Property Buying Checklist India 2026 – Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Property Buying Checklist in India: Documents & Due Diligence Before You Buy

By Bandaru Narendra, Common Man Properties — Visakhapatnam

Buying property in India is one of the biggest financial decisions you will ever make. Whether it’s a flat, independent house, or land, even a small mistake can cost you lakhs or lead to long-term legal problems.

Buying a house, flat or plot is not simply a matter of finding the right price and paying the seller. Before you commit a substantial amount of money, you need to establish that the seller has the right to sell, the property is properly documented, applicable approvals are in place, the physical property matches the documents, and the total cost fits your budget.

This property buying checklist in India is designed to help you go through those checks in a logical order.

It covers the major stages of a property purchase—from deciding your budget and checking the location to verifying title, Encumbrance Certificate (EC), approvals, RERA, taxes, physical condition, agreement and registration.

Important: Property laws, government charges, approval requirements and procedures can differ between states and property types. This is general educational information, not individual legal advice. For a high-value or legally complex transaction, have the documents reviewed by a qualified property lawyer or other appropriate professional.

Quick Property Buying Checklist

Before purchasing a property, work through this list:

Define the purpose of buying
Calculate the complete budget
Check the location
Compare similar properties
Verify seller identity
Verify ownership and title
Examine previous title documents
Check the Encumbrance Certificate
Check relevant land/revenue records
Verify applicable layout approvals
Check building permissions where applicable
Check RERA registration where applicable
Check completion/occupancy documents where applicable
Check property tax and other dues
Physically inspect the property
Verify measurements and boundaries
Calculate stamp duty and registration-related costs
Check loan eligibility if financing
Put important terms in writing
Review the agreement before signing
Pay token/advance only after appropriate checks
Complete registration properly
Complete relevant post-registration transfers

The rest of this guide explains these checks.

1. Decide Why You Are Buying

Start by identifying the purpose of the purchase.

You may be buying for:

Self-use
Rental income
Long-term investment
Future construction
Retirement
Family requirements
Business or commercial use

Your purpose affects almost every later decision.

For example, a family buying a home for daily use may prioritise schools, hospitals, commutes and neighbourhood facilities.

An investor may place greater emphasis on rental demand, liquidity, development activity and the relationship between purchase price and expected returns.

Do not choose the property first and decide its purpose later.

2. Set Your Total Property Budget

Do not calculate your budget using only the advertised property price.

The complete purchase cost can include:

Cost	What to check
Property price	Negotiated consideration
Stamp duty	State-specific and transaction-specific
Registration charges	Applicable government charges
Legal fees	Document/title review
Broking	If applicable
Loan charges	If financed
GST	May apply in applicable transactions
Maintenance deposits	Particularly for some apartments/projects
Repairs/interiors	Depends on property condition
Moving costs	For residential purchases
Other charges	Depends on property/project

RBI housing-finance guidance states that banks should not include stamp duty, registration and documentation charges in the financed property cost for LTV purposes, subject to specified exceptions.

That is one reason buyers should maintain funds beyond the amount planned for the property itself.

A better budget formula

Think in terms of:

Purchase price + transaction costs + immediate property expenses + financial reserve

rather than:

Purchase price = total budget

Do not use every rupee of your savings simply to complete the purchase.

3. Check the Location

A property can have excellent documentation and still be a poor purchase if the location does not suit your purpose.

Check:

Road connectivity
Public transport
Schools
Hospitals
Employment centres
Markets
Water supply
Drainage
Electricity
Internet connectivity
Traffic
Noise
Surrounding development
Flooding or other local risks
Future infrastructure

Do not rely only on future promises.

Statements such as:

“A major project is coming here.”

“Prices will definitely double.”

should not be treated as facts unless you can independently verify the relevant information.

For Andhra Pradesh buyers, location-specific planning and development information should be checked with the appropriate authority.

4. Verify the Property Type and Measurements

The checklist changes depending on whether you are buying:

Flat/apartment
Independent house
Villa
Residential plot
Agricultural land
Commercial property

Check the measurement used in advertisements against the relevant property documents.

For apartments, understand the difference between terms such as:

Carpet area
Built-up area
Saleable/super built-up area
Undivided share of land, where applicable

For plots and land, verify:

Survey number
Extent
Boundaries
Road access
Shape
Physical measurements
Relevant land records

If the property documents and the physical property do not appear to match, stop and investigate before proceeding.

5. Verify Ownership and Title

This is one of the most important checks in the entire transaction.

The basic question is:

Does the person selling the property actually have the legal right to sell it?

Do not rely solely on the seller’s statement or a broker’s assurance.

Examine the title documents.

Depending on the property, the relevant document history may include:

Current sale deed
Previous sale deeds
Gift deed
Partition deed
Settlement deed
Release deed
Inheritance-related documents
Court orders, where applicable
Other documents establishing the chain of ownership

The exact documents depend on how the property was acquired.

Seller verification

Check the seller’s identity against the transaction documents.

If there are multiple owners, ensure that the transaction is being executed by the people who are legally required to execute it.

If the seller is acting through a power of attorney, the authority and validity of that arrangement should be independently verified.

The Andhra Pradesh government’s APNRT guidance specifically notes that ownership is not transferred merely through a general power of attorney and that purchasers should obtain a registered sale deed for transfer.

If the title is complicated

Extra caution is necessary when the property involves:

Inheritance
Multiple heirs
Minor interests
Partition disputes
Pending litigation
Power of Attorney
Company ownership
Trust or society ownership
Government land
Assigned land
Restricted/prohibited property

These are situations where independent legal review becomes particularly important.

6. Check the Encumbrance Certificate.

An Encumbrance Certificate (EC) is an important document used in property due diligence.

It can provide information about registered transactions or encumbrances recorded against the property for the period covered by the certificate.

Depending on the transaction, you may need to examine an appropriate historical period rather than automatically assuming that a fixed number of years is sufficient.

What to look for

Check whether the relevant records indicate:

Registered sale transactions
Mortgages/registered charges
Releases
Other registered encumbrances

What an EC DOES NOT mean

Do not treat an EC as a complete guarantee that the property has no legal problem.

An EC is only one component of title due diligence.

A complete review may also require examination of:

Title chain
Revenue records
Court/litigation information where relevant
Seller’s authority
Approvals
Physical possession
Other property-specific records

7. Check Revenue and Land Records

For land and plot transactions, revenue and land records can be particularly important.

Depending on the state and property, relevant records may include:

Record of Rights
Land ownership records
Survey records
Cadastral maps
Mutation records
Land classification
Other state-specific revenue records

For Andhra Pradesh, Bhunaksha AP is the government’s cadastral mapping platform and is integrated with land-record systems and the MeeBhoomi ecosystem.

These records can help you compare the documentary description of the land with the mapped/recorded parcel.

However, online records should not be treated as a substitute for complete legal verification.

8. Check Layout and Planning Approvals

This is particularly important when buying a plot or property in a developed layout.

Do not simply accept:

“DTCP approved”

“Authority approved”

as sufficient information.

Identify the actual competent authority for that location and verify the relevant approval.

Depending on location and property type, the applicable authority and approval can differ.

Check, where applicable:

Layout approval
Development permission
Road access
Open-space provisions
Plot number
Survey numbers
Approved layout plan
Land-use permissions
Conversion requirements, where applicable

For Andhra Pradesh properties, do not automatically assume that one authority’s approval applies statewide.

9. Check RERA Registration Where Applicable

If you are buying an apartment, villa, plot or other property in a real estate project that falls within the scope of RERA, verify the project through the relevant state RERA authority.

Section 3 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, generally requires qualifying real estate projects to be registered before advertising, marketing, booking or offering them for sale, subject to statutory provisions and exemptions.

What should you check?

Where applicable, verify:

RERA registration number
Promoter details
Project status
Proposed completion date
Project approvals
Litigation information disclosed on the portal
Project land details
Available units
Other information published by the authority

The Andhra Pradesh RERA project portal provides project information, including registration details, project status, completion information, land area and project-related disclosures.

Important

Do not assume:

RERA registered = everything is automatically safe.

RERA verification is one part of the broader due-diligence process.

10. Check Building Approvals and Completion Documents

For an existing house, apartment or other constructed property, check the documents relevant to the building.

Depending on the property, these may include:

Building permission
Sanctioned building plan
Completion Certificate
Occupancy Certificate
Approved modifications
Other local-authority permissions

The exact requirement depends on the property, location and applicable regulations.

Compare documents with the actual building.

Do not stop at checking whether a document exists.

Ask:

Does the actual building broadly correspond to the approved/sanctioned information?

Unauthorised construction or major deviations can create problems involving financing, resale, regularisation and local-authority compliance.

11. Check Property Tax and Outstanding Dues

Before completing the transaction, check applicable outstanding amounts.

Depending on the property, examine:

Property tax
Electricity dues
Water charges
Maintenance dues
Apartment association/society dues
Other local charges

Get clarity on who will clear any outstanding amount before or at the time of completion.

Keep receipts and supporting documents.

12. Inspect the Property Physically

Never buy property based only on photographs, videos or a brochure.

Visit the property.

Check the actual property.

For land:

Survey number
Boundaries
Road access
Physical extent
Neighbouring properties
Drainage
Water
Electricity
Encroachments
Ground conditions

For houses/flats:

Construction condition
Cracks
Seepage
Plumbing
Electrical systems
Ventilation
Parking
Common areas
Water supply
Drainage
Access

Speak to people nearby.

Where practical, speak with neighbours or local residents.

They may provide useful information about:

Water problems
Drainage
Access disputes
Flooding
Noise
Boundary disputes
Local development

This does not replace documentary verification, but it can reveal issues that a brochure will never mention.

13. Compare the Market Price

Do not decide that a property is a good deal simply because the seller offers a “discount”.

Compare similar properties in the same micro-market.

Look at:

Price per square foot
Plot price per square yard where relevant
Property age
Road width
Floor
Parking
Construction quality
Location
Amenities
Approval status
Property condition

For example, a ₹5 lakh cheaper property may not actually be cheaper if it has poorer access, inferior construction or unresolved documentation issues.

The goal is not to find the cheapest property.

The goal is to determine whether the price is reasonable for the property you are actually buying.

14. Calculate the Complete Purchase Cost

Never calculate your budget using the property price alone.

Potential costs include:

Cost category	What to verify
Property price	Final negotiated consideration
Stamp duty	Applicable state rules
Registration fee	Applicable state rules
Transfer-related charges	Where applicable
Legal fees	Lawyer/document review
Broking	If applicable
Loan charges	If financed
GST	Where applicable
Maintenance/deposits	Project-specific
Repairs/interiors	Property-specific

Why avoid one national percentage?

There is no single percentage that accurately represents every property purchase across India.

Government charges differ by state, transaction type and circumstances.

For example, the Andhra Pradesh Registration and Stamps Department confirms that the state collects stamp duty, transfer duty and registration fees and provides the official registration system for property transactions.

For an Andhra Pradesh transaction, verify the current charges through the official registration system before calculating the final amount.

You can also refer to our dedicated Stamp Duty in Andhra Pradesh guide for the state-specific discussion while independently verifying current charges before registration.

15. Check Home Loan and Payment Arrangements

If you are using a home loan:

Check your loan eligibility
Compare lenders
Understand the interest rate
Check the tenure
Calculate the EMI
Understand processing charges
Check prepayment conditions
Understand the lender’s property-verification process

Important distinction

A bank approving a loan does not mean you can skip your own legal due diligence.

The bank is assessing the property and borrower for its lending decision.

You are making a much broader decision about ownership, suitability and long-term financial risk.

16. Before Paying Token Advance

This is one of the stages where buyers can make expensive mistakes.

Before paying a substantial token or advance, try to establish at least the basic facts:

Who owns the property?
What is the agreed price?
What property is being sold?
Are there known encumbrances?
Are there multiple owners?
Is the seller authorised to sell?
What happens if the transaction does not proceed?
When will the remaining amount be paid?
What documents are still pending?

Always obtain a written receipt.

The receipt should clearly identify the transaction and amount paid.

Where appropriate, the written terms should also explain whether and when the amount is refundable.

Do not rely on:

“Don’t worry, we’ll put everything in the sale deed later.”

Important commercial terms should be documented properly.

17. Review the Agreement

Before signing an agreement for sale or similar transaction document, read it carefully.

Depending on the transaction, check:

Names of parties
Property description
Survey/plot/unit details
Sale consideration
Payment schedule
Possession terms
Default provisions
Cancellation provisions
Existing dues
Included fixtures/fittings
Parking terms
Completion obligations
Registration obligations
Other negotiated terms

For larger transactions, independent legal review is strongly advisable.

For RERA-regulated projects, the central law also contains specific provisions concerning agreements for sale and restrictions on promoters taking deposits/advances before entering into the prescribed agreement.

18. Complete Registration

Registration is an important formal stage of a property transaction.

Before registration, verify that:

The parties are correctly identified
The property description is accurate
Consideration is correctly recorded
Applicable government charges are understood
Required documents are available
The document reflects the agreed transaction

The Andhra Pradesh Registration and Stamps Department explains that registration creates recorded information available for public verification and preserves records relating to registered documents.

Do not make this mistake

Do not think:

“Once it is registered, I don’t need to worry about the documents.”

Registration should come after appropriate due diligence, not instead of due diligence.

19. Post-Purchase Checklist

After completing the transaction, keep the paperwork organised.

Depending on the property and local procedures, consider:

Collect registered documents
Secure original documents
Create digital backups
Update applicable land/property records
Complete mutation/name transfer where applicable
Transfer electricity connection where applicable
Transfer water connection where applicable
Inform apartment association/society where applicable
Keep tax receipts
Keep loan documents
Keep possession documents

Do not throw away old receipts and transaction records.

Red-Flag Checklist: When Should You Stop the Deal?

Be extremely cautious if you encounter any of the following:

Ownership red flags

The seller’s name does not match the documents
Multiple heirs are involved, but some are absent
Seller cannot explain the title chain
Power of Attorney is unclear
Ownership dispute is disclosed

Document red flags.

Original documents are unavailable without a reasonable explanation
Important documents contain inconsistent property details
Survey number does not match
Extent differs between documents
Boundaries do not match

Approval red flags

Layout approval cannot be independently verified
Building permission is unclear
Applicable RERA registration cannot be verified
Major construction differs from approved information

Financial red flags

Seller demands unexplained cash
A large token amount is demanded immediately
Refund conditions are not documented
Seller refuses a written agreement

Physical red flags

Encroachment
Blocked access
Boundary dispute
Drainage problems
Water problems
Major structural concerns

If a serious issue appears, do not let urgency or emotional attachment force you into the transaction.

House, Flat and Plot: What Changes in the Checklist?

Check	Flat	Independent House	Plot
Title	✓	✓	✓
EC	✓	✓	✓
RERA where applicable	✓	Sometimes	Sometimes
Building approval	✓	✓	Usually not applicable in the same form
Layout approval	Project-specific	Location-specific	✓
Physical inspection	✓	✓	✓
Survey/boundaries	Important	Important	Critical
Property tax	✓	✓	Applicable depending on property
Occupancy/completion documents	Where applicable	Where applicable	Usually not applicable in the same form
Revenue/land records	Important	Important	Critical
Road access	Important	Important	Critical

There is no single checklist that fits every property exactly.

The core due diligence remains the same, but the documents and approvals change according to the property.

Property Buying Checklist — Printable Version

Financial

Total budget calculated
Down payment arranged
Emergency reserve maintained
Loan eligibility checked
Transaction costs calculated

Seller

Seller identity verified
Seller’s ownership verified
All required owners identified
Authority to sell verified

Legal

Current title document checked
Previous title documents checked
EC checked
Revenue/land records checked
Litigation concerns investigated where relevant
Property restrictions checked where relevant

Approvals

Layout approval checked where applicable
Building approval checked where applicable
RERA checked where applicable
Completion/occupancy documents checked where applicable

Physical

Site visited
Measurements checked
Boundaries checked
Road access checked
Water checked
Drainage checked
Construction condition checked

Financial/Transaction

Market price compared
Total purchase cost calculated
Token terms documented
Agreement reviewed
Registration charges verified

After Purchase

Registered documents collected
Digital copies created
Mutation/name transfer checked
Utility transfers completed where applicable
Tax/association records updated where applicable

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important check before buying property?

There is no single document that replaces complete due diligence. Ownership/title verification is one of the most important checks, followed by verification of encumbrances, approvals, physical property and the seller’s authority to transfer the property.

Is an Encumbrance Certificate enough to prove clear title?

No.

An EC is an important part of property due diligence, but it should not be treated as a complete title investigation or litigation search.

How many years of EC should I check?

There is no universal “10-year” or “15-year” rule that applies to every transaction. The appropriate period should be determined based on the property’s title history, transaction and professional due diligence requirements.

Is RERA registration required for every property?

No. RERA contains statutory provisions and exemptions. For projects that fall within the registration requirements, the project should be verified through the relevant state RERA authority.

Should I visit the property before buying?

Yes.

Physical inspection can reveal issues involving boundaries, access, construction, drainage, water, surroundings and actual condition that may not be obvious from documents or photographs.

Should I pay a token amount before checking documents?

Avoid paying a substantial amount before carrying out appropriate basic verification. If a token is paid, obtain written terms and a clear receipt.

Are stamp duty and registration charges the same throughout India?

No.

They can differ according to state, transaction type, property and applicable government rules. Always check the current state-specific charges.

Does bank loan approval mean the property is legally safe?

No.

The lender’s due diligence is not a substitute for the buyer’s independent legal and physical verification.

What documents should I check before buying a plot?

Depending on the property and state, check the title chain, EC, relevant land/revenue records, survey details, boundaries, layout/planning approval, road access and other applicable permissions.

What should I check before buying an apartment?

Check the title/project documents, RERA registration where applicable, sanctioned plans, building permissions, completion/occupancy documentation where applicable, unit details, carpet area, payment terms, maintenance obligations and the agreement.

What to Remember Before Buying Property

A property purchase should not be based only on:

Price + location + emotion.

A safer framework is:

Purpose → Budget → Location → Property → Title → EC → Land/Revenue Records → Approvals → RERA → Physical Inspection → Market Price → Total Cost → Agreement → Registration → Post-Purchase Updates

The most important question is not:

“Is this property cheap?”

It is:

“Can I establish that this property is suitable, properly documented, appropriately approved and financially sensible for my situation?”

Take your time before paying a substantial amount.

A property that looks like a great deal can become expensive if ownership, approval, access, construction or documentation problems emerge later.

For significant transactions, particularly inherited property, disputed property, agricultural land, properties involving multiple owners, power of attorney transactions or properties with unusual documentation, obtain independent professional advice before proceeding.

Common Man Properties provides general real-estate information for real estate purposes. Government rules, fees and procedures can change. Verify current requirements with the relevant government authority and obtain professional advice where appropriate.

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