Booking an under-construction home? Know this

Summary: Buying an under-construction home means committing today for future delivery. From carpet area clarity and hidden charges to payment schedules and delay compensation, the agreement you sign determines whether your expectations match reality. In our last column, we examined the legal checklist for buying a resale property. In such transactions, the risks usually arise from the past. Questions of title, unpaid dues, tenants and previous liabilities tend to dominate. However, buying a new or under-construction property is different. Here, the uncertainty lies in what has not yet happened. ​When you book a new home, you are committing money today for something that will be delivered in the future. Brochures, model apartments and sales presentations create expectations. The agreement you sign determines whether those expectations will be met. Before committing to a new project, the following clauses deserve careful attention. Carpet area versus super built-up area Developers often advertise the super built-up area, which includes a proportionate share of common spaces such as corridors, lobbies and staircases. The built-up area includes the apartment along with the thickness of the internal walls. The carpet area represents the flat’s actual usa

This article was originally published on March 01, 2026.