Questions to Ask Before Booking an Apartment: A Site-Visit Checklist

Print this or keep it on your phone. Ask every question at every project, write the answer down, and compare the answers side by side afterwards. A good sales team will answer all of them without hesitation; hesitation is itself an answer.

Approvals and paperwork

• What is the TS RERA registration number, and does the registered completion date match what you are being told?
• Who owns the land, and is the layout approved by HMDA or the GHMC?
• Is the building permit sanctioned for the number of floors being sold?
• For a ready project, is the occupancy certificate issued?
• Can you see the encumbrance certificate and the title opinion from the developer's lawyer?
• Which banks have approved the project for home loans?

Money

• What is the all-inclusive price for this unit, with every charge listed?
• What is the payment schedule, and is it linked to construction stages?
• Is there an escalation clause, and what triggers it?
• Is car parking included, and how many spaces?
• What does GST, stamp duty and registration add on top?
• What are the cancellation terms and the refund timeline if you withdraw?
• What compensation does the agreement promise if possession is delayed?

Construction and delivery

• What possession date will be written into the agreement of sale, not the brochure?
• What stage is construction at today, and can you walk the actual tower, not only the sample flat?
• Which specifications are in the agreement: flooring, fittings, doors, windows, electrical points?
• Is the sample flat built to the same specification, or upgraded for display?
• Who is the contractor, and which completed projects of theirs can you visit?
• What is the structural warranty period after handover?

Living there

• What is the monthly maintenance per square foot, and who manages the community after handover?
• Where does the water come from, and is there a Manjeera or municipal connection as well as borewells?
• How much power backup is provided per apartment and for the lifts and common areas?
• How many apartments share each lift, and how is visitor parking handled?
• What are the community rules on pets, renting and renovations?
• What is within walking distance today: a store, a pharmacy, a school, a bus stop?

Bring the list, write the answers

The point of a checklist is not to catch anyone out; it is to make three or four projects comparable on the things that matter after you move in. Brolly Realty accompanies buyers on site visits across Kokapet, Narsingi, Tellapur, Kollur and Mokila, asks these questions with you, and shares the developer's answers, price sheet and TS RERA details in writing afterwards.

Book an accompanied site visit →