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Compare the specific apartments on five things before you compare their quoted prices: all-in cost, legally usable possession date, construction and approval risk, what you can physically inspect, and how much uncertainty your finances can absorb. An under-construction apartment may spread payments over time, but its completion date and final condition remain ahead. A ready-to-move apartment can be occupied sooner and inspected, yet it may command a higher upfront payment and still require title, certificate and defect checks.
This guide is India-specific. “Ready-to-move” is a marketing description, not proof that a building is legally occupiable. For a completed sale, verify the competent authority’s completion certificate and, where applicable, occupancy certificate. Those dates can also determine whether GST is payable.
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Start with a like-for-like comparison
Do not compare a developer’s headline price for one apartment with the final price of another. Match the attributes that affect both value and usability:
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- same locality and access to roads, public transport, schools and services;
- equivalent carpet area, not merely the advertised super built-up area;
- similar floor, orientation, view, ventilation, natural light and noise exposure;
- the same parking entitlement and treatment of balconies, terraces and storage;
- the same promised amenities, utility connections and handover scope; and
- the same legal stage: an approved, certified completed unit is not equivalent to a tower that is still being built.
Ask for the sanctioned plan, the registered agreement for sale and a complete charge sheet. Keep the documents for both options in one file so that every number in your comparison can be traced to a written source.
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Build an all-in cost, not a price-per-square-foot comparison
The relevant figure is the amount required to own and make usable the apartment you are comparing. Prepare a written calculation for each option:
| Cost item | Under-construction apartment | Ready-to-move apartment | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quoted unit price | Price in the booking form and registered agreement; check whether it can escalate | Price for the identified, completed unit | Carpet-area basis, floor or view premiums and inclusions |
| GST | May apply because the supply is treated as construction service; rate and exemptions depend on the project and transaction | No GST on a sale after the competent authority issues the completion certificate, according to the Ministry of Finance clarification; a sale before that certificate can attract GST | Certificate issue date, sale and payment structure, first occupation where relevant, and the tax invoice |
| Stamp duty and registration | State and transaction specific | State and transaction specific | Current local schedule and the value on which the charge is calculated |
| Loan interest | Stage-wise disbursement can create pre-EMI or other interest before possession | A larger amount may be drawn earlier, creating earlier full-interest payments | Written lender schedule, rate, fees and total-interest illustration |
| Rent or temporary housing | Include rent and moving costs during the construction wait | Usually lower waiting cost, but include any overlap until the unit is usable | Your actual lease, notice period and realistic handover date |
| Parking, amenities and utilities | May be billed at milestones or before possession | May be charged at handover or already included | Agreement, annexures and full charge schedule |
| Fit-out and repairs | Budget for upgrades after handover and any specification changes | Budget for repairs, replacements, appliances and alterations revealed by inspection | Written specification, defect list and quotations |
| Maintenance and deposits | Advance maintenance, sinking fund or utility deposits may be collected before occupation | Confirm deposits, unpaid dues and the date the association takes over | Demand letter, association records and handover statement |
State-level transaction costs and personal income-tax treatment vary by location, date and buyer profile. Obtain current figures locally rather than inserting a generic percentage into the spreadsheet. Keep one total for the cash needed before occupation and another for the eventual cost after fit-out; this exposes a low booking price that becomes expensive once waiting, tax and finishing costs are included.
Understand when GST applies
The Ministry of Finance, Government of India, stated in a 8 December 2018 clarification that “there is no GST on sale of complex/ building and ready to move-in flats where sale takes place after issue of completion certificate by the competent authority.” The same clarification says GST applies to under-construction property and to ready-to-move flats sold before that certificate. The decisive fact is therefore the legal completion status of the specific sale, not the phrase used in an advertisement.
Ask for a copy of the completion certificate, confirm which building or phase it covers, and compare its issue date with the agreement, invoice and payment dates. If the developer says the unit is ready but the certificate is pending, treat the transaction as unresolved for GST purposes until a tax professional confirms the treatment.
CBIC’s rate listing accessed in 2026 shows a post-2019 structure that includes:
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| Category shown in the CBIC listing | Combined rate | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Residential apartments outside the affordable category | 7.5% combined CGST/SGST, or 7.5% IGST | Construction-service rate subject to the listed conditions and exceptions |
| Affordable apartments | 1.5% combined CGST/SGST, or 1.5% IGST | Eligibility and project conditions apply |
| Specified ongoing-project transition cases | The listing also shows 3% CGST plus 3% SGST (6% combined) in the applicable category | Only where the transition rules and project election apply |
These are not automatic charges for every booking. Project type, transition election, invoice structure and other conditions affect the result. Have the builder show the rate and legal basis on the tax invoice, then confirm a disputed or unusual case with a qualified tax professional. GST is separate from stamp duty, registration fees, municipal charges and any income-tax deduction.
Use RERA records to test delivery risk
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ overview of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act describes registration and disclosure obligations for covered projects. It also describes a requirement that 70% of amounts realised from allottees be deposited in a separate account for construction and land cost, with withdrawals tied to certification. Carpet-area disclosure and project information are intended to give buyers more visibility; they do not guarantee a particular possession date or construction quality.
Open the relevant state RERA portal and inspect the project’s own record:
- registration number, promoter and land details;
- approved plans, sanctioned phases, towers and the exact unit’s inclusion;
- declared completion or possession date and any revised dates;
- quarterly or other progress updates, approvals and uploaded certificates;
- pending complaints, orders, extensions or litigation disclosed on the portal; and
- the promoter’s contact and financial disclosures.
Check the exact phase, tower and unit. A registration for one phase does not prove that a later phase, amenity block or separate tower is covered. Compare the latest progress filing with what you see at the site and record discrepancies in writing.
Compare timing, cash flow and financing
Under-construction payment pattern
Payments are commonly linked to contractual milestones, but the agreement controls. Map every instalment against the construction event that triggers it, the lender’s disbursement rule and the interest that accrues before possession. A lower initial payment can still produce a higher carrying cost if you pay rent while servicing a loan.
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Request a written illustration from the lender for the actual offer: sanctioned amount, drawdown dates, interest-rate assumptions, pre-EMI or full-EMI treatment, processing charges and total interest. Never rely on a sales representative’s estimate of either the possession date or your eventual EMI.
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A completed unit may require a larger payment within a short period because the apartment, registration and handover are close together. In return, you can align the loan drawdown with a visible asset and avoid an open-ended construction wait. Check whether the seller requires payment before you receive certificates, keys or a registered deed; those events should be defined in the contract.
Model the cost of delay
For the under-construction option, create scenarios rather than one optimistic date:
- Use the agreement’s promised possession date.
- Add the contractual grace or extension wording, if any.
- Calculate monthly rent, loan interest, storage, transport and other temporary-housing costs for each additional month.
- Record the date on which you can cancel, claim interest or seek another remedy under the agreement and applicable law.
- Compare the resulting total with the ready unit’s price and immediate carrying cost.
Do not insert a “typical delay” or assumed market discount. No market-wide discount, appreciation promise or average delay figure is established here.
Measure product certainty and quality
What you know before construction is complete
For an under-construction booking, your evidence is the registered agreement, sanctioned plans, specifications, RERA disclosures and observed progress. A model apartment or brochure can illustrate intent but cannot replace the contracted specification. Identify the brand and grade of flooring, doors, windows, sanitaryware, electrical fittings, appliance provisions, fire systems, lifts, water supply and promised amenities. Ask how substitutions are approved and what remedy applies if an item changes.
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What you can inspect after completion
A ready unit lets you test light, ventilation, heat, noise, privacy, mobile reception, water pressure, drainage, lift waiting time, parking access and the condition of common areas. Visit at different times if possible. Photograph every defect and attach a numbered list to the handover record. Check whether promised landscaping, clubhouse, play areas, roads and utility connections are complete rather than merely visible in a rendering.
Physical visibility lowers construction-completion uncertainty; it does not remove title, encumbrance, approval, defect or association risks. A completed building without the required certificate is not equivalent to a legally occupiable home.
Checks for either apartment
- Verify identity and area. Match the unit number, tower, floor, carpet area, parking space and storage shown in the agreement to the sanctioned plan and RERA record.
- Review title and authority. Have a qualified local property lawyer check title, encumbrances, the promoter’s authority to sell, sanctioned plans and required local approvals.
- Read every charge. List GST, stamp duty, registration, maintenance deposits, utilities, parking, amenities, escalation clauses and cancellation consequences.
- Check the project record. Download the current state RERA filings and note dates, revisions, complaints and certificates.
- Obtain financing terms. Get the lender’s written disbursement schedule and total-interest illustration for this unit.
- Record representations. Put promised dates, specifications, amenities and remedies in the agreement or an attached, signed schedule.
Extra checks before booking under construction
- Read the registered agreement for sale for the promised completion or possession date, grace language, force-majeure wording, payment milestones, delay interest, cancellation and refund terms, and the definition of an offer of possession.
- Confirm that the exact phase, tower and unit are covered by the RERA registration and current approvals.
- Compare site progress with the latest RERA update; photograph the date-stamped construction status.
- Ask what interest or rent burden is expected before possession and include it in your all-in model.
- Do not treat lender approval, RERA registration, a model unit or a brochure as proof of delivery on a particular date.
Extra checks before buying a completed unit
- Request the competent authority’s completion certificate and, where applicable, occupancy certificate for the relevant building or phase. Confirm their scope and validity with the issuing local authority.
- Inspect the actual apartment and common facilities. Record incomplete work, defects, access problems, water and electricity arrangements, and repair or fit-out costs.
- Confirm handover conditions, conveyance or sale-deed process, association or society status, outstanding dues and continuing developer obligations.
- Check that the certificate, title documents, sanctioned plans and agreement identify the same building, phase and unit.
- Do not release the final amount solely because an advertisement says “ready.”
Kerala RERA’s buyer guidance says an allottee has the right to take possession and execute the conveyance deed within two months of receiving the occupancy certificate, and it describes a remedy for delay after the agreed date. This is Kerala regulator guidance, not a complete statement of every state’s process; check the rules and orders applicable where the apartment is located.
Choose with a decision matrix
| Your priority | Usually points toward | Condition that must still be met |
|---|---|---|
| Move in soon and inspect the actual home | Ready-to-move | Valid completion or occupancy documentation, clear title and usable utilities |
| Spread payments while construction advances | Under-construction | Credible progress, enforceable agreement dates and enough cash for rent and interest during delay |
| Avoid GST on a completed sale | Ready-to-move sold after the completion certificate | Certificate issued by the competent authority before the sale; verify the transaction facts |
| Customize finishes before handover | Under-construction | Changes are permitted in writing, priced clearly and reflected in the specification schedule |
| Minimize construction-completion uncertainty | Ready-to-move | Certificate, title, approvals and physical inspection all check out |
| Protect flexibility if your job or finances may change | Either, depending on contract | Compare cancellation, transfer, refund and foreclosure costs before signing |
The best choice is the one that remains affordable in a conservative delay scenario and passes the legal, tax and physical checks. A cheaper booking is not a saving if rent, interest, GST or remedial work erases the difference; a ready unit is not safer merely because keys appear available.
Common comparison mistakes
- Using super built-up area as if it were carpet area: compare the legally disclosed carpet area and the actual usable layout.
- Assuming “ready” means no GST: certificate timing and sale structure control the treatment.
- Counting only the base price: add taxes, registration, financing, waiting, maintenance, parking and fit-out.
- Relying on a possession promise: use the registered agreement, RERA filings and a delay-cost scenario.
- Confusing RERA registration with a completion guarantee: registration improves disclosure and fund controls but does not make delivery certain.
- Skipping the actual inspection: visible defects and unfinished amenities can materially change a completed unit’s cost.
- Applying another state’s rule everywhere: certificate, conveyance, stamp-duty and consumer-remedy procedures vary by jurisdiction.
A practical final comparison worksheet
Before paying a booking or signing a sale agreement, place these figures side by side:
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- carpet area and effective price per square metre;
- all taxes and government charges, with GST treatment documented;
- cash required before possession and at registration;
- loan drawdown dates and total projected interest;
- rent and other temporary-housing cost under realistic delay scenarios;
- parking, amenity, utility, maintenance and deposit charges;
- repair, appliance and fit-out budget;
- document status: title, encumbrance, plans, RERA record and certificates;
- contractual possession date, remedies and exit costs; and
- your personal maximum delay and monthly cash-flow limit.
Have a local lawyer review title and the agreement, and obtain tax advice where GST treatment is not straightforward. Make the decision from the documented unit and transaction, not from a generic “under construction versus ready” slogan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay GST on a ready-to-move apartment?
Not when the sale takes place after the competent authority has issued the completion certificate, according to the Ministry of Finance clarification dated 8 December 2018. A sale before that certificate can attract GST. Verify the certificate, sale date, payment structure and tax invoice for the specific transaction.
Does RERA registration guarantee that my apartment will be delivered on time?
No. RERA registration and disclosures, including the separate-account mechanism described by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, reduce information and fund-use risks but do not guarantee construction completion. Check the project’s current state-RERA filings and the registered agreement date.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWhat is the difference between a completion certificate and an occupancy certificate?
A completion certificate records completion in accordance with the applicable approved plans and rules. An occupancy certificate, where the local system requires one, addresses permission to occupy. The exact documents and sequence vary by authority, so confirm which certificate applies to the building and phase with the issuing local body.
Can I compare apartments using the advertised price per square foot?
Only after matching carpet area, layout, floor, view, parking, amenities and access. Advertising may use different area bases, so calculate the effective price for equivalent carpet area and add every tax, charge, financing and fit-out cost.
Should I hire an inspection service for a completed apartment?
An independent inspection can help document defects and incomplete work, but it does not replace title, certificate or approval checks. Confirm the inspector’s competence, scope and independence, and keep the written report with the handover record.
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