Bhatia Builders
A buyer's pre-flight checklist — RERA, carpet area, the all-in cost, and the questions that save lakhs.
You found the flat. The light is right, the carpet feels generous, the sample kitchen gleams. Before the booking amount leaves your account, slow down — the difference between a good buy and an expensive lesson is a handful of checks most buyers skip in the excitement of a show flat.
Every under-construction project in Maharashtra must be registered with MahaRERA. Don't take the brochure's word for it — take the registration number to the MahaRERA portal and confirm the project, the promoter, the sanctioned plan, and the declared completion date all match what you were shown.
Pricing is quoted on carpet area under RERA, but marketing still leans on super built-up to make the rate look smaller. Ask for both figures in writing. A flat sold at a friendly per-square-foot rate on super built-up can quietly cost more per usable foot than one priced higher on honest carpet.
The headline price is the beginning of the conversation. Stamp duty, registration, GST on under-construction homes, parking, club membership, and the first year of maintenance can add a meaningful margin on top. Ask for a written cost sheet that lists every line, and treat any number that's 'roughly' anything as a number you don't yet know.
Never wire a booking amount before the agreement is registered and the cost sheet is in writing. Bhatia Builders Editorial
A beautiful render is easy; a handed-over building is hard. Visit a completed project by the same developer. Talk to residents about timelines, finish quality, and how the society was handed over. A builder who delivered on their last three projects is telling you more than any brochure can.
None of this is meant to dampen the excitement of a new home — it's meant to protect it. Do the checks once, calmly, and you get to enjoy the light and the carpet without the quiet worry that you missed something.