Halifax closing costs: build your cash checklist

For planning as of November 10, 2026, use 1.5% of the sale price for HRM deed transfer tax. HRM By-law D-200 sets the tax at one and one-half per cent of the value transferred. Ask your lawyer to confirm the taxable value and treatment of your particular transaction, rather than using the assessed property value as a shortcut.

The Halifax calculation is not a province-wide promise. If you are shopping outside HRM, confirm the municipality before entering a tax allowance. Residency-related provincial taxes or unusual ownership arrangements need their own legal review; do not assume the municipal estimate captures every possible tax.

Ask for an itemised legal quote that distinguishes professional fees, applicable tax and disbursements. Search and registration expenses may sit outside the headline fee. Tell the lawyer if the property is a condominium, a new build, on a private road or supported by a shared well agreement, because the work may differ.

Ask whether title insurance is proposed or required for the file and whether its premium is included in the quote. It is not a substitute for home insurance or a building inspection. Confirm any lender-related legal expenses as well. A quote is most useful when it identifies assumptions and explains which unexpected issues could change the bill.

A statement of adjustments allocates certain property expenses between buyer and seller. If the seller prepaid property taxes covering time after closing, you may reimburse the seller for your share. Heating fuel or condominium charges can also need attention. Request the supporting figures and the date used to divide responsibility.

Separately, your mortgage may have an interest adjustment between funding and the regular payment schedule. Ask how it will be collected so you do not leave it out or budget it twice. These items are sensitive to timing: moving the closing date can change the cash needed even when the purchase price stays the same.

Some expenses happen before your lawyer requests the closing funds. Track when each bill is due, not just its total. An inspection paid during the condition period still belongs in your purchase budget. Keep invoices and deposit receipts together so everyone can reconcile what has already been paid.

Enter the purchase price and your best available estimates, then check the result against your actual quotes. Treat any default field as a starting point, not a fee schedule. Do not assume an item is unnecessary merely because a calculator has no separate field for it. Maintain your own allowance for property-specific costs.

Finally, separate the deposit already paid, the remaining down payment and the expenses still payable. Ask your lawyer for the final trust funding instructions and deadline. Verify payment instructions through a trusted telephone number before sending money. Keep a buffer accessible for revisions, and preserve enough cash for the first mortgage payment and essential household expenses after you receive the keys.