How to evaluate an apartment
before you buy it.
Two apartments in the same building can be genuinely different purchases once you account for facing, floor, the actual carpet area and who's running the maintenance. Here's what to check, in the order it usually matters, before you compare price per square foot at all.
What actually decides if an apartment is worth it.
Price per square foot is the number every listing leads with. These ten decide whether that number means what you think it means.
Builder track record
Look at what the builder actually delivered before, not what they're promising now. Check possession dates promised versus handover dates achieved on their last two or three projects, ideally in the same part of the city.
RERA registration & escrow
Confirm the project's K-RERA number and that it's current, then confirm the mandatory escrow account is actually running — 70% of buyer payments are required to sit in it, released only against certified construction progress.
Occupancy Certificate (OC)
The OC confirms the building was constructed as sanctioned and is legally fit to live in. Without it, utility connections and resale both get harder — moving in before it's issued is a real, common risk, not a formality.
Carpet area vs loading
RERA requires pricing on carpet area, not super built-up area. Bangalore's typical loading factor runs 30–40% — get the exact carpet figure in writing and do the per-square-foot maths yourself before comparing two projects.
Possession timeline & delay clauses
Read the builder-buyer agreement's delay clause specifically: what compensation applies per month of delay, and whether it's meaningfully different from what you'd pay in rent while you wait.
Amenities & maintenance
Ask for the actual monthly CAM/maintenance charge per square foot in writing, the one-time corpus deposit, and who runs maintenance before handover to the owners' association — a builder-run maintenance subsidiary can set charges with limited resident oversight.
Floor & facing
Beyond view and light, floor and facing affect resale demand in this market more than most buyers expect — mid-to-higher floors and north/east-facing units typically hold value better, though local preference varies by project and community.
Parking
Confirm the number of car parks actually allotted to your specific unit in writing, not just "parking available" — covered versus open, and whether an extra slot is purchasable, both vary by project and get contested at handover.
Water & power reliability
Ask whether the building relies on borewell water, BWSSB/Cauvery supply, or a mix, and what backup power covers — full-load or common areas only. Borewell-dependent buildings in some outer pockets have seen rising tanker costs as groundwater tables drop.
Resale liquidity
Check how quickly comparable units in the same project or immediate micro-market have actually sold, not just their asking price — a project with thin resale history is a genuinely different bet than one with an established secondary market.
How to actually evaluate one, step by step.
- 01
Search the builder's name on the K-RERA portal
Look at every project they've registered, not just this one — check for complaint orders, penalties, or a pattern of possession delays before you look at anything else.
- 02
Verify this specific project's RERA registration and escrow status
Confirm the registration number is current, cross-check the sanctioned plan against the sales brochure, and ask what percentage of construction is complete against what percentage of buyer payments has been collected.
- 03
Get the carpet area figure in writing and calculate the loading yourself
Don't accept a headline super built-up number. Ask for the RERA-mandated carpet area and work out your real per-square-foot price from that.
- 04
Read the builder-buyer agreement's possession and delay clauses
Note the declared date, whether it's already slipped once, and what compensation the agreement actually promises per month of delay — not what a salesperson tells you verbally.
- 05
Get the maintenance and corpus figures in writing
Ask for the exact monthly CAM charge per square foot, the one-time corpus deposit, what both cover, and the maintenance-transition timeline from builder to owners' association.
- 06
Visit the site and check floor, facing, parking and utilities in person
Confirm your specific unit's floor and facing, the number of car parks allotted to it in writing, and ask directly about water source and backup power coverage.
- 07
Confirm Occupancy Certificate status before you move in or pay the final tranche
For a ready or near-ready project, ask whether the OC has actually been issued — not filed, issued — before treating the unit as move-in ready.
- 08
Check resale comps in the same project and micro-market
Ask how recently comparable units actually sold and at what price, not just what's currently listed, to gauge how liquid this specific project is likely to be when you eventually sell.
Marketing terms vs the document that matters.
"Ready to move" is a sales phrase, not a legal status. These are the documents that actually determine whether you can safely move in or resell.
Status, decoded
4-way comparison| What you're told | What it actually means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| "Ready to move" | Construction is visually complete — this is a marketing claim, not a legal one | Ask directly whether the Occupancy Certificate has been issued, not just filed for |
| Completion Certificate (CC) issued | Confirms construction matches the sanctioned plan structurally | Not the same as an OC — ask specifically which one the project actually holds |
| Occupancy Certificate (OC) issued | The building is confirmed legally fit to occupy | The one document you actually want before moving in or relying on for resale |
| Neither OC nor CC yet | The project may be under-construction despite "handover" language | Get a written timeline for OC issuance, and price the risk of moving in without one |
Before you book, confirm all of this.
- Builder's last two or three projects delivered close to their promised possession date, with no unresolved RERA complaints.
- This project's K-RERA registration is current, and the sanctioned plan on the portal matches the sales brochure.
- The escrow account is running, with construction progress and payment collection roughly in step.
- Carpet area quoted in writing, with the loading factor over super built-up area calculated yourself.
- Delay-compensation clause read in the actual agreement, not summarised verbally by sales staff.
- Monthly CAM charge, one-time corpus deposit and the maintenance-transition timeline confirmed in writing.
- Your specific unit's floor, facing and allotted car parks confirmed in writing, not assumed from the brochure.
- Water source and backup power coverage for your specific building checked directly, not assumed from the amenity list.
- Occupancy Certificate status confirmed as issued, not just filed, before you move in or pay a final tranche.
- Resale comps in the same project or micro-market checked for actual recent sale prices, not just current asking prices.
See price bands
by micro-market.
Whitefield, Sarjapur Road, Marathahalli, Varthur, KR Puram and the Budigere belt compared on possession stage, price bands and what to check in each pocket.
Get the full guide, in writing.
Send your name and number and we'll send this as a checklist you can take into any site visit, plus flag anything specific to a project you're already considering.
Evaluating an apartment — answered.
What's the single biggest mistake buyers make evaluating an apartment?
Comparing two projects on price per square foot without first checking whether that price is quoted on carpet area or super built-up area. With a typical Bangalore loading factor of 30–40%, a "cheaper" project priced on super built-up can easily be more expensive per usable square foot than one priced on carpet area. Get the carpet figure in writing and do the maths yourself before any other comparison.
Is RERA registration enough to feel confident about a project?
No — it's necessary, not sufficient. RERA registration confirms the project is on record with a declared timeline and an escrow requirement, but it doesn't guarantee the builder will hit that timeline or that construction quality will match the sample flat. Pair it with the builder's actual delivery history and, closer to possession, confirmation that the Occupancy Certificate has been issued.
What's the difference between a Completion Certificate and an Occupancy Certificate?
A Completion Certificate (CC) confirms the structure was built as per the sanctioned plan. An Occupancy Certificate (OC) is the further confirmation that the building is legally fit to be occupied, and it's the document that matters for moving in safely and for a smooth resale later. "Ready to move" in a listing isn't the same as either — always ask specifically whether the OC has been issued.
How much should I trust a builder's promised possession date?
Weigh it against their actual track record, not the date itself. Check what possession date they promised on their last two or three projects and when handover actually happened. A builder with a pattern of delays is a materially different risk than one who has delivered close to schedule before, even if both are quoting you the same date today.
What should I check about maintenance before I buy, not after?
Get the exact monthly CAM or maintenance charge per square foot in writing, the one-time corpus deposit amount, what both actually cover, and the timeline for handing maintenance from the builder's management company to the residents' own owners' association. A builder-run maintenance subsidiary can set charges with limited resident oversight until that handover happens.
Does floor and facing really affect resale value in Bangalore?
It affects resale demand more than most first-time buyers expect, though the exact preference varies by project, community and micro-market. Mid-to-higher floors and north- or east-facing units tend to attract stronger demand in many Bangalore developments. It's worth asking your advisor or checking recent resale data for the specific project rather than assuming one rule applies everywhere.
How do I judge whether a project will be easy to resell later?
Look at actual recent resale transactions in the same project or immediate micro-market, not just current asking prices on portals. A project with an established secondary market and quick recent turnarounds is a meaningfully safer bet for future liquidity than one with little or no resale history yet.
Get a specific project
evaluated properly.
Send us the project you're considering and we'll walk the builder's record, RERA status and the agreement together.