Life event guide · 10 steps
A calm checklist for buying a flat or house: what to check before you pay, what to pay at registration, and what to update after you get the keys. Rules and rates differ by state, so we point you to the official portals.
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Search the project name and the builder on your state RERA website and note the registration number, approved plan and promised completion date. Read any complaints or orders listed against the builder. Do not pay a booking amount on a project you cannot find on the portal.
Ask the seller for the chain of title deeds and match the owner name and plot details with your state land records. Get an encumbrance certificate or search report from the sub-registrar office to see if the property is mortgaged or under a dispute. Many states using NGDRS also let you check if a property is on the prohibited-from-sale list. A property lawyer’s search report is worth the fee.
Compare the interest rate, processing fee and prepayment terms from two or three banks, and get a written sanction letter before you sign the sale agreement. The bank will run its own legal and technical check on the property, which is a useful second opinion. Plan your down payment, stamp duty and registration from your own money, as banks usually do not fund these.
PMAY-U 2.0 helps urban families in the EWS, LIG and MIG groups (income up to ₹9 lakh a year) who do not own a pucca house anywhere in India. Its Interest Subsidy Scheme vertical lowers home loan interest for eligible buyers. Apply on the unified PMAY-U portal or at your urban local body, and ask your bank about it before the loan is disbursed.
Stamp duty and registration fee are set by your state and change from time to time. They are usually worked out on the higher of the deal value and the government circle rate (ready reckoner rate) for that area. Use your state IGR or NGDRS portal to see the circle rate and pay through e-stamp or online challan, never in cash to an agent.
If the price or stamp duty value is ₹50 lakh or more, the buyer deducts 1% TDS from the payment to a resident seller under section 393(1) of the Income-tax Act, 2025. Pay it through Form 141 (Schedule B), which replaced Form 26QB, from your own PAN login on the e-filing portal; every joint buyer files for their own share. If the seller is a non-resident, a different rate applies and Schedule E is used, so take a tax expert’s help.
Book a registration slot on your state portal, then go to the sub-registrar office with the seller, the witnesses your state asks for, original IDs and the stamp duty receipt. Read the deed fully before signing and check the area, flat number and price. Collect the registered deed (or its scanned copy) and keep the original safely, as banks hold it if you have a loan.
Mutation updates the owner’s name in the municipal records (for flats and city plots) or the revenue land records (for land). Apply at your municipal body or tehsil, or online where your state allows, with the registered deed and the last property tax receipt. Once done, pay property tax in your own name every year.
Apply to the electricity company and the water department for a change of name, with the registered deed, ID and the last paid bill. Ask the seller for a no-dues letter from the housing society and get the share certificate or membership moved to you. Clear any old dues before you take possession, or get them adjusted in the price.
UIDAI accepts a registered sale deed, and a property tax receipt not older than one year, as proof of address. Update Aadhaar first, then your bank, voter ID and gas connection. Address update in the Aadhaar App or at a centre costs ₹75.
Tick what you already have.
It is set by each state, and is usually charged on the higher of the agreement value and the government circle rate (ready reckoner rate). Check the current rate on your state registration (IGR) portal or at the sub-registrar office before you budget.
Yes, if the price or the stamp duty value is ₹50 lakh or more (agricultural land is excluded). The buyer deducts 1% from the payment to a resident seller and pays it through Form 141 on the income tax e-filing portal, using the buyer’s PAN. Form 141 replaced Form 26QB under the Income-tax Act, 2025.
Search the project and the builder on your state RERA website. The registration number should also be printed on the builder’s ads and agreement. If you cannot find it, ask the builder in writing before paying any booking amount.
Not quite. After registration, apply for mutation (name transfer) in the municipal or land records, and move the property tax, electricity and water accounts to your name. These records help when you sell, take a loan or claim services.
Last checked: . Fees and rules change, and many differ by state. Always confirm on the official site before you pay. This is general information, not legal advice.