BUYING · 7 MIN READ
The buyer's checklist, start to keys
Every step from shortlisting to registration, in the order it actually happens.
Read the guide →Guides
Short, honest reading for anyone about to spend a large amount of money on a home.
SELLING · 6 MIN READ
Selling without a broker
How to price, photograph and present a home so serious buyers call.
Read the guide →RENTING · 5 MIN READ
Renting safely as a tenant
Deposits, agreements and the checks that stop a rental going wrong.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 8 MIN READ
Property documents, explained plainly
What each paper proves, and what its absence should tell you.
Read the guide →BUYING · 7 MIN READ
Builder floor vs apartment vs independent house
Three ways to own the same square footage, with very different ownership, upkeep and resale behaviour.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 6 MIN READ
Society transfer, NOC and maintenance dues
What a housing society can and cannot ask for when a flat changes hands, and how to clear dues cleanly.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 10 MIN READ
Property registration, step by step
From agreement to a registered deed in your name, in the order the sub-registrar's office works, and what to finish after the deed comes back.
Read the guide →BUYING · 7 MIN READ
What is super built-up area? Carpet vs built-up vs super built-up
The three area figures on every brochure, what each includes, and which one you should compare on.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 7 MIN READ
Home loan EMI, tenure and prepayment
How the instalment is built, what changes when you stretch the tenure, and when prepaying is worth it.
Read the guide →LAND · 7 MIN READ
Kanal, marla and bigha: land units by state
Why a bigha in one state is not a bigha in another, and how to convert safely before you price land.
Read the guide →BUYING · 6 MIN READ
What is a builder floor?
The low-rise format that dominates Delhi NCR plotted colonies, and what to check before buying one.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 6 MIN READ
How to check a RERA number, state by state
Every state runs its own RERA register. Here is what the number proves and how to read the entry.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 7 MIN READ
Stamp duty by state: how it is set and what changes it
Why the same purchase costs different amounts in different states, and the concessions worth asking about.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 6 MIN READ
TDS on a property purchase: the buyer's duty
Who deducts, when, on what value, and what goes wrong when the step is skipped.
Read the guide →RENTING · 7 MIN READ
Rent agreement clauses worth arguing about
The dozen lines that decide how a tenancy ends, and what each side should insist on.
Read the guide →RENTING · 6 MIN READ
PG tenant rights and what to check before paying
Paying guest accommodation sits between a tenancy and a service. Here is what that means for you.
Read the guide →LAND · 8 MIN READ
Plot buying checklist
Land has fewer moving parts than a building and far more ways to go wrong. Work through these in order.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 7 MIN READ
Industrial shed leasing basics
Eave height, floor loading, power and land use decide whether a shed works. Rent per square foot barely does.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 7 MIN READ
Office space per seat: how to cost it properly
Build the number from the lease, not from the rent — rent is usually a little over half of what a seat costs.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 7 MIN READ
Home loan tax benefits: sections 80C and 24(b)
What a home loan saves in tax, under which section, and why the regime you choose decides most of it.
Read the guide →SELLING · 8 MIN READ
Capital gains tax when you sell a property
How the gain is worked out, the rate that changed in July 2024, and the exemptions that can bring the tax to nil.
Read the guide →BUYING · 7 MIN READ
Buying property in India as an NRI or OCI
What you may buy, how the money must move, and what happens when you sell.
Read the guide →BUYING · 6 MIN READ
Possession handover checklist: what to inspect before you take the keys
Walk the flat with this list before you sign the possession letter; fixing things afterwards is much harder.
Read the guide →LAND · 6 MIN READ
Land records by state: Khatauni, Jamabandi, 7/12 and RTC
Each state names its land record differently. Here is what to look up, where, and what it can tell you about a plot.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 5 MIN READ
Gifting a property: the gift deed, stamp duty and tax
A gift of property must be in a registered deed. Within the family it is usually free of income tax, and many states charge reduced stamp duty.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 11 MIN READ
Buying commercial property: what to check
Before buying an office, shop or showroom, confirm the title, that the land use and the building plan allow commercial use, the occupancy or completion certificate, fire approval where the building needs one, the tax and maintenance position and any existing lease. GST applies only to under-construction property, and the buyer deducts 1% TDS when the price is ₹50 lakh or more.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 11 MIN READ
Commercial lease agreements: clauses that matter
A commercial lease is mostly negotiated, not standard. Agree in writing the lock-in, the escalation, the security deposit, any rent-free fit-out period, who pays CAM and repairs, subletting and signage rights, how you exit and what you restore — and register the lease if its term needs it.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 10 MIN READ
GST and TDS on commercial rent
Renting out commercial property attracts GST at 18%. A registered landlord charges it; where the landlord is unregistered and the tenant is GST-registered, the tenant has paid it under reverse charge since 10 October 2024 (composition tenants excluded from 16 January 2025). Separately, tax is deducted at 10% on rent for land or buildings above ₹50,000 a month — section 393(1) of the Income-tax Act, 2025, earlier section 194-I.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 11 MIN READ
Pre-leased commercial property: how to evaluate it
A pre-leased property is sold with a tenant already paying rent. Judge it on the lease (who the tenant is, how long is left, lock-in and escalation), the tenant's ability to pay, the net yield after costs and vacancy, and what happens when the tenant leaves — not on the headline yield in the brochure.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 10 MIN READ
Renting a shop: what to check
Before renting a shop, watch the street at different times, confirm the unit is approved for your trade, and check that you can get the licences your business needs — shop and establishment registration under your state's Act and the municipal trade licence — along with enough power, parking and a CAM figure you can live with.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 9 MIN READ
SCO plots and commercial plots: what buyers should know
An SCO (shop-cum-office) plot is a commercial plot on which the owner builds a small building with shops below and offices above, a format common in planned sectors in Haryana and Punjab. Before buying one, check the colony's licence or allotment, the permitted floors, FAR and use in the plan, whether a building plan can be sanctioned, and the deadlines for construction and completion.
Read the guide →BUYING · 10 MIN READ
Where to buy: how to choose a city and locality
Pick the city by your work and family, then score each locality on the same handful of things, checking every promise on an official source rather than a brochure.
Read the guide →BUYING · 8 MIN READ
Residential, commercial or industrial: which property suits you
The three categories differ less in bricks than in rules: land use, loans, GST, tenants and exit all work differently. Here is how, and who each one suits.
Read the guide →BUYING · 8 MIN READ
Apartment, builder floor, independent house or plot: choosing the type
The right type follows from four questions: how much of your money should be in land, how soon you need to move in, how much upkeep you will do, and how much paperwork risk you can manage.
Read the guide →LAND · 8 MIN READ
Buying industrial land or sheds in India: the basics
Most industrial plots in organised estates are leasehold allotments from a state agency, so the allotment terms, transfer rules and your activity's consents matter as much as the price.
Read the guide →RENTING · 8 MIN READ
Rent agreement, step by step
Agree the terms, draft them in full, stamp the agreement at your state's rate, register it where the law requires, sign with witnesses, complete police verification where your city asks, and keep receipts.
Read the guide →BUYING · 8 MIN READ
Final checks before you buy: a step-by-step guide
Do the checks in the right order: money and site first, then title and approvals with a lawyer, then a small token with written terms, then the agreement, the loan, the NOC and the registered sale deed.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 10 MIN READ
Government housing schemes in India: PMAY-Urban 2.0 and how to apply
What PMAY-Urban 2.0 offers, who qualifies, how the home loan interest subsidy actually reaches you, and where state housing boards and development authority schemes fit in.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 9 MIN READ
Property mutation (dakhil kharij / namantaran): what it is and how to apply
Mutation moves the government's record into the new owner's name after a sale, inheritance or gift. It is essential, it is not title, and it works differently for land and for city property.
Read the guide →BUYING · 9 MIN READ
Buying under-construction property: RERA protections and the risks
An under-construction flat is a promise backed by a registered project, a separate bank account and a statute. Here is what RERA actually protects, what it does not, and how the taxes work.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 8 MIN READ
Buying or leasing property for a school
School premises are judged by the board, the state education department, the town planner and the fire department. Choose land that passes all four before you sign.
Read the guide →BUYING · 8 MIN READ
Bank auction properties: how SARFAESI e-auctions work
Bank auctions can be a fair way to buy, but the bank sells on an 'as is where is' basis. Here is the process, the deadlines in the rules, and the checks that are entirely your job.
Read the guide →LAND · 8 MIN READ
Agricultural land: who can buy it and what to check
Whether you can buy farmland depends on your state, your status as an agriculturist and your residency. Conversion and land records decide what you can do with it after.
Read the guide →BUYING · 11 MIN READ
Apartment vs plot: which is the better property investment?
A flat earns rent but its building ages; a plot earns nothing but the land is the whole asset. How the two compare on returns, costs, loans, tax and risk, and which suits which investor.
Read the guide →BUYING · 10 MIN READ
Ready-to-move vs under-construction: which flat should you buy?
An under-construction flat is often cheaper and newer at handover; a ready one is certain and GST-free. How price, tax, cash flow and risk compare, and how to decide.
Read the guide →BUYING · 10 MIN READ
Apartment vs villa: cost, land share, upkeep and resale compared
A villa gives you land, privacy and room to change things; an apartment gives you shared costs, security and an easier sale. How the two compare, and where gated villa communities fit.
Read the guide →BUYING · 10 MIN READ
High-rise vs low-rise society: which building should you live in?
Tall towers bring amenities, views and lifts you depend on; low-rise buildings bring a bigger land share, lower upkeep and a clearer path to redevelopment. What changes as a building gets taller.
Read the guide →BUYING · 10 MIN READ
New launch vs resale property: price, paperwork, loans and tax
Buying from a builder and buying from an owner are different transactions, with different prices, paperwork, taxes and risks. What changes, and what to check in each.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 10 MIN READ
Freehold vs leasehold property: what you own, and what it costs to sell
Freehold means you own the land; leasehold means a public authority owns it and you hold a long lease. How that changes transfers, costs, loans and resale.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 11 MIN READ
Rent vs buy a home: how to decide with your own numbers
Buying is not always better than renting, and renting is not always money thrown away. A step-by-step way to compare them on your own numbers, with the tax rules for each.
Read the guide →COMMERCIAL · 11 MIN READ
Commercial vs residential property: which investment suits you?
Commercial property usually pays a higher yield on longer leases, but empty periods are longer and the cheque is bigger. How it compares with residential, and where REITs fit in.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 14 MIN READ
Long-term capital gains tax on property: rates, indexation and how to work it out
Property held for more than 24 months gives a long-term gain, taxed at 12.5% without indexation. A resident individual or HUF selling property acquired before 23 July 2024 pays the lower of that and 20% with indexation. This guide shows how the gain is built up, line by line, with worked examples.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 11 MIN READ
Short-term capital gains tax on property: selling within 24 months
A gain on land or a building held for 24 months or less is a short-term capital gain. It is added to your other income and taxed at your slab rates under the regime you choose. This guide shows how to compute it, how the basic exemption and rebate interact with it, and how losses can be set off.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 15 MIN READ
Capital gains exemptions on property: sections 54, 54EC and 54F explained
Three exemptions can bring the tax on a long-term gain from property down to nil: reinvesting in a residential house (section 54, now section 82 of the 2025 Act), buying specified bonds (section 54EC, now section 85), and, for gains on assets other than a house, reinvesting the sale proceeds in a house (section 54F, now section 86). Each has its own deadlines, caps and lock-ins.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 13 MIN READ
GST on buying property: under-construction flats, ready homes, resale, maintenance and rent
GST is charged when you buy an under-construction flat from a builder — 5% of the price, or 1% for an affordable house — but not on a ready flat bought after the completion certificate, not on a resale and not on land. This guide covers commercial units, extras like PLC and parking, society maintenance and when residential rent attracts GST.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 12 MIN READ
TDS on rent: when tenants must deduct tax, at what rate, and how to file
Individual and HUF tenants not under tax audit who pay rent above ₹50,000 a month deduct 2% once a year and file it with their PAN — no TAN needed. Companies, firms and audited individuals deduct 10% on rent for land and buildings above ₹50,000 a month, every month. From 1 April 2026 both rules sit in section 393 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, and Form 141 replaces Form 26QC.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 13 MIN READ
TDS when buying property from an NRI: rates, lower deduction certificate and the forms
When the seller is a non-resident, the buyer must deduct tax at the rates that apply to the seller's capital gain — 12.5% plus surcharge and 4% cess on a long-term gain — not the flat 1% that applies to resident sellers, and from the first rupee. The seller can get a certificate for a lower deduction. From 1 October 2026, resident individual and HUF buyers no longer need a TAN for this.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 14 MIN READ
Income tax on rental income: how rent from a flat, house or shop is taxed
Rent from a house, flat, shop or office is taxed under 'income from house property'. You deduct municipal tax paid, then a flat 30% for repairs, then home loan interest. The result is added to your income. A loss can reduce other income by up to ₹2 lakh under the old regime, but not at all under the new regime.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 12 MIN READ
Municipal property tax in India: how it is calculated, paid and why it matters
Property tax is a yearly tax charged by your city or town on the land and buildings you own. Each city fixes it by its own method — annual rental value, unit area value or capital value — and its own rates. Pay it on time for the rebate, keep the receipts in the owner's name, and deduct it from rental income when you let the property.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 13 MIN READ
Tax on inherited and gifted property: receiving it, and selling it later
Receiving a property by inheritance or as a gift from a relative is not taxed. Selling it later is: the gain is worked out using the previous owner's cost (or the 1 April 2001 value) and their holding period, so it is usually a long-term gain. Gifts from non-relatives and gifts to a spouse have their own rules.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 12 MIN READ
Tax on jointly owned property: home loans, rent and capital gains for co-owners
When a property is owned jointly, each co-owner is taxed separately on their own share — of rent, of the gain when it is sold — and claims their own deductions and exemptions. A co-owner who is also a co-borrower can claim home loan benefits up to their own limits. Who actually paid for the property matters: if one spouse funded the other's share, clubbing can move the income back.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 12 MIN READ
Home loan eligibility explained: income, FOIR, age, LTV and the property itself
Your eligible loan is the smallest of three numbers: what your income can repay, what the loan-to-value cap allows on the property, and what the lender will accept after checking the property. How each is worked out, with arithmetic.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 11 MIN READ
Credit score for a home loan: what lenders read, and how to fix errors
Your credit report decides whether a lender says yes and, with many lenders, which rate you get. What is in the report, what lenders look at beyond the score, and how the Reserve Bank's rules help you correct a mistake.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 11 MIN READ
Down payment and total cash needed to buy a home
The loan covers part of the price and none of the stamp duty on most homes. A line-by-line plan of the cash a purchase actually needs, with two worked examples: a resale flat and an under-construction one.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 12 MIN READ
Fixed vs floating home loan rates: EBLR, repo, MCLR and your rights at a reset
Most home loans in India are floating, and since October 2019 new floating loans from banks follow an external benchmark such as the repo rate. How the rate is built, how often it moves, what happens to your EMI or tenure, and when a fixed rate or a switch makes sense.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 10 MIN READ
Loan against property (LAP): uses, limits, rates and risks
A loan against property lets you borrow against a home or commercial property you already own, for almost any legitimate purpose. It is cheaper than unsecured credit, but your property is the security. How it works and what to watch.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 11 MIN READ
Plot loans and construction loans: financing land and building your own house
Buying a plot and building on it needs two kinds of finance, and lenders treat both differently from a flat. What a plot loan covers, why lenders set a construction deadline, how a construction loan is released in stages, and what papers you need.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 11 MIN READ
Home loans for NRIs: FEMA rules, repayment, power of attorney and documents
Non-resident Indians and OCI cardholders can borrow from Indian banks and housing finance companies to buy a home in India, on the same broad terms as residents, with a few foreign-exchange conditions. What those conditions are and how to manage the loan from abroad.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 10 MIN READ
Home loan balance transfer and top-up loans: when switching pays
A lower rate elsewhere is only half the sum. What a balance transfer costs, how to work out whether it pays, why asking your own lender first is often better, and what a top-up loan is good and bad for.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 11 MIN READ
The home loan process: from application to sanction, disbursement and getting your documents back
What happens between applying for a home loan and the lender paying the seller, what each document means, and what happens to your original property papers, including the Reserve Bank's 30-day rule and ₹5,000-a-day compensation when the loan is closed.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 10 MIN READ
Women and joint home loans: stamp duty, co-borrowers, co-owners and tax
Buying in a woman's name or jointly can lower stamp duty in some states, raise eligibility and double some tax deductions. But a co-borrower is not automatically a co-owner, and every borrower is liable for the whole loan. How to set it up properly.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 10 MIN READ
Home loan charges and insurance: what you pay beyond the interest
The interest rate is not the whole price. What lenders charge around a home loan, what the Reserve Bank's rules say about disclosure and penal charges, and why you can decline, or buy elsewhere, the insurance often bundled with the loan.
Read the guide →BUYING · 13 MIN READ
Indian real estate in 2027: the changes and trends to watch
A sourced list of the scheduled changes and visible trends that will shape buying, selling, renting and investing in Indian property through 2027. It describes what has been announced and what is under way; it does not predict prices.
Read the guide →BUYING · 11 MIN READ
How to negotiate a property price in India, with evidence
Negotiation works when you bring evidence the other side cannot dismiss: what similar homes actually registered for, the circle rate, the building's condition and your readiness to close. This guide shows how to gather it and use it with an owner or a builder.
Read the guide →BUYING · 11 MIN READ
How to check a builder's track record before you book
A builder's brochure shows the best of its work. Public records show the rest: what it promised on earlier projects, how late it delivered, who complained, what its company filings say and whether it has been through insolvency. Here is where to look and what to make of it.
Read the guide →FINANCE · 11 MIN READ
Property valuation methods in India, and how to read a valuation report
There is no single 'value' for a property. A comparable-sales figure, the circle rate, a yield-based figure for a rented property and a cost-based figure each answer a different question. This guide explains each method, when it is used, and how to read the report a bank's valuer gives you.
Read the guide →BUYING · 11 MIN READ
Snagging and home inspection at possession: what to check and how to record it
Snagging is the inspection you do before and at possession to find defects the builder must fix. Done carefully and recorded in writing, it protects you at handover and sets up a claim under RERA's five-year defect liability if problems appear later.
Read the guide →SELLING · 10 MIN READ
How to sell a property faster: price, papers and presentation
Most slow sales come down to three things: a price above what comparable homes sold for, documents that are not ready when a buyer's lawyer asks for them, and a listing that does not answer buyers' basic questions. This guide covers each, and how to keep a deal moving once you have an offer.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 11 MIN READ
Power of attorney for property in India: GPA, SPA, registration and NRIs
A power of attorney lets someone act for you — to register a sale, manage a rental or deal with an authority. It does not transfer ownership. This guide explains the types, the Supreme Court's ruling on 'GPA sales', the state-by-state formalities and the steps for an NRI signing a POA abroad.
Read the guide →DOCUMENTS · 12 MIN READ
Property disputes in India: the common types, the right forum and how to avoid them
Most property disputes fall into five types, and each has a forum that is usually best placed to hear it. This guide explains them in general terms, the time limits that can shut you out, and the checks that prevent most disputes in the first place. It is not legal advice for a particular case.
Read the guide →BUYING · 11 MIN READ
Green homes in India: IGBC, GRIHA, LEED and rooftop solar explained
A green rating tells you a building was designed, and sometimes built, to save energy and water and to be healthier inside. It does not guarantee lower bills in your flat. This guide explains the three main rating systems, how to check a claim, what the benefits realistically are, and how the rooftop solar subsidy works for houses and housing societies.
Read the guide →BUYING · 11 MIN READ
Senior living and retirement homes in India: what to check before you commit
A retirement community is a home and a service contract at the same time. The property may be sound while the services decline, or the other way round. This guide covers how to judge both, how the ownership models differ, what reverse mortgages are, and the legal protections available to senior citizens.
Read the guide →Comparisons
Two options side by side: costs, tax, risk, resale and which suits whom.
- Builder floor vs apartment vs independent house
- What is super built-up area? Carpet vs built-up vs super built-up
- Apartment vs plot: which is the better property investment?
- Ready-to-move vs under-construction: which flat should you buy?
- Apartment vs villa: cost, land share, upkeep and resale compared
- High-rise vs low-rise society: which building should you live in?
- New launch vs resale property: price, paperwork, loans and tax
- Freehold vs leasehold property: what you own, and what it costs to sell
- Rent vs buy a home: how to decide with your own numbers
- Commercial vs residential property: which investment suits you?
- Fixed vs floating home loan rates: EBLR, repo, MCLR and your rights at a reset
Guides by state
Stamp duty, the official value, land records, RERA and land units for each state and union territory, with the source for each figure.
- Buying property in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Buying property in Andhra Pradesh
- Buying property in Arunachal Pradesh
- Buying property in Assam
- Buying property in Bihar
- Buying property in Chandigarh
- Buying property in Chhattisgarh
- Buying property in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
- Buying property in Delhi
- Buying property in Goa
- Buying property in Gujarat
- Buying property in Haryana
- Buying property in Himachal Pradesh
- Buying property in Jammu and Kashmir
- Buying property in Jharkhand
- Buying property in Karnataka
- Buying property in Kerala
- Buying property in Ladakh
- Buying property in Lakshadweep
- Buying property in Madhya Pradesh
- Buying property in Maharashtra
- Buying property in Manipur
- Buying property in Meghalaya
- Buying property in Mizoram
- Buying property in Nagaland
- Buying property in Odisha
- Buying property in Puducherry
- Buying property in Punjab
- Buying property in Rajasthan
- Buying property in Sikkim
- Buying property in Tamil Nadu
- Buying property in Telangana
- Buying property in Tripura
- Buying property in Uttar Pradesh
- Buying property in Uttarakhand
- Buying property in West Bengal
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