The Ultimate Checklist Before Buying an Apartment
Buying your first apartment is more than a transaction — it’s a milestone. A moment of pride, progress, and the quiet satisfaction of turning a dream into something real. It deserves clarity, not confusion. This guide helps you navigate every essential check with confidence — so when you book your home, you do it fully informed, fully ready, and proud of the decision you’ve made.
📜 Legal Documents That Protect You
In real estate, the paperwork is the property. If the documents are wrong, incomplete, or missing, you don’t own a home — you own a problem. Before you hand over a single rupee as token advance, make sure you’ve reviewed these:
- Title Deed:
Title deed proves the seller’s legal right to sell. It can be a sale deed, gift deed or will deed depending on how the current owner acquired the property.
If you are buying an apartment directly from the builder, the title deed (also called mother deed in this case) should have the builder as the owner of the land or the builder should have a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the current land owner.
🧠 Smart Check: Apply for a certified copy from the SRO (Sub-Registrar Office) or check on Landeed for digital validation.
- Encumbrance Certificate (EC):
An EC confirms that there are no outstanding loans, claims, or disputes on the property. It shows the chain of ownership of the property over the years.
🔍 Pro Tip: Get the EC for at least the last 15 years, especially if you are not buying directly from the builder.
- Revenue Documents (Khata / Patta / Mutation Certificate):
These are documents issued by revenue departments, municipalities or panchayats and are linked to property tax payments. Based on the state you are in, revenue documents include khata, patta or mutation certificate.
🔍 Pro Tip: Revenue documents are often ignored during initial due diligence. Ensure the seller’s name is updated in these records — not just the sale deed.
- Building Plan Approval:
This is the sanctioned layout plan approved by the local municipal body.
🛑 Red Flag: If the actual construction differs from this, the project may be deemed illegal.
💡 Ask for: The stamped plan with the municipal seal (e.g., GHMC in Hyderabad, BBMP in Bengaluru).
- Commencement Certificate (CC) (for under construction buildings):
A CC is important for under construction buildings and confirms that construction started after approvals.
⚠️ No CC can mean illegal construction and would be rejected for bank loans
- Occupancy Certificate (OC) (for constructed buildings):
Check for an OC if you are buying an already constructed apartment. It is issued after construction is complete and the building is deemed safe for occupancy.
⚠️ No OC? You may not be able to get water, electricity, or legally occupy the flat.
🏗️ Builder Reputation and Track Record
A fancy brochure means nothing if the builder has a history of delays, legal issues, or half-completed projects. Before you sign anything, run these checks:
- RERA Registration
Every builder and project must be registered on RERA. Verify the RERA number online on your state's RERA website. Look for delays or complaints filed against the builder or the project
🔎 Pro Tip: Check if previous project was delayed — it’s the biggest indicator of future risk.
- Past Projects & Completion History
Check if the builder has completed at least 1–2 projects in the same city?
🔎 Pro Tip: Check for customer complaints on online forums (Google, Reddit IndiaRealEstate, IndiaPropertyForum)
- Financial Tie-ups & Bank Approvals
Banks often tie-up with builders to provide home loans to buyers for those projects. Check if the project is approved by multiple reputed banks (SBI, HDFC, ICICI). If banks trust the builder, it’s a strong signal of stability.
❌ Red Flag: If no or only one bank is willing to provide loans for the project, it is a sign to dig deeper — might be risky or under litigation.
📍 Location — Don’t Just Look at the Map
A good apartment in a poor location is a bad investment. Your home’s surroundings define your quality of life and long-term resale value.
- Commute Realities vs Builder Claims
Builders will always say “close to metro” but close can be subjective.
✅ Smart Check: Use Google Maps with traffic at peak hours to check real commute times to your office or kids' school.
- Water & Drainage Infrastructure
Most buyers forget this. Ask if the area on municipal water, or will you be relying on tankers? Does the builder guarantee water connection by the time of possession?
- Resale & Rental Demand
Check how many resale listings exist for nearby buildings (Magicbricks, 99acres)? What’s the rental yield in this pin code?
🔍 Smart Tip: Fewer listings + higher rent = high-demand location.
Too many listings = oversupply → weak future price growth.
- Civic Growth Signals
🏗️ Check for upcoming infrastructure: Metro lines, highways, flyovers, or tech parks can boost appreciation and resale value.
- Flood Risk & Ground Reality
Search online for past incidents of floods or water-logging.
💧 Smart Check: Is the apartment at road level or in a low-lying area.
📐 Judge the Layout Smartly
A 3BHK with poor layout can feel smaller than a well-designed 2BHK. Before you’re sold on a glossy sample flat, look for these signs of good design:
- Built-Up Area vs Usable Space
Most builders advertise super built-up area — but what you use is carpet area.
- Super Built-up = Carpet + Walls + Lobby + Lift + Clubhouse share
- Carpet Area = Actual usable floor space inside your walls
✅ Smart Check: Ask for RERA Carpet Area — that’s the only legally valid number.
🛑 Red Flag: If carpet area is less than 65% of super built-up, the layout is inefficient.
- Light, Ventilation, and Privacy
Don’t judge by model flat lighting — they’re often over-lit on purpose.
✅ Check for:
- Cross-ventilation (windows on opposite walls)
- Natural light in kitchen, bathrooms
- Bedroom walls that don’t share with lift or garbage shaft
- Undivided Share (UDS) ie Land Ownership
When you buy an apartment, you’re entitled to a UDS — a share in the land. If not, you’re just buying air inside a building.
✅ Check: Is UDS mentioned in the sale deed or agreement?
🛑 Red Flag: No UDS = No land value = No resale value
💰 Plan Your Finances Like a Pro
Buying a home isn’t just about the down payment. From token to registration, there are costs buyers often forget — and they can add up fast. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- EMI Eligibility
Don’t assume you’ll qualify for the loan just because a bank is tied up with the project.
✅ Smart tip: Get pre-approved before handing over token money — this confirms your eligibility and rate, giving you a better view for planning your finances.
- Know the Total Cost
Builders advertise the base rate, but the final price includes:
🧠 Important: Ask for the cost sheet before booking — and don’t forget to include interiors if you’re budgeting total spend.
- Floor rise charges
- Clubhouse / amenities fee
- Legal + registration costs
- Advance maintenance
- Parking
- Corpus fund
- GST
- Stamp Duty and Registration Charges
These are government fees paid during registration — and they’re not included in builder price.
✅ Typical Range:
- Stamp Duty: 5–7% of sale value (varies by state, gender, and type of property
- Registration Charges: 1–2% in most states
🧠 Smart Tip: In some states, women buyers get a lower stamp duty. Check if it’s worth registering in a female family member’s name.
🛑 Don’t Forget: These charges must be paid in full at the time of registration
- Payment Timeline
Payments are staggered across construction — but token + 10% often happens within the first 30 days.
✅ Ask for a written payment schedule — aligned to slab completion, not fixed calendar dates.
📑 Check the Fine Print Before You Sign
The sale agreement locks in not just the price — but your rights, obligations, and penalties. Here’s what to double-check before you sign:
- Possession Timeline and Grace Period
Builders often mention possession timelines with a “grace period” — but some stretch this by a full year or more.
✅ Check:
- What’s the committed possession date?
- Is the grace period reasonable (ideally <6 months)?
- Is there a penalty to builder if they delay?
🛑 Red Flag: Agreements that allow unlimited extensions or blame “force majeure” for all delays.
- Construction-Linked Payment Terms
Most agreements are milestone-linked, but check that each payment is tied to actual construction progress, not just calendar dates.
- UDS and Common Area Rights
Undivided Share (UDS) and common areas are critical for resale and future litigation protection.
✅ Ensure: UDS % is explicitly mentioned and you have rights to use amenities listed in brochure
🧠 Bonus Tip: Confirm with the builder that all common areas, including clubhouse, gym, community halls etc will be transferred to the apartment owners’ association upon registration, as per the state’s Apartment Ownership Act
- Refund Policy & Cancellation Charges
Even if you are confident about your purchase, be prepared for unforeseen circumstances. If you back out later, how much do you lose?
✅ Ask: Is the token fully refundable? What’s the cancellation penalty if the loan falls through?
🧠 Pro Tip: Cancellation fees above ₹50,000 or 2% of flat value are excessive — and often negotiable before signing.
Buying an apartment doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right checks in place — from documents to layout, builder history to financial clarity — you can move forward with confidence. Ask the right questions, read the fine print, and take your time. And if you ever need assistance, Landeed is here to help.
