Documents to Collect Between Booking and Handover

Paperwork accumulates across several years and then matters intensely for about a fortnight — at resale, at succession, or when a defect appears. Knowing which documents to collect after booking a villa, and gathering them as they arise rather than reconstructing them later, is among the least glamorous and most valuable habits a buyer can adopt.

At booking, four items form the foundation. First, the agreement to sell, executed at formal launch. Second, a cost sheet showing the base figure alongside preferred location charges, plot premium, club membership, maintenance corpus, and the statutory lines of stamp duty at approximately 7.65% and GST at 5%. Third, the construction-linked payment schedule with its milestone definitions. And the Karnataka RERA registration number, which you should verify independently on rera.karnataka.gov.in rather than simply filing.

During construction, collect as you go. Milestone confirmations matter because they trigger your payments, so retain what evidences each stage being reached. Design-development sign-offs record what you approved for your own residence — programme, finishes, any wellness wing, cellar or library agreed — and become the reference point if delivery diverges. Change orders belong in the same file, with their cost and timeline effect recorded rather than agreed verbally.

At handover the list shifts to commissioning and liability. Ask for documentation on the systems serving the house and the community: the on-site water treatment plant, rainwater harvesting, the organic waste converter, fire detection, and the automation provisioning installed. Obtain the warranty and defect liability terms in writing, along with a closed snag list confirming what was rectified before you accepted keys.

Keep everything together and keep it complete. A buyer three years from now — possibly you, possibly your family — will need this file to sell, to claim against a defect, or to establish what was contracted. Ask our team at each stage what should have been issued to you, and chase anything missing while it is easy to obtain. Reviewing the the booking and handover sequence sets out where each stage sits in the sequence.

Related reading: Registration Day: The Process From Start to Finish.

FAQs

1. What should I collect at booking?
   The agreement to sell, the full cost sheet, the construction-linked payment schedule with milestone definitions, and the Karnataka RERA registration number.

2. What matters during construction?
   Milestone confirmations that trigger payments, design-development sign-offs recording what you approved, and any change orders with cost and timeline effects recorded in writing.

3. What should I obtain at handover?
   Commissioning documentation for the water treatment plant, rainwater harvesting, waste converter, fire detection and automation, plus warranty terms and a closed snag list.