GAMBIA PROPERTY SALES · PRACTICAL HELP BEFORE YOU COMMIT
Property costs, taxes and fees in The Gambia.
Compare the full cost of a purchase or sale. Ask for a written breakdown before agreeing a price, deposit or professional appointment.
Looking for house or land prices?
Use our Gambia property-price guide for dated asking-price examples in Fajara, Brufut and the Sanyang area. Then use this page to budget for the transaction and ownership costs beyond the advertised price.
Build an itemised transaction budget
| Cost | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Property price | Currency, included items, deposit, payment stages and completion balance. |
| Legal work | Scope, professional fee, expenses and the cost of additional enquiries. |
| Agency or introductions | Who pays, how the amount is calculated and when it becomes due. |
| Survey and inspection | Boundary, site, building-condition and any specialist work required. |
| Taxes and registration | Applicable assessment, responsible party, payment process and receipts. |
| Banking and transfers | Exchange rate, fees, intermediary charges and documentation requirements. |
| Making the property usable | Repairs, access, drainage, utilities, furnishing and a contingency. |
Work backwards from your total budget
Use the money available for the whole project to set a purchase-price ceiling. Keep fees, property works and a reserve outside the amount you offer for the property.
Fictional budgeting example, in Gambian dalasi (GMD). These figures demonstrate the calculation only. They are not property prices, market averages, tax rates or professional quotations.
| Planning item | Illustrative amount |
|---|---|
| Total funds available | D5,000,000 |
| Assumed allowance for all transaction costs | Less D150,000 |
| Assumed repairs and setup budget | Less D250,000 |
| Separate reserve | Less D300,000 |
| Illustrative maximum property price | D4,300,000 |
Replace every allowance with your own quotations and assessments. The transaction-cost allowance must cover all applicable legal, agency, survey, tax, registration and transfer costs. If those costs turn out D150,000 higher, the same total budget leaves D4,150,000 for the property.
A tax percentage is not a complete quotation
Ask a qualified adviser to identify the taxes and charges applicable to the parties and transaction, using current Gambia Revenue Authority guidance and any relevant local requirements. The calculation, valuation basis and responsibility for payment need checking.
The Gambia Revenue Authority describes capital gains tax as a tax on disposing of a capital asset and identifies the person disposing of the asset as liable. Keep the seller’s tax position separate from your buyer’s budget; any proposed arrangement to meet another party’s costs needs explicit advice and agreement.
Avoid relying on an old webpage or a single “all-in” percentage. If an agent says tax or registration is included, ask exactly which items, at what amount and who pays any difference.
Know what each quotation includes
Ask for a dated quotation naming the provider, the property or task, the currency, taxes included or excluded, expenses, payment stages and validity period. A lawyer’s fee and money paid onward for searches or registration are different budget lines.
Before paying, reconcile the invoice with the agreed scope and confirm the recipient through an established contact route. Keep the assessment, invoice, payment evidence and official receipt together. For foreign-currency payments, record the rate, transfer charge and amount expected to arrive.
Understand a payment plan before accepting it
A small initial deposit does not reduce the need for checks. Review the total amount, instalment dates, late-payment terms, refund conditions and the point at which documents or possession are provided.
Any payment plan belongs to the specific property and agreement. Historic site promotions should not be treated as current offers.
Allow for owning the property
If you plan to build, use our house-building budget and quotation guide to separate the plot price from construction, external works and supervision. If you will rent while the work progresses, include rental payments, deposits and household bills in the overall plan.
Budget for upkeep, utilities, applicable recurring charges, security, insurance and management. Rental projections should allow for vacancy, maintenance, collection costs and tax.
Request written professional quotations. The website does not publish one fixed legal or agency price for every matter because the scope and issues differ.
Source and scope
GRA’s Domestic Taxes FAQs were checked on 16 October 2026. This is a planning guide, not a transaction-specific tax assessment. Confirm current charges, valuation rules and responsibility for payment with your instructed adviser.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Discuss costs for your transaction.
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