Before you pay the booking money: a 12-point checklist

The land and the building

Start with what you are actually buying.

• 1. Title: have your own lawyer review the chain of deeds, the record-of-rights, the mutation and the land development tax receipts.
• 2. Approvals: see the approved plan and confirm that the floors, the units and your flat's position match what you are buying.
• 3. The exact unit: get the flat number, floor, facing and size in writing, and ask how the size is measured — with or without a share of common space.
• 4. Specifications: ask for the written specification list covering structure, lifts, generator and fittings, not just the brochure.

The money

Next, make sure the numbers add up — all of them, not just the headline price.

• 5. Total cost: land-share or flat price, estimated construction cost, service charge, parking, utility connections and registration costs.
• 6. Payment schedule: instalment amounts and dates, and whether they follow the calendar or construction milestones.
• 7. Late payment: at Asseto, a delayed instalment attracts a 5% charge, with a further 5% for each later delay, and three outstanding instalments can lead to cancellation.
• 8. Receipts: confirm that you will receive a money receipt for every payment, and pay only through banking channels.

The way out

Nobody books expecting to cancel, but circumstances change.

• 9. Refund and resale: read the refund policies for both before and after land registration, including the office charges and timelines.
• 10. Delay: find out what happens if handover is late for reasons within the developer's control.

The relationship

Finally, understand how you and the developer will work together for the next few years.

• 11. Changes: know which design changes are allowed, and when and how to request them. Asseto accepts at most two change requests before plan approval, and none that affect the structure, kitchens or bathrooms.
• 12. Communication: know how you will receive progress updates, notices and documents, and whom to call when you have a question.

Then sign — and keep copies

When everything checks out, sign the booking form, pay the booking money by bank transfer or pay order, and keep the booking deed and money receipt somewhere safe, with scanned copies stored online. Then put your instalment dates in your calendar.

A booking handled carefully is the start of a relationship that will last for years — and the paperwork you gather now is exactly what you will need at registration, at handover and if you ever sell.