Most bad property purchases are not bad luck. They are checks somebody skipped. Here is the list we work through on every deal.
Most people spend more time comparing phones than verifying a property that costs a hundred times as much. That is not a criticism — the process is opaque, and nobody explains it. So here it is.
Start with the title
The title is the chain of ownership. A title search traces it back over a period of years and confirms two things: that the person selling can legally sell, and that the property carries no undisclosed mortgage, litigation or encumbrance.
Do not accept a photocopy and a reassurance. A solicitor should run this and give you a written opinion. If a seller resists a title search, that resistance is your answer.
Then the approvals
For any project still under construction, the developer needs the commencement certificate, and for a completed one, the occupation certificate. The OC matters more than people realise — without it, the building is not legally fit for occupation, and you can face difficulty with everything from a home loan to a water connection.
Check RERA yourself
MahaRERA publishes registered projects on a public portal: approvals, plans, committed possession dates. Ask for the registration number, then look it up yourself. Do not let anyone — including us — look it up on your behalf and tell you what it says.
If a project that should be registered is not, stop.
For a society flat, add these
- The share certificate, confirming the seller's membership
- A no-objection certificate from the society for the transfer
- Confirmation that maintenance dues are clear — arrears follow the flat, not the seller
- The society's stance on redevelopment, if that is on the table
What we do
We coordinate the title search, pull the approvals, hand you the RERA number, and check the society paperwork before you commit. Not as an upsell. Because the alternative is you finding out later.
If something does not check out, we will tell you, even when it costs us the deal. That is the whole point of hiring a consultant rather than a salesperson.
