Checking a project before you buy

What should be checked first?

Start with the exact unit, wing, phase, promoter entity and registration number. Match them to the official project record, then compare the available sanctioned plans, commencement permission, title material and draft agreement. Registration creates a disclosure framework; it is not a substitute for transaction-specific legal, technical or financial due diligence.

1. Save the current official disclosures and access date.
2. Check what construction stage the permission covers.
3. Ask an advocate to review title and development rights.
4. Reconcile area, amenities, payment milestones and possession promises.
5. Record unanswered questions before committing.

What can public information not establish?

Public disclosures can reveal stale updates, declared encumbrances and inconsistent statements, but they rarely provide enough evidence to certify account health or the absence of all disputes. Distinguish independently verified records from promoter-supplied material. Missing information is a limitation to investigate, not proof that the project is either safe or fraudulent.

Section 13 restricts advances above ten per cent without the written registered agreement. That limit is not a recommendation to pay a smaller amount before checking the documents. A buyer’s risk assessment should happen before the relevant commitment, not only before the statutory threshold.

Official sources

• RERA Act, Sections 4, 11 and 13
• MahaRERA guidance for home buyers

Use the buyer checklist, background check and pre-purchase diligence guide.

Editorial source check: 2026-10-24. Owner-approved for publication. No independent professional legal review or named professional authorship is claimed. “Last reviewed” records an editorial update, not legal sign-off. Check applicable amendments, orders and case-specific law before reliance.

General information, not legal advice. Authorship and review policy.