How to buy a flat in India: a step-by-step checklist

From fixing a budget to registering the sale deed — the order of steps that keeps a first purchase safe.

1. Fix the real budget

Start from the total cost, not the sticker price. Add stamp duty and registration (typically 5–8% of the agreement value depending on the state), GST on under-construction property (5% without input credit for most flats, 1% for affordable housing), society formation charges, parking, club membership and the first year of maintenance. If you are taking a home loan, most lenders fund 75–90% of the value; the rest, plus every charge above, has to come from you.

2. Shortlist by commute, not by brochure

Visit at the time you would normally travel. Check water supply, power backup and the actual state of the approach road. Talk to residents in the building or society — they will tell you about seepage, lift breakdowns and maintenance disputes that no listing mentions.

3. Verify before you pay a token

Ask for the chain of title documents (previous sale deeds), the latest property tax receipt, the society's no-objection certificate, an encumbrance certificate from the sub-registrar, and for a new project the RERA registration number and the approved building plan. A lawyer's title search costs a few thousand rupees and is the best money you will spend in the whole process.

4. Agreement to sell, then sale deed

The agreement to sell records the price, the payment schedule and the possession date; it is usually signed against a 10–20% payment. The sale deed is the document that actually transfers ownership and is executed at the sub-registrar's office on stamp paper, with two witnesses. Never let the gap between the two run long without a written extension.

5. After registration

Apply for mutation of the property in the municipal records, transfer the electricity and water connections, and collect the original documents (or the bank's acknowledgement if they hold them against the loan). Keep certified copies at home.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and charges vary by state — confirm current rates with the local sub-registrar or a lawyer.