A complete apartment purchase in Hyderabad involves decisions across four distinct categories: location, project quality, legal and financial structure, and long-term ownership considerations. Most buyers focus heavily on location and project marketing, and give less attention to the legal and financial details that determine whether the purchase is actually sound.
This checklist covers all four categories. Use it as a working document — tick items as you complete them.
Category 1: Location Evaluation
- [ ] Commute time tested at peak hours (7:30–9:30 AM) to your primary workplace
- [ ] School options within 15 minutes verified (curriculum, admission process, current availability)
- [ ] Healthcare facilities within 15 minutes identified (hospitals with emergency capability)
- [ ] Daily convenience — grocery, pharmacy, restaurant — within 10 minutes confirmed
- [ ] Road connectivity: primary route and at least one alternative route mapped
- [ ] ORR access point identified (for airport and cross-city travel)
- [ ] Neighbourhood development trajectory assessed: what is likely to be built around the project in the next 10 years?
- [ ] Flooding or waterlogging history of the area checked (significant in some Hyderabad micro-markets)
Category 2: Project Evaluation
Developer:
- [ ] Developer's track record on previous projects verified (possession timeline vs. commitment)
- [ ] Previous project condition visited 3–5 years post-possession
- [ ] Developer's RERA compliance history checked on tsrera.telangana.gov.in
- [ ] Company registration verified on MCA21
Project specifications:
- [ ] Carpet area of shortlisted unit obtained in writing
- [ ] Loading factor calculated (super built-up vs carpet area ratio)
- [ ] Number of homes per floor confirmed for the specific tower
- [ ] Lift-to-home ratio calculated (total homes ÷ total lifts)
- [ ] Amenity location confirmed (stilt level vs rooftop vs distributed)
- [ ] Tower positioning reviewed on site plan (inter-tower distances, which directions apartments face)
- [ ] Balcony depth measured or requested in specification
- [ ] Ceiling height specified and confirmed
- [ ] Key specification sheet obtained (concrete grade, door type, window type, bathroom fixtures)
- [ ] Carpet area efficiency checked against other comparable projects
Legal:
- [ ] RERA registration number obtained and verified on TSRERA
- [ ] Sanctioned building plan seen or requested
- [ ] Land title status understood (freehold, leasehold, or other)
- [ ] Encumbrance certificate reviewed (no existing mortgage on the land)
- [ ] RERA-committed possession date noted and matched against sale agreement
- [ ] Home loan approvals from at least two major banks confirmed
Financial:
- [ ] Payment schedule obtained in writing with milestone definitions
- [ ] Total cost calculated: base price + GST + registration + stamp duty + maintenance deposit
- [ ] Home loan pre-approval initiated (for your budget and timeline)
- [ ] Pre-EMI obligation during construction calculated and budgeted
- [ ] Maintenance charge estimate obtained and included in monthly budget
- [ ] Property tax estimate obtained
Category 3: Site Visit Checklist
Location feel:
- [ ] Visited the site on a weekday at peak hours (not just weekend)
- [ ] Drove to your workplace from the site to verify commute
- [ ] Visited the school and hospital closest to the site
- [ ] Walked the immediate neighbourhood for 20 minutes
Showflat evaluation:
- [ ] Checked ceiling height physically (stand under and assess)
- [ ] Opened all windows and doors (check operation)
- [ ] Checked balcony depth (can a chair fit comfortably?)
- [ ] Checked bathroom dimensions (can you stand beside the vanity without awkwardness?)
- [ ] Checked kitchen counter space and workflow (refrigerator, prep, cooking, sink sequence)
- [ ] Counted electrical points in each room
- [ ] Checked that the showflat specifications match the committed specification sheet
Construction quality:
- [ ] Observed actual construction progress (does it match the developer's claimed timeline?)
- [ ] Noted concrete quality if structural work is visible
- [ ] Spoke to any workers or supervisors on site about construction status
Category 4: Financial and Legal Process
- [ ] Sale agreement reviewed by an independent lawyer before signing
- [ ] All verbal assurances and promises documented in writing or in the sale agreement addendum
- [ ] Booking advance confirmed to go into developer's RERA escrow account (not a third party)
- [ ] Receipt from developer (not channel partner) obtained for booking advance
- [ ] Home loan sanction obtained before making further payments
- [ ] Home loan disbursement schedule aligned with developer payment schedule
- [ ] Pre-EMI obligation calculated and budgeted for the construction period
- [ ] Possession date and penalty clause for delay confirmed in agreement
Category 5: Post-Possession Planning
- [ ] Interior design budget estimated (for a shell-and-core possession)
- [ ] Furniture and fixture budget estimated separately from civil work
- [ ] Maintenance association structure understood: who runs it and how
- [ ] Timeline from possession to actual move-in estimated (typically 4–8 months for full fit-out)
- [ ] Rental option considered if you are not moving in immediately post-possession
Using This Checklist
The 30 minutes spent systematically working through this list before signing will be among the most valuable 30 minutes in the entire purchase process. Most items are one question or one verification — small effort, significant protection.
Items you cannot verify or questions the developer cannot answer should prompt deeper investigation before any commitment is made.
Our team is prepared to work through this checklist with you for this specific project. Get in touch.. We'll give you straight answers to every item — and flag the ones where more information is needed.