The conversation before you sign a booking form is the most important one you will have about your apartment. After signing, your leverage diminishes substantially. Before signing, you have every right to ask anything, receive written answers, and walk away if you do not like what you hear.
These are the 15 questions serious buyers ask. Get answers to all of them in writing.
1. Is the project RERA registered? What is the registration number?
If yes, verify it independently on tsrera.telangana.gov.in. If not yet registered, ask for the expected registration date and what will be committed in the registration.
2. What is the RERA-committed possession date?
Get this in writing. The possession date in the sale agreement and the RERA-registered possession date should match. If they differ, ask why.
3. What is the carpet area of the specific unit I am considering?
Not the super built-up area. The carpet area — what you can walk on. Ask for this in writing with the unit number specified.
4. What is the loading factor?
Calculated as (Super built-up area – Carpet area) ÷ Super built-up area. This tells you what percentage of your purchase price is funding common areas versus your actual living space.
5. Which banks have approved this project for home loans?
Bank approval requires the bank's own technical and legal due diligence. A project approved by SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, or Kotak has passed an independent financial institution's scrutiny. A project with no bank approvals is a red flag.
6. What is the payment schedule, and what does each milestone mean specifically?
Ask for milestone definitions in writing. "Completion of superstructure" should have a specific definition — which floor? What constitutes completion? Who certifies it?
7. What has been the possession record on your previous projects?
Ask for examples of previous projects by the developer, the committed possession date, and the actual possession date. This is verifiable on RERA for registered projects and through public records for older ones.
8. What are the specifications for the apartment — concrete grade, door type, bathroom fixtures, window frames?
Get the full specification sheet. Compare it against the showflat. Verify that the showflat specifications match the committed specifications. Developers sometimes display upgraded showflats with specifications that are not part of the standard offering.
9. What is the maintenance charge per sft per month, and what does it cover?
Get an itemised breakdown. Ask whether this is an estimated rate and when it is expected to be confirmed. Ask whether a sinking fund contribution is separate.
10. Who manages the building post-possession?
In-house resident association or professional FM company? This determines the quality and predictability of maintenance.
11. What is the lift-to-home ratio in this tower?
How many lifts serve how many apartments? Calculate the ratio. Less than 40:1 is good. More than 60:1 warrants further scrutiny.
12. How many homes are on each residential floor?
For your specific tower. This is a meaningful quality-of-life specification that is rarely proactively disclosed.
13. What does the site plan look like, and how are towers positioned relative to each other?
Ask for a site plan — bird's-eye view of the full plot with all towers marked and compass orientation shown. Identify inter-tower distances and which direction each apartment faces.
14. What happens if possession is delayed beyond the RERA-committed date?
Under RERA, buyers are entitled to interest on payments made for the delay period, or the right to withdraw with interest. Get the developer's specific policy on this in writing.
15. Where does my booking advance go?
The answer should be: into the project's RERA-mandated escrow account, with a receipt from the developer (not from a channel partner or intermediary). Verify the bank account details against the RERA registration before transferring any money.
How to Use These Questions
Do not spring these all at once in a first meeting. Use the first meeting to understand the project broadly and build rapport. Come prepared with written questions for the second meeting or a scheduled call.
Tell the sales team explicitly: "I'd like to get answers to a set of specific questions before I commit. Can we schedule a detailed call or send questions by email?"
A developer whose team welcomes this process is demonstrating confidence in their own product. A developer whose team deflects, pressures urgency, or becomes evasive is giving you important information.
The questions are not adversarial. They are the due diligence every buyer deserves to complete before making one of the largest financial decisions of their life.
Our team is prepared to answer all of these questions with specifics. Schedule a call or send us your questions — we'll respond in writing.