20 Questions to Ask a Builder in Writing Before You Book Your First Home

Why email beats a sales chat

Sales teams are often helpful and honest. But a spoken answer cannot be checked tomorrow. An email can. Group your questions, send them once, and keep the replies in one folder.

Registration and approvals

1. What is the project's RERA registration number?
2. Which company is the registered promoter, and is it the company that will sign my agreement?
3. Which authority sanctioned the building plan, and can you share the sanction?
4. Is the whole project registered, or only one phase? Which phase is my flat in?
5. Can you share the title documents and a recent encumbrance certificate for the land?

Area and what is included

1. What is the carpet area of this exact flat, as defined in section 2(k) of RERA?
2. What is the area of the balcony, if any, shown separately?
3. Is car parking included, and is it covered or open?
4. Which items are in the base price and which are charged extra?

Money

1. What is the total cost, with every charge listed, including GST?
2. What is the payment schedule, and is each instalment tied to a construction stage?
3. Which bank holds the separate project account required under section 4(2)(l)(D)?
4. What do I pay at booking, and what do I pay when the agreement is registered?

On GST: for an under-construction flat, the tax is split equally between the Centre (CGST) and the state (SGST). Ask the builder to show the rate and the split on the cost sheet. A completed flat with an occupancy certificate is not charged GST.

Specification

1. Can you share the specification list that will be attached to the agreement?
2. What brands or grades are committed for doors, tiles, sanitary ware and wiring?
3. If a specified item is unavailable, what is the rule for replacing it?

Handover and after

1. What is the possession date in the agreement for sale?
2. Will the occupancy certificate be obtained before handover?
3. When will the owners' association be formed and the common areas handed over?
4. What maintenance charges are expected for the first year, and is a deposit collected?

Asking politely

A simple opening works: "Thank you for the visit. Before we decide, could you confirm the following by email?" Number your questions so the replies can be numbered too.

When the answer is silence

A missing reply to a question about registration, area or cost is a reply. You may still like the project, but you now know where the gaps are.

Worked example: why the "total cost" question matters

Illustrative figures only. Not a Reeva price. A sales team says a flat is "₹65 lakh". Your email asks for the total cost, every charge listed. The reply shows:

• Base price: ₹65,00,000
• Covered car parking: ₹3,00,000
• Amenity and club charges: ₹1,50,000
• GST at 5% on base price and parking (₹68 lakh): ₹3,40,000
• Maintenance deposit: ₹1,00,000

Total: ₹73,90,000. That is ₹8.9 lakh more than the figure on the call, about 14% higher. None of these charges is unusual. The problem is only finding out late. With the full list, you can plan your down payment and your loan properly.

Also check the GST line yourself. For a flat outside the "affordable" category, GST on an under-construction home is 5% without input tax credit, split as 2.5% CGST and 2.5% SGST. Ask which items it is charged on.

Step by step: how to send and track your questions

1. After your site visit, write one email. Copy the list above, and add any questions from your visit.
2. Number every question. Ask the builder to reply using the same numbers.
3. Give a fair deadline. A week is reasonable for a full set of answers with documents.
4. Check each answer. Look up the RERA number yourself. Compare the carpet area with the RERA page and the draft agreement.
5. Mark the gaps. Any question that was skipped or answered vaguely goes on a follow-up list.
6. Send the follow-up. One short email, only the open questions.
7. Give the whole thread to your lawyer. Ask them to check that the agreement matches the answers.

Answers that need a second look

• "Standard specifications." Ask for the list that will be attached to the agreement.
• "Possession by end of next year." Ask for the date written in the agreement for sale. That is the date section 18 of RERA measures delay against.
• "Approx. 1,200 sq ft." Ask for the carpet area of the exact unit, in square feet or square metres.
• "Charges as applicable." Ask for the amount, or how it will be worked out.
• "We will share after booking." Ask for it before you pay anything beyond a small token.

Common mistakes first-time buyers make

• Asking on WhatsApp voice notes. Hard to search, easy to lose. Use email.
• Paying a large booking amount first. Under section 13(1) of RERA, a builder cannot take more than 10% of the cost before a registered agreement for sale. Keep any early payment small until your questions are answered.
• Not checking the replies against the agreement. The agreement is what counts. If it says something different from the email, ask for the agreement to be corrected.
• Asking only about the flat. Ask about the land, the approvals and the handover too. They protect the value of your flat.

A simple tracking sheet

Make a table with four columns: question number, question, answer received (yes or no), and document attached (yes or no). Fill it in as replies come. When you compare two projects, put the sheets side by side. The project with more "yes" in the last column is the one that has shown you more, not just told you more.

Questions about the people

1. Who will be my point of contact after booking, and how do I reach them?
2. How will demand letters and receipts be sent to me?
3. Who handles complaints after handover, and in what time?

These sound minor, but they shape your experience over the years between booking and keys. A builder who has clear answers here usually has clear processes elsewhere too.

A sample opening email

You can adapt this:

"Dear team, thank you for showing us the project on Saturday. We are first-time buyers and want to be sure we understand everything before we decide. Could you please reply to the numbered questions below by email, attaching documents where mentioned? We are happy to wait a week for a full reply. Thank you."

Polite, clear and specific emails get better answers. They also show the builder that you are a careful buyer, which is no bad thing.

After you book

Keep the same habit. Every change, delay or extra charge after booking should come to you in writing, and every reply you send should be in writing too. Under section 14(2) of RERA, changes to your flat's sanctioned plan and specifications need your previous written consent. A tidy email trail makes that consent, or your refusal, easy to show.

If you are looking at The Shalott Marque, send us this list and we will answer it in writing. Start from the project page or write to info@suyug.com.