Home Off-plan
Off-plan
A payment plan is not a discount.
Off-plan gives you entry below market and instalments instead of a mortgage. It also gives you construction risk, delay risk and no income until handover. Both halves get modelled before anything is recommended.
The trade
What you're actually buying.
What are off-plan properties?
Off-plan property is bought before construction completes, usually at launch or pre-launch pricing, and paid for in instalments tied to certified construction milestones rather than dates. You are buying a contractual right to a completed unit, not a completed unit — which is the source of both the discount and the risk.
How do you check an off-plan project is safe to buy?
Four checks before any payment. Confirm the project is registered with RERA and has a project-specific escrow account. Review the developer's actual handover record on previous projects, not their marketing. Read the SPA for the delay and cancellation clauses. And check resale depth in comparable buildings, because that determines whether you can exit.
Can you sell an off-plan unit before handover?
Usually yes, by assignment, once a threshold of the purchase price has been paid — commonly 30–40%, set by the developer. It requires a developer NOC and a fee, and the resale market for a given project can be thin. Assume you may have to hold to handover, and treat earlier exit as an option rather than a plan.
Milestones
How the money actually leaves.
Representative only
Illustrative structure. Actual plans vary by developer and project and nothing here is an offer. Verify RERA registration and the escrow account before any payment.
20%
On booking
Deposit plus the 4% DLD transfer fee and developer admin. Confirm RERA registration and escrow before this leaves your account.
10%
At 20% construction
Milestones are engineer-certified, so a slow site defers your payment. That is cash-flow protection most buyers do not realise they hold.
10%
At 40% construction
Typically topped out. Assignment resale often becomes possible around here — check the developer's NOC policy and fee.
10%
At 60% construction
Fit-out begins and handover estimates firm up. The realistic point to arrange financing if the balance is not cash.
50%
On handover
Balance, first service-charge instalment, DEWA connection. Snag before accepting keys — remedy is much harder afterwards.