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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesBefore paying a reservation fee or signing for a new apartment, ask the developer to define exactly what you are buying, what may change, when you will receive it, what you will pay over time, and what happens if the project or your circumstances change. Get every material answer in the contract, plans, specifications, schedules or another signed document—not only in a sales conversation.
Use the questions below as a pre-booking checklist, then have an independent conveyancer or property lawyer in the property’s jurisdiction review the documents before you pay or sign. Rules for deposits, title, delays, fees and remedies differ between places; official guidance from the UK, New South Wales, Victoria and Singapore is useful for identifying issues, but none of those regimes automatically applies elsewhere.
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Start with the deal you think you are buying
Ask for a complete information pack before making a commitment. It should include the draft sale contract and schedules, the apartment and site plans, the written specification, the payment timetable, expected completion process, and any rules for shared areas. Keep the version you reviewed. If a salesperson later describes something differently, you can ask where the change appears in the documents.
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Marketing images are not a substitute for contractual wording. Treat a feature as included only when the contract, plan or specification identifies it clearly enough to enforce.
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1. What exactly is included in my apartment?
Confirm the physical specification
- What are the internal area, balcony or terrace area, ceiling heights and layout, and which plan controls if drawings conflict?
- Which flooring, wall finishes, doors, handles, sanitaryware, lighting, heating or cooling equipment and other fixtures are included?
- Which appliances are included, and what make, model, capacity or performance standard is specified?
- Is storage included? Is it inside the apartment, a numbered locker, or a shared facility?
- Is parking included, and is it a particular bay or merely a right to use a shared area?
- Are communal amenities—such as gardens, gyms, lounges, roof areas, lifts or play spaces—part of the development, and will all of them be ready at handover?
Ask what can change
Ask which plans and specifications are incorporated into the contract and whether the developer can substitute materials, appliances, layouts or finishes. Find out whether a change must be equivalent in quality, whether your consent is required, and how you will be notified. Ask whether a change can reduce the apartment’s area, alter a window or balcony, move a door, or affect storage and parking.
If you can select colours, finishes or upgrades, ask for the selection deadline, the price including taxes and installation, the payment date, and the consequence of missing the deadline. Request a written variation for every paid upgrade. NSW off-the-plan guidance specifically directs buyers to ask about finishes, appliances, design changes, construction visits and consent; Victorian guidance similarly stresses checking that the completed property matches the plan, brochure and contract.
2. What is the project’s approval and construction status?
Establish what is already approved
Ask which planning, building, environmental, fire-safety and other approvals have been obtained, which remain outstanding, and whether any approval condition could alter the design or timing. Ask who issued each approval and where you can independently verify it through the relevant local authority or registry.
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Identify the remaining milestones
Request a milestone schedule showing construction progress, inspections, practical completion, occupation or equivalent certification, subdivision or strata plan registration, and handover. Ask what must happen before you can receive keys and what could prevent registration of your individual title. NSW guidance treats remaining milestones and plan registration as matters for a buyer’s legal representative to investigate. Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority advises buyers of uncompleted private residential property to check the developer and project information before committing.
Do not treat a brochure’s “launch” or “construction started” statement as proof that all legal steps are complete. Have your lawyer verify the project-specific records.
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3. When will completion and handover occur?
Pin down the contractual dates
- What is the estimated completion date and the expected handover date?
- What event makes the completion obligation binding—construction completion, certification, registration or another milestone?
- Can the developer extend the date, by how long, and for which causes?
- Is there a contractual long-stop or sunset date?
- What notice must you receive if the date changes?
- What rights do you have if the long-stop or sunset date is missed, and what happens to your deposit?
Read the actual delay clause rather than relying on a target month in marketing material. UK government home-buying guidance describes a long-stop date as a possible contractual route to withdraw after a prolonged delay, but the effect depends on the contract and local law. NSW guidance also tells buyers to understand changes to completion and sunset dates and their rights when construction is delayed.
Plan for early or late completion
Ask how much notice you will receive to complete and whether the developer can require an earlier date than the estimate. Check that your mortgage offer, sale of an existing home, moving arrangements and insurance can accommodate the range of possible dates. UK guidance warns that timing changes can affect mortgage offers. Ask whether you owe interest, administration charges or other costs if you cannot complete on the date specified, and what happens if the developer is late.
4. How do the reservation, deposit and staged payments work?
Get a complete payment schedule
Ask for every amount and due date in one schedule:
- the reservation or booking fee;
- the contract deposit;
- any instalments linked to construction milestones;
- the balance due at completion;
- charges for upgrades, variations, parking or storage; and
- taxes, registration costs and other buyer-side expenses identified in the contract.
Ask what protects your money
Who holds each payment? Is it held in a client, trust or other protected account? Under what exact circumstances is it refundable, released to the developer or retained? Ask what happens if the project is cancelled, a long-stop date expires, you withdraw, you miss an instalment, or your finance is declined. Request written confirmation of the process and timing for any refund.
Deposit arrangements and permitted substitutes depend on the agreement and jurisdiction. NSW guidance advises buyers to understand both the deposit arrangements and their withdrawal obligations. Have a local lawyer explain the consequence of signing before transferring funds.
5. What legal ownership and shared-property rights will I receive?
Verify the title structure
- What title or ownership interest will the transaction convey?
- When will the individual title, strata title or equivalent plan be registered?
- Are there easements, covenants, restrictions, mortgages or other encumbrances affecting the apartment?
- What rules govern alterations, pets, noise, letting, business use and moving items through common areas?
Separate apartment rights from common property
Ask whether the balcony, windows, external walls, roof space, plant, pipes and entrance areas belong to your lot or are common property. Confirm whether parking and storage are separately owned, leased, licensed or common property, and whether the numbered bay shown in sales material is guaranteed. Victorian apartment guidance specifically flags the need to compare the apartment with its subdivision plan and to check whether parking is common property. NSW guidance highlights title restrictions and the completion and registration process.
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Ask for the proposed or registered plan, title documents and by-laws, then have your conveyancer check that the rights you expect are actually granted.
6. What will the building cost to run and maintain?
Understand recurring charges
Request an estimate of service charges, owners-corporation or strata levies, management fees, utilities allocated to shared systems, insurance contributions and any other regular payment. Ask what each charge covers, how the budget is approved, how your share is calculated and how charges can increase.
Look for future works and special levies
Ask whether the developer or building manager has identified repairs, façade work, lift replacement, waterproofing, landscaping, renovations or other projects. Request the maintenance plan, current budget, reserve or maintenance-fund information, insurance details and any proposed special levy when available. Ask who pays for defects in newly built common areas and whether the developer retains control of the owners’ association during an initial period.
Consumer Affairs Victoria’s apartment checklist highlights proposed works, funding, special levies, maintenance planning and building insurance. Governance names and fee structures vary by jurisdiction, so your lawyer should explain the documents used where the apartment is located.
7. How will inspection, defects and warranties be handled?
Arrange access at the right stages
Ask whether you may visit during construction, who must accompany you, what safety rules apply and whether an independent inspector can attend. Confirm when you can inspect before completion and how much notice you receive. A visit arranged by the sales team is not the same as an independent inspection.
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Put the defect process in writing
- How do you report incomplete or defective work?
- Is there a prescribed form, portal, email address or deadline?
- Which defects must be fixed before completion and which can be recorded for later repair?
- What response and repair times apply?
- Who is the after-sales contact once the developer’s sales office closes?
- How are disputes escalated if a defect is rejected or remains unresolved?
Ask for all structural, appliance, waterproofing, fixtures and common-property warranties, their duration, exclusions and claims procedure. Confirm whether insurance-backed protection exists and who administers it. UK government guidance describes “snagging” as identifying defects or unfinished work and recommends considering a snagging survey before completion. Victorian guidance asks buyers to establish whether works are complete, whether defect claims exist, whether guarantees are available and whether an independent building inspection is appropriate.
8. What will affect everyday use and future changes?
Check the building and its surroundings
Ask about access hours, lift capacity, deliveries, waste collection, visitor parking, noise controls and construction still planned on the site or nearby land. Request the latest site plan and identify future buildings, roads, substations, commercial spaces or shared facilities that could affect outlook, light, noise or access.
Confirm use and alteration rules
Ask whether the apartment may be rented, used for short stays, operated as a home office or altered internally. Find out which works require owners’ association consent, planning approval or building approval. Verify restrictions in the contract, title documents, by-laws and local authority records rather than relying on a verbal assurance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Documents to request before booking
Collect these documents and mark the version and date you reviewed:
- draft sale contract, schedules and any reservation agreement;
- apartment, parking, storage, site and subdivision or strata plans;
- written finishes and appliance specification;
- payment timetable and upgrade or variation price list;
- approval, certification and construction-milestone information;
- title, easement, covenant, by-law and common-property documents;
- estimated service-charge budget, maintenance plan, insurance information and proposed-works details; and
- inspection, snagging, warranty and defect-reporting procedures.
Ask your independent local legal representative which searches and official records are required. UK and NSW government guidance both emphasise understanding the contract and obtaining legal review; Victorian guidance adds particular focus on plans, maintenance, defects and insurance.
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Use the same comparison method for every apartment
If you are comparing developments, score each one against the same questions rather than comparing headline price alone.
| Comparison area | What to record | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Contract certainty | Included items, change rights, consent requirements | Signed specification, plans and variation clause |
| Timing | Estimated dates, extension grounds, long-stop or sunset terms | Contract timetable and delay clause |
| Money protection | Reservation fee, deposit, staged payments, refund and default rules | Payment schedule and deposit provisions |
| Ownership | Title date, restrictions, parking, storage and common-property rights | Title and subdivision or strata documents |
| Ongoing cost | Levies, management, insurance, planned works and special-levy exposure | Budget, maintenance and insurance records |
| Quality and remedies | Inspection access, defect deadlines, warranties and escalation | Snagging and after-sales procedure |
| Independent verification | Developer, approvals and milestone status | Official registry or authority records |
A practical booking sequence
- Request the full pack. Do this before paying a reservation fee; do not rely on a brochure alone.
- Annotate every promise. Match each sales statement to a plan, specification or contract clause. Mark anything that is not documented.
- Ask written questions. Send the checklist to the developer and require clear answers, including “not yet decided” where appropriate.
- Verify independently. Check approvals, title information, project milestones and developer details through the relevant local authority or registry.
- Obtain legal advice. Give an independent conveyancer or property lawyer the contract, schedules, plans and payment terms. Ask specifically about delay, withdrawal, deposit, title, restrictions and fees.
- Arrange technical advice. Near completion, consider an independent building inspection or snagging survey and confirm how its findings can be enforced.
- Pay only after conditions are understood. Keep receipts, the signed documents and the written answers together, and follow the contractual payment method exactly.
Warning signs that require a pause
- The developer will not provide the draft contract, plans or specification before taking money.
- A salesperson promises a feature but cannot identify where it is written.
- The reservation fee is described as “non-refundable” without a clear explanation of every circumstance.
- Completion dates are repeatedly described as guaranteed while the contract gives broad extension rights.
- Parking, storage, floor area or amenities are shown in marketing material but omitted from the legal documents.
- There is no named contact or written process for defects and warranty claims.
- You are pressured to sign immediately or discouraged from independent legal or building advice.
A pause is appropriate whenever a material answer remains verbal, ambiguous or inconsistent across documents. Ask for a corrected document or written clarification before proceeding.
Questions to take to your lawyer
Give your lawyer a short list of decisions, not just a request to “check the contract.” Ask whether the developer can change the design or specification without consent; whether the deposit is protected and refundable in relevant scenarios; how delay and a missed long-stop or sunset date operate; what title and parking rights you receive; which charges and special levies may arise; and what remedies exist for defects, late completion or non-delivery. The lawyer can also tell you which local searches, approvals and ownership records are legally relevant.
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