Questions to ask before you book a house
Before you pay a booking amount, get written answers on five things: who the developer is and what they have finished before; whether the land, approvals and title are clear; exactly which house and specification you are buying; the price, every separate charge and the payment schedule; and the possession date and what happens if it slips.
A booking amount is the moment a search becomes a commitment. These are the questions we would want answered in your place, including the ones a developer may not enjoy. Ask them of every project, ours included, and keep the answers in writing.
Written by Kinjal Mehta, civil engineer (MSU Baroda) and partner, TAM Developers.
Published: · Last reviewed:
We build townhouses on this road. Lake Tree Avenue is our project, so read this guide knowing who wrote it.
What should you ask about the developer?
- Which projects have you completed, where, and when were they handed over?
- May I visit one and talk to the people who live there?
- Who are the people behind the firm, and how long have they built in this city?
- Is this project being built by you, or by a contractor? Who supervises the structure?
Our answers are on About Us: TAM Developers is a partnership of Kinjal Mehta, Shalin Talati and Dhruv Talati, and our earlier townhouse project, Lake Tree New Age Townhouses, was completed in 2024 and is fully occupied. Ask us for the address and go.
What should you ask about the land and the approvals?
- What are the survey number and village, so I can see the land record myself?
- Is the land converted for non-agricultural use? May I see the NA order?
- Which authority gave the building permission? May I see it with the approved layout?
- Is the land mortgaged to a lender? Will my house be released when I pay in full?
- Who owns the land, and what gives you the right to sell it?
What each of these papers is, and what to look for, is in documents to check before buying.
What should you ask about the house itself?
- Which plot exactly, what is its area, and where is it on the approved layout?
- Are the room sizes from the drawings, wall to wall? May I have the floor plan?
- Which specifications will be written into the agreement: flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, doors, windows, electrical points, waterproofing?
- How far may you change dimensions, design or specifications, and how will I be told?
- If I want something changed or added, how is it priced, and when do I pay?
At Lake Tree Avenue, every plot area is on the site plan, every room size on the floor plans and the specification on the specifications page. The developer's terms on changes and extra work are in the disclaimers: extra work you ask for is estimated first and paid in advance.
What should you ask about the money?
- What is the price of this plot, and what does it include?
- What is the booking amount, and is it refundable if the loan is not sanctioned or I withdraw?
- What is the payment schedule, and is each payment linked to a stage of construction?
- What are the separate charges, each with an amount: development, documentation, GST, the meter deposit, maintenance?
- Which banks have approved the project for loans?
- Will every payment get a receipt on your letterhead?
The costs that apply to any purchase in Gujarat, GST, stamp duty, registration and TDS, are set out in the cost of buying a home.
What should you ask about possession and after?
- What is the possession date, and what does the agreement say if it is late?
- When will the completion or occupation certificate be issued?
- When will the sale deed be registered, and who pays for it?
- When is the maintenance society formed, what will it cost each year, and when are the common areas handed over?
- If something is wrong after possession, who fixes it, and for how long?
At Lake Tree Avenue, completion and possession are proposed for December 2028, and each buyer's possession is handed over within one month after full and final settlement of dues. The annual maintenance amount is not fixed yet.
What are the usual steps from booking to keys?
For an under-construction house in Gujarat the sequence usually runs like this. The exact order differs between developers and banks, so ask for theirs in writing.
- Shortlist, visit, and choose the plot.
- Have your lawyer check the land record, NA order, building permission and title.
- Pay the booking amount, against a receipt that names the plot.
- Apply for the loan; the bank does its own valuation and legal check, then sanctions it.
- Sign the agreement to sell, with every charge and the payment schedule in it, and pay the stamp duty it carries.
- Pay in stages as construction moves; the bank pays its share directly to the developer.
- Visit the site during construction, and keep every receipt.
- When the house is complete, settle the balance and the separate charges.
- Register the sale deed at the sub-registrar's office, paying stamp duty and the registration fee, and deducting TDS if the price is ₹50 lakh or more.
- Take possession, join the maintenance society, and put the electricity connection in your name.
What should you ask yourself?
- Can I afford the whole cost, not just the price? Add GST, stamp duty, registration and the separate charges, and keep a margin.
- Can I pay the EMI and the rent together until possession? With an under-construction home you may do both for a while.
- Will this house suit everyone who will live in it for ten years? Stairs, schools, the drive to work, the drive to your parents.
- Have the people who will decide seen it? Bring them before the booking, not after.
When you are ready, book a site visit, or ask us anything on WhatsApp at +91 87587 56666.
Questions on this topic
What is a booking amount?
The first payment that reserves a particular house for you. Before you pay it, get the price, the payment schedule, every separate charge and the refund terms in writing, with a receipt that names the plot.
When is the sale deed registered for an under-construction house?
Usually when the house is complete and the balance is paid, at the sub-registrar's office, with stamp duty and the registration fee. Ask the developer for their sequence in writing.
Should I visit the developer's earlier project?
Yes. It is the best evidence of how they build and hand over. Talk to the people who live there about the construction, the papers and what happened after possession.
More guides like this
- The cost of buying a home: Every cost on top of the price: GST, stamp duty, registration, developer charges, loan costs and upkeep.
- Documents to check: 7/12, 8-A, NA order, building permission, title, jantri and the agreement to sell, and what each one tells you.
- Plot, carpet and built-up area: What each area figure means, how to compare a house with a flat, and our own plot table.
Come and stand in it.
A floor plan is a drawing. A picture is a picture. Neither tells you how the living room feels at four in the afternoon.
Tell us when you can come. We will keep the house open, keep an hour free, and walk the avenue with you. Site visits happen every day.