Short answer: Our pre-booking checklist looks at a Bengaluru flat through four lenses before we recommend it: the micro-market, the developer's track record, the property itself (layout, legal status and true cost), and whether it fits your life. Each check ends green, amber or red, and anything legal goes to your lawyer to confirm.
- Four lenses: micro-market, developer track record, property viability, buyer fit.
- Every check gets a colour: green (checks out), amber (unclear, needs a document) or red (stop).
- One red is enough to drop a flat, however much you like it.
- True cost, not quoted price: we strip out floor rise, preferential location charges and extras before comparing.
- Your lawyer confirms the legal checks. We flag what to verify; we don't give legal opinions.
This is the list we work through before a flat makes it onto a shortlist. Use it yourself on any flat. If you've already chosen one and are about to pay, our token and booking checklist covers the money-moving step.
Lens 1: is the micro-market sound?
| Check | Green | Amber | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commute at peak hour | Within your limit, tested | Tested off-peak only | Over your limit |
| Metro and roads | Running line or built road | Under construction | Only proposed |
| Water | Cauvery supply in place | Mixed supply | Tankers only |
| Flood history | No listed points or records nearby | Records on approach roads | Low-lying site or drain inside |
| Future supply | Little similar stock nearby | Moderate | Heavy new launches nearby |
Sources we use: our metro status page, Cauvery coverage guide and flood-prone areas guide.
Lens 2: can the developer deliver?
| Check | Green | Amber | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| RERA registration | Registered, details match | Minor mismatches | Not registered |
| Past delivery | Earlier projects near RERA dates | Some extensions | Repeated long delays |
| Quarterly updates | Filed and current | Late | Missing |
| Progress vs time | On track | Slightly behind | Far behind |
| Complaints | Few, resolved | Some open | Many unresolved |
Our RERA project review shows how to read the filings.
Lens 3: is the property viable?
| Check | Green | Amber | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title and approvals | Documents in order | Awaiting a document | Gaps in the title chain |
| Khata | Clear A-khata or e-Khata | Conversion pending | B-khata on a new flat |
| Layout efficiency | Low loading, usable rooms | Average | High loading, awkward plan |
| True cost | Within budget after all charges | Tight | Over budget |
| Light, air, noise | Good on a site visit | Mixed | Poor |
For legal steps, see our legal checks guide and khata guide.
Lens 4: does it fit your life?
| Check | Green | Amber | Red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget, EMI at rate + 2% | Comfortable | Tight | Over half of take-home |
| Space now and in five years | Fits | Fits now only | Too small |
| Must-haves | All met | One missing | Two or more missing |
| Exit | Clear resale or rental demand | Uncertain | Hard to sell or let |
Worked examples
Worked example 1: stripping a quote back to its real price
A 1,500 sq ft flat on the 12th floor is quoted at ₹10,000 per sq ft. Illustrative extras from a cost sheet:
| Item | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | 1,500 × ₹10,000 | ₹1,50,00,000 |
| Floor rise, ₹50 per sq ft per floor above the 5th | 7 floors × ₹50 × 1,500 | ₹5,25,000 |
| Preferential location charge, park-facing, ₹200 per sq ft | ₹200 × 1,500 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Quoted price after extras | ₹1,58,25,000 | |
| Effective rate | ₹1,58,25,000 ÷ 1,500 | ₹10,550 per sq ft |
That's 5.5% above the headline rate before stamp charges. We compare flats on this figure, then negotiate the extras first.
Worked example 2: is the project on time?
A project has a 48-month completion window on RERA. Thirty months have passed (62.5% of the time), and the latest update shows 40% progress.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Time used | 30 of 48 months, 62.5% |
| Progress shown | 40% |
| Gap | 22.5 points behind |
| If progress continues at this pace | 30 ÷ 0.40 = 75 months |
| Implied delay | about 27 months |
That's amber, and red if the promoter has a history of delays. See our delivery study.
How do the colours turn into a recommendation?
| Result | What we do |
|---|---|
| All green | Recommend, and move to price and terms |
| Ambers only | Recommend only once each amber is cleared with a document |
| Any red | Don't recommend, and explain why |
Pre-booking checklist
- [ ] Commute tested at peak hour.
- [ ] Metro, water and flood checked.
- [ ] RERA registration and filings read.
- [ ] Developer's past delivery checked.
- [ ] Title, approvals and khata sent to your lawyer.
- [ ] Price stripped to an effective rate with all extras.
- [ ] EMI tested at your rate plus 2%.
- [ ] Every check marked green, amber or red.
Lawyer note
Title, approvals, khata and agreement terms need a property lawyer's confirmation. We flag what to verify; we don't give legal opinions.
Frequently asked questions
A list of checks to run on a flat before you pay a booking amount, covering the area, the developer, the property and your own fit.
We look through four lenses: micro-market, developer track record, property viability and fit with your life. Each check ends green, amber or red.
A red does. Ambers can be cleared with the right document. We don't recommend a flat with an open red, however attractive the price.
We check what's available and list what your lawyer should verify. A property lawyer should confirm title, approvals and agreement terms.
On an effective rate that includes floor rise, location charges and other extras, and on carpet area. Headline rates can hide 5% or more.
We compare the share of the RERA timeline used with the progress shown, and check the promoter's past delivery against RERA dates.
Yes. Every check uses public records, site visits or documents the seller should give you. Mark each one green, amber or red.
We move to price and terms, then compare the options side by side so you can decide. Legal checks go to your lawyer before any payment.
Sources
Checked 19 Oct 2026.
- Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (registration, quarterly updates, carpet area, s.13): https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/resources/staticpage/Real_Estate_Act.pdf
- Karnataka RERA, project register: https://rera.karnataka.gov.in/viewAllProjects?language=en
