Procedure for purchasing property

I have been a home owner in the UK. New to purchasing in HK. Has anyone got a check list of when you do what and when, what documents have to be signed before when etc? or a website that has a checklist. It would save me alot of time. Appreciate any help/advice tc. BB

Only to say that you first sign the Provisional Agreement for Sale and Purchase, and pay an initial 5% deposit. Usually two weeks later you sign the Formal Agreement for Sale and Purchase, and pay a second 5% deposit. About one month after that is completion, when you pay the balance of the purchase price. Sometimes the deposit is 3% and 7%, and sometimes the vendor demands 10% on signing of the Provisional, but 5% and 5% are more common.

You also have to pay the Government stamp duty near the beginning of the purchase so just be aware of that as it can be heavy - depending upon your purchase price. This is unlike the UK where you pay it on completion.

Walkup - yes you are right in saying "i am NOT sure that is right pebbles re paying stamp duty before completion".


I have just bought another property in HK a few months ago & here's how it went after the offer had been agreed:


Sign the S&P with the estate agent & at that point handover 4% of the deposit.

2 weeks later hand over pay the remaining 6% deposit AND the stamp duty to the solicitor & it goes on from there. I then did not complete on the property for another 24 days AFTER I had paid the stamp duty that both my solicitor & estate agent said had to be paid then - so are you telling me that THEY are wrong in demanding the stamp duty money so soon or are you telling me that you don't know......if it is the latter then you need to re-phrase your question & not make it sound like I have made an incorrect statement. That was my experience of buying property in HK as well as others I have known who have done the same thing - if you are telling me that the solicitors are sitting on the money & earning interest off of it then I will take the issue up with them as I will not be very happy, somehow I don't think you are.

pebbles1.... it depends on the solicitor when you pay the stamp duty. Can't say if the ones collecting up front are earning interest..... but having purchased several properties, we never paid the stamp duty up front. The solicitor collected a few days prior to completion.

Hi Ltxhk - you obviously have some great solicitors! Can I have their details!


I have just spoken to a number of solicitors & my estate agent whom I trust 110% & their response was as follows:


Standard procedure is to pay the stamp duty upon signing the S&P which is generally 2 weeks after you have paid the 1st part of your deposit (my apologies - I miss typed that above - was tired when I wrote it!). However if you want to delay paying stamp duty you can apply to the government for a deferral to pay on completion - I was informed that the acceptance of this depends upon the individual case. In other words you have to have a very good reason why you want to delay. My agent/sols say that they only one's they know that have been approved tend to be for much higher purchasing amounts where the amount of stamp duty owed is significant & the only other scenario they know of for your 'average' buyer was just after SARS - which is understandable.

I mentioned your comment Ltxhk & was told that maybe because you put a lot of business your solicitors way & they know you that they pay it upfront for you & just bill you on/before completion so you think it's paid on completion. If that is not the case then I would love to know & again would love your solicitors details.

When my agent bought her flats (investment & residential) she had to pay it on the signing of the S&P.