40 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Plot in India

🏡 40 Questions You Must Ask Before Buying a Plot in India

🟡 THE JAMIN BAZAAR LAND BUYER'S QUESTION BANK

Before you fall in love with the land, find out whether you should own it.

⚠️ A Plot Often Comes With a Promise

Land is the only asset class in India where the seller controls almost all the information and the buyer carries almost all the risk.

A flat comes with a builder, a RERA number, and often a bank that has already run its own due diligence.

A plot often comes with:

🤝 A broker 📄 A photocopy 🗣️ And a promise

The difference between a good land purchase and a decade in civil court is rarely money.

It is questions.

Questions asked early. Questions asked in writing. Questions asked of the right person.

🔴 JAMIN RULEStop the moment an answer becomes vague."Sir, everything is clear" is not an answer.

📂 BEFORE YOU ASK ANYTHING

Get These 4 Documents First

You cannot ask intelligent questions about documents you haven't seen.

Before the site visit, ask for scanned copies of:

🚨 FIRST RED FLAGA seller who refuses to share basic documents before a visit is already telling you something.

Listen.

🟡 SECTION 01

👑 OWNERSHIP & TITLE

This is where the money is lost. Everything else is repairable.

01. 👤 Who Is the Legal Owner Today?

Does the name on the Patta match the name on the Sale Deed?

A mismatch between the revenue record and registered deed demands investigation.

Check:

Seller ID ↔ Sale Deed ↔ Patta / Revenue Record

All three should tell the same ownership story.

02. 📜 How Did the Owner Acquire the Land?

Was it through:

🟢 Purchase 🟣 Inheritance 🔵 Gift 🟡 Partition 🟠 Government grant

Each route creates different questions.

Inherited and partitioned land deserves particular attention to missing owners or signatures.

03. ⏳ Can I See the 30-Year Title Chain?

Don't look only at the current sale deed.

Follow the property backwards.

🏛️ THE TITLE TRAIL

Present Owner ⬆ Previous Sale / Gift / Partition / Inheritance ⬆ Earlier Owner ⬆ Mother / Parent Document

🟢 TARGET: 30 YEARS OF TRACEABLE TITLE

04. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 If It Was Inherited, Who Are ALL the Legal Heirs?

Ask for the appropriate:

• family tree
• legal heir documentation
• death certificate
• partition/release documents, where relevant

And ask the question that matters:

Will every person whose signature is legally required sign the sale?

One forgotten heir can become tomorrow's lawsuit.

05. 🌍 Is Any Owner a Minor, NRI or Represented by POA?

These situations require extra verification.

👶 Minor

Sale of a minor's interest may require permission from the competent court.

🌎 NRI

Check applicable FEMA, tax and Power of Attorney requirements.

📜 POA

A Power of Attorney is authority to act. It is not, by itself, a substitute for a registered conveyance of title.

06. ✍️ Is the Power of Attorney Valid?

If a POA is being used, ask:

☑ Is it registered where required? ☑ Is it specific to this property/sale? ☑ Does it authorise the transaction? ☑ Is the principal alive? ☑ Has it been revoked? ☑ Can I speak directly to the principal?

📹 If necessary, speak to the principal on video.

Don't verify a POA only through the person benefiting from it.

07. 🤝 Is the Property Jointly Held?

Ask:

Are there other owners?

Then:

Is there any oral or unregistered partition?

Informal family arrangements are common.

Your purchase needs legally enforceable ownership, not merely a family understanding.

08. 🏦 Has the Land Ever Been Mortgaged?

If yes:

Ask for the release documentation.

A loan may have been financially closed while paperwork relating to the charge still requires attention.

Also ask:

📜 Where are the original title documents right now?

09. ⚖️ Is There Any Litigation?

Ask specifically about:

• civil suits
• injunctions
• partition proceedings
• arbitration
• ownership disputes

Get a written declaration.

Then independently check available court records, including eCourts, using relevant owner/property information where possible.

10. 🛣️ Is the Property Under Government Acquisition?

Could the survey number be affected by:

🚧 Highway expansion 🚇 Metro project 🛣️ Ring road 🏭 Industrial corridor 🏗️ Government infrastructure

Check relevant government and planning notifications.

🔴 A beautiful plot in the path of a future highway is still in the path of a future highway.

🟣 SECTION 02

🏗️ APPROVALS & LAND USE

Clear title on land you cannot legally use as intended can still be an expensive mistake.

11. 🏛️ Is the Layout Approved?

And more importantly:

Approved by whom?

In Tamil Nadu, this may involve:

🟢 DTCP 🟣 CMDA

Elsewhere, authorities differ by state and locality.

Don't accept:

"Yes sir, approved."

Ask for the approval number.

Then verify it yourself.

12. ⚠️ Is It Planning-Authority Approved or Merely Called "Panchayat Approved"?

These terms should not be treated as interchangeable.

Planning approval can affect:

🏦 Loan eligibility 🏗️ Construction permission 💰 Resale value 📜 Regularisation risk

Verify the actual approving authority and scope of approval.

13. 🌾 What Is the Land Classification?

Is it:

🟢 Residential 🟡 Agricultural 🔵 Commercial 🟣 Industrial

Read the classification from the relevant official records.

Not from the brochure.

14. 🚜 If Agricultural, Has Conversion Been Completed?

Depending on the state, you may need:

• DC conversion
• NA order
• other land-use conversion

🔴 "Conversion applied for" means conversion has not yet happened.

Don't price a future approval as though it already exists.

15. 🗺️ What Is the Master-Plan Zoning?

Classification and zoning are related but different questions.

Check what the applicable master plan / development plan permits on the property.

Your real question is simple:

Can I legally build what I intend to build here?

16. 🚫 Is the Plot Inside a Restricted Zone?

Check for:

🌊 CRZ 💧 Waterbody / lake / tank buffer 🪖 Defence restrictions 🌳 Forest restrictions ✈️ Airport funnel / height restrictions 🏛️ Heritage restrictions

A title deed does not erase planning and environmental restrictions.

17. 🛕 Is It Poramboke, Temple, Waqf or Assigned Government Land?

These categories deserve specialist legal verification.

Never assume that repeated private transfers automatically establish freely transferable private title.

🚨 If the classification looks unusual, stop and obtain an independent legal opinion.

18. 🏢 Does the Development Require RERA Registration?

If applicable, ask for the:

RERA Registration Number

Then verify it on the relevant state RERA portal.

Don't merely check that the number exists.

Read what was filed.

19. 📐 What Are the FSI / FAR and Setback Rules?

Your plot size tells you how much land you own.

It does not automatically tell you how much building you can construct.

Check:

• FSI / FAR
• front setback
• rear setback
• side setbacks
• height restrictions
• road-width requirements

🏗️ Buy for what you can legally build, not merely for the square feet printed in the advertisement.

20. 🌳 What Happened to the Layout's OSR?

For layouts where Open Space Reservation requirements apply, verify the OSR area and its legal status.

Make sure the "special extra plot" being offered isn't land earmarked for another purpose.

🔵 SECTION 03

📍 THE PHYSICAL PLOT

Paper and ground do not always agree. Make them agree before you pay.

21. 📐 Does the FMB Match the Actual Plot?

Ask for:

Survey Number + Subdivision Number + FMB Sketch

Then compare them with the land in front of you.

🚨 STOP if:

The shape shown in the Field Measurement Book does not reconcile with what you're being shown on site.

22. 📏 Will a Licensed Surveyor Mark All Four Corners?

Do this before paying the advance.

Have the property physically demarcated in your presence.

Verify:

📍 Corner 1 📍 Corner 2 📍 Corner 3 📍 Corner 4

And reconcile the measured extent with the documents.

23. 🧮 Do All the Land Measurements Reconcile?

Indian land records can use different units:

Sq Ft • Cents • Ares • Grounds • Acres

Don't eyeball the conversion.

Calculate it.

A small conversion discrepancy multiplied across a large property can become expensive.

24. 🛣️ Does the Plot Have LEGAL Access?

This is one of the most overlooked questions in land buying.

A road physically existing today does not necessarily mean you possess a permanent legal right to use it.

Ask:

Is it a:

🟢 Public road? 🔵 Approved layout road? 🟣 Gifted road handed to the authority? 🔴 Private road?

And:

What is its legally recorded width?

25. 🌧️ What Happens Here During the Monsoon?

Look at the plot's level relative to the road.

Then ask neighbours:

"What happened here during the last serious rain or flood?"

If possible, visit during wet weather.

Dry-season land can hide wet-season problems.

26. 🪨 What Is the Soil Like?

Ask about:

• filled land
• former tank/lake areas
• black cotton soil
• hard strata depth
• foundation conditions

If construction is planned, consider a professional soil investigation where warranted.

A cheap plot can become expensive below ground.

27. 💧 Where Will My Water Come From?

Ask:

Groundwater depth?

Water quality?

Borewell viability?

Municipal / metro water?

Piped supply?

In many cities, water availability can affect liveability as much as location.

28. ⚡ Is Electricity Actually Available at the Boundary?

"Electricity nearby" is vague.

Ask:

☑ Is supply available at the plot boundary? ☑ Is there a transformer serving the layout? ☑ Who pays for connection? ☑ Who pays for line extension?

29. 🚰 What About Sewerage and Drainage?

Ask whether there is:

🟢 Underground sewerage 🟡 Septic-tank requirement 🔵 Stormwater drainage

And then look.

A drainage line shown on a layout is not the same as a drain constructed on the ground.

30. 🏭 What Is Next Door?

Walk around the plot.

Don't inspect only the view the salesperson wants you to see.

Look for:

⚡ High-tension lines ⛏️ Quarry 🗑️ Dump yard ⚰️ Burial ground 💧 Sewage facility 🏭 Industrial activity

Then check what the master plan permits on neighbouring land.

31. 👀 Who Is Actually in Possession?

Look for:

• tenants
• caretakers
• farmers
• encroachers
• crops
• fencing
• temporary structures
• religious markers

🔴 Ownership on paper and possession on the ground are two different things to verify.

32. 🏘️ Are There Boundary Disputes?

Talk directly to neighbouring owners.

Ask:

"Is there any issue with this boundary?"

A short conversation over a compound wall can reveal things no glossy brochure ever will.

🟢 SECTION 04

💰 PRICE, PAYMENT & PAPERWORK

33. 💵 What Is the Guideline / Circle Value?

Find the official value applicable to the property.

Then compare it with the asking price.

A large unexplained difference deserves tax and legal scrutiny.

34. 🧾 What Exactly Is Included in the Price?

Ask for a written breakup.

Don't negotiate only the headline ₹/sq ft.

Negotiate the total cheque you will write.

35. 🧮 What Is My TRUE All-In Cost?

Add:

Land Price ➕ Stamp Duty ➕ Registration Fee ➕ Legal Fee ➕ Surveyor ➕ Mutation / Patta / Khata ➕ Applicable Development / Documentation Charges

= 🟢 REAL PURCHASE COST

State charges vary, so obtain the current rates applicable to the property and buyer.

36. 🧾 Are All Dues Cleared?

Check the latest:

☑ Property tax ☑ Water charges ☑ Electricity dues ☑ Other local-body charges

Ask for receipts.

37. 🏦 Will a Bank Fund This Plot?

A bank's willingness to finance a plot can provide another layer of scrutiny.

If multiple lenders decline the property itself after legal review:

Ask why.

Their answer may be more valuable than the loan.

⚠️ Bank approval is an additional check, not a substitute for your own lawyer.

38. 📜 What Happens If the Deal Fails?

Read the sale agreement carefully.

What happens if:

❌ Seller defaults? ❌ Buyer defaults? ❌ Title fails? ❌ Survey reveals less land? ❌ Approval is defective? ❌ Registration is delayed?

Negotiate the agreement, not just the price.

39. ⏰ When Exactly Will Registration Happen?

Don't accept:

"Very soon."

Tie payments to measurable conditions.

Example flow:

Document Verification ⬇ Legal Opinion ⬇ Physical Survey ⬇ Sale Agreement ⬇ Advance ⬇ Conditions Completed ⬇ Balance Payment + Registration

👑 40. WHO IS YOUR LAWYER?

And the more important question:

Is that lawyer actually yours?

If the seller or broker "arranges" the lawyer, you haven't created truly independent scrutiny.

Hire your own property advocate.

Pay for your own title verification.

Ask for the opinion in writing.

🟢 The lawyer should be loyal to the transaction's legality and your interests, not to closing the sale.

🚨 THE 5 ANSWERS THAT SHOULD END THE CONVERSATION

🔴 01

"The originals are somewhere else."

Original documents must be accounted for and their location explained and verified before you commit money.

🔴 02

"It's a GPA sale. Registration isn't needed."

A general Power of Attorney does not itself convey title.

🔴 03

"Approval will come after you buy."

Then consider buying after the approval comes.

🔴 04

"The EC is clean, so everything is clear."

An EC records registered transactions and encumbrances within its scope.

It does not, by itself, prove perfect title.

🔴 05

"Register at guideline value. Pay the balance in cash."

Walk away.

Apart from legal and tax problems, unrecorded cash creates a payment trail you may struggle to prove later.

🏆 THE JAMIN 7-STEP LAND-BUYING SEQUENCE

🟡 STEP 01 | DOCUMENTS

Collect and read the documents before the site visit.

⬇️

🟣 STEP 02 | SITE VISIT

Walk the boundary. Check the road. Talk to neighbours. Look at water, drainage and surroundings.

⬇️

🔵 STEP 03 | LAWYER

Get an independent 30-year title search and written opinion.

⬇️

🟢 STEP 04 | SURVEYOR

Physically demarcate the plot against the FMB.

⬇️

🟠 STEP 05 | GOVERNMENT PORTALS

Verify applicable:

DTCP / CMDA • RERA • eCourts • EC • Revenue Records

⬇️

🟡 STEP 06 | AGREEMENT + ADVANCE

Put the conditions in writing.

Then pay the advance through a traceable banking channel.

⬇️

👑 STEP 07 | REGISTRATION + MUTATION

Complete registration.

Then promptly complete the applicable:

Patta Transfer • Mutation • Khata Change • Revenue Record Update

⚠️ **DON'T RELAX AFTER REGISTRATION.

**Finish the post-registration record changes as well.

⚡ THE 60-SECOND PLOT CHECK

Before paying even ₹1, ask yourself:

If important boxes remain empty, your wallet should remain closed.

❓ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many years of EC should I check?

🟢 Prefer a 30-year search.

Don't rely only on the shorter EC handed to you by the seller.

Is an Approved Layout Plot Automatically Safe?

🔴 No.

Layout approval addresses planning/layout issues.

It does not by itself establish:

• ownership
• clean title
• absence of disputes
• all heirs' consent
• physical boundaries

Approval ≠ Title

You need both.

Can a Non-Farmer Buy Agricultural Land in India?

It depends on the state and the circumstances.

Agricultural-land rules vary considerably across India.

Verify the law applicable to the particular state and transaction before committing.

This is a question for an independent property lawyer, not the broker.

Do Plotted Developments Come Under RERA?

Where a plotted development falls within the applicable statutory requirements, RERA registration may be required.

Ask for the registration number.

Then verify it yourself on the state RERA portal.

What Is the Single Most Useful Physical Check?

📐 A professional survey against the FMB.

Do it:

Before the advance.

With the seller present.

With the boundaries physically marked.

A survey can expose a problem before it becomes your problem.

🏡 THE JAMIN GOLDEN RULE

Don't buy the brochure.

Don't buy the promise.

Don't buy because somebody says the price goes up tomorrow.

Buy the land only when the documents and the land tell the same story.

⚖️ IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Land law, stamp duty, taxation, planning requirements, conversion rules and registration procedures vary significantly by state and may change.

Engage an independent advocate for a written title opinion before purchasing property or paying an advance.