First-Time Home Buyer Checklist for Bangalore

Before you look at a single property

• Fix the all-in budget. Sale value + stamp duty and registration + GST (under-construction) + parking + club charges + interiors. The last three are what break first-time budgets.
• Get a pre-approval, not a guess. A sanction letter tells you your real ceiling and makes you a serious negotiator.
• Decide the horizon. Under five years, prefer resale-ready inventory in an established locality.

Documents to see before you pay a token

1. Mother deed and 30-year title chain.
2. Encumbrance certificate for the last 15 years.
3. Khata (A-khata preferred) and up-to-date tax paid receipts.
4. RERA registration number, and the project page on the Karnataka RERA portal.
5. Approved plan, commencement certificate, and — for ready homes — occupancy certificate.

During the site visit

Walk the approach road in the evening. Check water source, borewell yield or Cauvery connection status, power backup capacity per home, visitor parking, and the actual distance to the school you have in mind.

At agreement stage

Read the delay clause, the escalation clause and the exit clause. Ask for the payment schedule to be milestone-linked, not calendar-linked.

Registration day

Carry PAN, Aadhaar, photographs, the sale deed drafts, stamp duty challan and your loan disbursement letter. Verify every spelling on the deed — corrections later are expensive.

The first month after handover

Snag list in writing, meter transfers, khata transfer application, society membership, and insurance on the structure. Keep one folder — physical and scanned.