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Aiman HartanahProperty advisory · Klang Valley
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Buyer's guide

How to buy a home in Malaysia

The real steps and the real costs, with the rule, the date and the page it came from. Rules change with each Budget, so check the deadline on anything that matters. Last checked 29 September 2026.

  1. 01

    Set a budget and check your loan headroom

    Banks lend against your income and your existing commitments, so start there, not with a listing.

    • Bank Negara's guidance caps the margin of finance at 90% for a first and second housing loan and 70% from the third. Many banks add a little for MRTA insurance.Source
    • Loan tenure is up to 35 years or until age 70, whichever comes first.Source
    • The Overnight Policy Rate was 2.75% at the Monetary Policy Committee decision on 3 September 2026. Your mortgage rate is set by the bank, above its base rate, so ask for a written offer.Source
  2. 02

    Shortlist, view and check the title

    Look at the tenure and the strata title before you fall for the view.

    • Freehold and leasehold are priced differently. For leasehold, find the expiry year: M Vertica's lease, for example, runs to 14 August 2116.Source
    • Some units are Bumi lots that only Bumiputera buyers can purchase. Oakleaf Park listings often say so.Source
    • On hillside sites, ask for the slope and drainage records. Bukit Antarabangsa has a documented history of landslides.Source
  3. 03

    Make an offer and pay the earnest deposit

    For a resale (subsale) home, you sign a letter of offer and pay a small deposit that counts towards the 10%.

    • The earnest deposit is usually 2% to 3% of the price and is usually forfeited if the buyer backs out without cause.Source
    • The usual sequence is offer and earnest deposit, then the sale and purchase agreement (SPA) within about 14 days with the deposit topped up to 10%, then loan approval, valuation, legal work and stamp duty, with completion in about three months plus a one-month extension.Source
  4. 04

    New launches follow the developer's statutory contract

    A home bought from a developer is governed by the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966 and its regulations.

    • The regulations prescribe the form of the sale and purchase agreement: Schedule G for landed homes and Schedule H for strata homes.Source
    • Check the developer's licence and advertising permit numbers. PropertySifu, for example, shows Star Residences' permit numbers on its fact sheet.Source
  5. 05

    Arrange the loan

    Your lawyer can act for you and the bank on the loan documents.

    • Under the Solicitors' Remuneration Order 2023, one solicitor may act for the purchaser in the sale and also for the financier in the loan.Source
    • If you have no payslip, SJKP's government guarantee can help: its scheme covers financing up to RM500,000 and SJKP-MADANI up to RM360,000.Source
  6. 06

    Pay stamp duty and legal fees

    These are the costs people forget. The calculator on each home page estimates them.

    • Stamp duty on the transfer is 1% on the first RM100,000, 2% on the next RM400,000, 3% on the next RM500,000 and 4% above RM1 million.Source
    • Loan agreement stamp duty is 0.5% of the loan.Source
    • Legal fees under the Solicitors' Remuneration Order 2023, in force from 15 July 2023: 1.25% on the first RM500,000 (minimum RM500) and 1% on the next RM7 million, for the sale and for the loan. A newer-build purchase under the Housing Development Act uses a discounted table for the loan.Source
    • Service tax of 8% applies on legal fees, as reported by property guides.Source
  7. 07

    First-home help

    Check these before you sign. They can remove a large part of the upfront cost.

    • A first-home buyer who is a Malaysian citizen pays no stamp duty on the transfer or the loan for a home up to RM500,000, for sale and purchase agreements signed until 31 December 2027, as extended in Budget 2026. There is no partial relief above the cap.Source
    • Skim Rumah Pertamaku is reported to have ended on 1 April 2023 and is not listed on the SJKP site. Cagamas offers the First Home MGP, and SJKP offers two guarantee schemes.Source
    • Rumah Selangorku homes such as Idaman Kwasa Damansara are applied for through Selangor's e-Hartanah portal, with a household income limit of RM14,500 a month for that project.Source
  8. 08

    If you sell within five years

    Real property gains tax (RPGT) applies to the profit when you sell.

    • For citizens and permanent residents, from 1 January 2022: 30% in the first three years, 20% in the fourth year, 15% in the fifth year and no RPGT from the sixth year.Source
    • For non-citizens the rate is 30% up to the fifth year and 10% after that.Source
    RPGT by year of disposal, LHDN, checked 29 Sep 2026
    When you sellCitizen or PRNon-citizen
    Within the first 3 years30%30%
    4th year20%30%
    5th year15%30%
    6th year onwards0%10%
  9. 09

    Foreign buyers

    Different stamp duty and state-level limits apply.

    • Property guides report a flat 8% stamp duty on the transfer for non-citizens from 1 January 2026.Source
    • State authorities set minimum prices for foreign purchases. We did not verify the current figures for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, so confirm them with the state before you offer.Source

Is the price on your site the price I will pay?

No. Every price is indicative: an asking price or a developer figure we found published, with the date. The agent can tell you what is actually available and negotiable.

Are you a real agent?

No. Aiman Hakim is a fictional persona and this is a demonstration site built by Hanastudio. The properties and their facts are real and sourced, but nothing here is an offer for sale.

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Sources

This guide is a summary for a demonstration site, not legal or financial advice. The agent is fictional. Confirm every rule with a lawyer, your bank and the authority named in the source before you act.