We are a builder, so this is an unusual thing for us to write. But we have watched a lot of site visits, and most buyers ask about the view and the kitchen and go home without asking the questions that would actually tell them what they are buying. Here are the ones we would ask.
About the land
1. Can I see the title documents and the lawyer’s opinion?
Not a summary. The documents, and the written opinion of the lawyer who examined them. Then have your own lawyer read them. If a builder hesitates, that is your answer.
2. What is the government fair value of this plot?
Stamp duty is charged on the higher of your price or the fair value. In some Kochi localities the fair value is high enough to change your cost by lakhs. The builder knows the figure. Ask for it.
3. Is any part of this land wetland, paddy or coastal zone regulated?
Kerala has strict rules on converting wetland and paddy, and Coastal Regulation Zone rules apply near the backwaters. A project that has cleared these will have the paperwork. One that hasn’t may be fine, or may spend years in litigation.
About the building
4. Which building of yours can I visit that was handed over five or more years ago?
This is the most important question on the list. A new building tells you nothing; every building looks good on handover day. A five-year-old one shows you how the builder specifies, finishes and maintains. Go, walk the common areas, and if possible talk to a resident.
5. What is the carpet area of this flat, and what area is the price quoted on?
Under RERA the price must be on carpet area. Some brochures still lead with super built-up area, which can be 25 to 35% larger. Compare only carpet to carpet.
6. What grade of concrete and steel, and who tests it?
You may not understand the answer, but you will learn a lot from whether there is one. A builder who can tell you the mix design and the name of the testing lab is a builder who has thought about it.
7. What are the external walls made of, and how thick?
Kochi is hot, wet and salty. Wall material and thickness determine how the flat handles heat and damp for the next forty years. Ask, and ask why.
8. How is water managed? Sump capacity, overhead tanks, treatment, rainwater harvesting.
Water problems are the most common complaint in Kochi apartments. Ask how many days of supply the sump holds if the Water Authority line fails, and whether there is a bore well as backup.
9. What is the generator capacity, and what does it back up?
Lifts and common lighting only, or also a few points in each flat? Kochi loses power more often than the brochure suggests.
About the money
10. Can I have a single sheet showing every payment from booking to keys, with dates?
Including GST, parking, corpus fund, advance maintenance and utility deposits. If it cannot be produced on the spot, ask for it by email before you pay anything.
11. What happens to my money before construction reaches my floor?
It should sit in the project’s RERA escrow account. Ask for the account details and the bank.
12. What is the declared RERA completion date, and what was the original date for your last project?
The second half of the question is the useful half.
About afterwards
13. Who runs the building between handover and the formation of the owners’ association, and for how long?
And what does that cost per month. This period can last a year or more and is when many buildings are either set up well or badly.
14. Are you still involved with buildings you handed over five years ago?
Some builders are; most are not. The honest answer is more useful than the flattering one.
15. Who is my single point of contact from today until I have keys, and what is their mobile number?
Then call it the following week and see who answers.
What to do with the answers
You are not looking for perfect answers. You are looking for a builder who has them, gives them plainly, and does not become uncomfortable at question four. The buildings we are proudest of are the ones we would happily take you to now, a decade on. Ask us the same questions; we would expect nothing less.