | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Offer letter | Day 0 | Earnest deposit (often 2–3%) |
| Loan application and valuation | Weeks 1–3 | Valuation fee (if charged) |
| SPA signing | Often within 14–21 days of the offer | Balance deposit to 10%, SPA legal fees, MOT stamp duty |
| Loan agreement signing | Soon after loan approval | Loan legal fees and loan stamp duty |
| Completion | Commonly 3 months from the SPA (or from when it becomes unconditional), often with a 1-month extension at a late-interest rate set in the SPA | Adjustments; bank releases the loan |
| Keys and title | After completion | Nothing more, if all is settled |
Most subsales take around three to six months from offer to keys. Leasehold properties needing land office consent, or strata units where the title is not yet issued, can take longer.
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm the latest rules with your lawyer or banker.
Have a question about a specific home or your budget? WhatsApp Malaysia Home Finder and we will help you work through it.
Frequently asked questions常见问题
How much cash do I need on top of the 10% deposit?除了10%首期，还要准备多少现金？
On a RM500,000 subsale with a 90% loan, budget roughly RM14,000 to RM25,000, depending on whether you qualify for the first-home exemption. That is before your lawyer’s disbursements and the adjustments for quit rent, assessment and maintenance.以RM500,000、贷款90%的二手房为例，大约要准备RM14,000至RM25,000，视你是否符合首套房豁免而定。这还未包括律师杂费，以及地税、门牌税和管理费的分摊。
When do I pay the deposit on a subsale?二手房的订金什么时候付？
You pay an earnest deposit, commonly 2% to 3% of the price, when you sign the offer letter. When the SPA is signed, often within two to three weeks, you pay the balance to bring the total to 10%. Ask your lawyer to check the offer letter first.签出价信（offer letter）时先付诚意订金，通常是房价的2%至3%。签买卖合约（SPA）时，通常在两到三个星期内，补足至房价的10%。付款前先请律师看过出价信。
How long does a subsale take from offer to keys?二手房从出价到拿钥匙要多久？
Most take around three to six months. Leasehold homes that need land office consent, or strata units whose title is not yet issued, can take longer.大多数约三到六个月。需要土地局同意的租赁地契房子，或分层地契还没发出的单位，可能需要更久。
Sources: Malaysian Bar – Circular 185/2023 (Solicitors' Remuneration Order 2023) · PwC Malaysian Tax Booklet – Stamp duty · Skrine – First-home stamp duty exemption extended to 2027 · The Star – Budget 2027 first-home stamp duty proposal · Board of Valuers (LPPEH) – Scale of fees · PTG Johor – Circular No. 3 of 2025 (fees from 1 July 2025) · HASiL – Stamp duty self-assessment (STSDS) · StashAway – RPGT and retention sum guide (Aug 2026) · KPMG – Service tax rate 8% from 1 March 2024 · DNH – Sub-sale cash flow and timing
Next step下一步
Ask us on WhatsApp. No obligation.在WhatsApp问我们，无需承诺。
Leave a Reply