Buying a luxury home in Bangalore: what to check beyond the brochure

The short answer: a luxury home is worth its price when the builder has delivered similar homes before, the project isn't crowded (look at homes per acre and per lift), the carpet area is generous rather than the super built-up area, the specifications are written into the agreement, and there's a real resale market for homes like it nearby. Everything else in the brochure, from the clubhouse to the "world-class" amenities, matters less than these.

We advise buyers across the ₹1.5 crore to ₹10 crore range. The higher the price, the more of it is paid for things a sample flat can't show you. Here is the checklist we use.

1. The builder's record with homes like this

Delivering an ordinary apartment on time is different from delivering a luxury one: finishes, imported fittings and custom layouts all add risk. Ask to visit a completed project by the same builder at a similar price point, and talk to residents. How did the finishes hold up? Did the promised amenities arrive? How did the builder handle snags after handover? Then check the project on Karnataka RERA: the completion date, quarterly progress and complaints.

2. Density: homes per acre and per lift

Two projects with the same flat sizes can feel completely different to live in. Work out:

• Homes per acre: total units divided by land area. Lower means more open space and less crowding.
• Homes per floor and per lift: fewer homes per core means more privacy and shorter waits.
• Open space: how much of the land is actually open, not just "landscaped" podium.

The figures are in the sanctioned plan and the RERA registration. A project that markets "luxury" with high density is selling the finishes, not the living.

3. Carpet area, not super built-up area

Prices are often quoted on the "super built-up" area, which includes a share of corridors, lobbies, the clubhouse and walls. RERA requires the carpet area, the usable floor space inside your walls, to be stated. Divide the price by the carpet area to compare projects fairly. The gap between the two (the "loading") varies a lot between projects. Ask for each room's dimensions too.

4. Specifications in writing

The sample flat isn't a contract. Make sure the agreement lists the specifications you're paying for:

• Floor-to-ceiling height (it shapes how the home feels more than almost anything else)
• Flooring, windows and glazing, doors and hardware, by brand or grade
• Kitchen and bathroom fittings, and what "provision for" really means
• Air conditioning, power backup (full or partial), and EV charging
• Private lifts, terraces or gardens, and exactly what area they cover

5. Light, aspect and privacy

Visit at the times you'll actually be home. Check which way the main rooms face, what's built or planned next door, and whether neighbouring towers look straight into your living room. On high floors, ask what can still be built on the plots around you. A view is only worth paying for if it can't be blocked.

6. Running costs

• Maintenance charges per square foot, and what's included.
• Corpus fund and deposits paid at handover, and how they will be handed to the residents' association.
• Water source: piped supply, borewells or tankers. It matters as much at ₹8 crore as at ₹80 lakh.
• The cost of staffing and maintaining large amenities with relatively few homes paying for them.

7. Resale depth

Luxury homes take longer to sell, because fewer buyers can afford them. Ask what similar homes nearby have actually sold for, not what's being asked, and how long they took. A location with established high-end demand, near good schools, offices and the city centre, holds value better than an isolated tower with the best amenities.

8. The paperwork, at a higher stake

The documents are the same as for any home; our documents checklist covers them. The costs are bigger: on a ₹5 crore home, stamp duty and registration come to roughly ₹38 lakh. See stamp duty and registration charges. If you're buying from an NRI seller, TDS can be large; see TDS when buying from an NRI.

What we recommend

• Visit a finished project by the same builder before you visit the sample flat.
• Compare projects on price per square foot of carpet area, and on homes per acre.
• Get the specifications, the carpet area and the possession date written into the agreement.
• Think about who will buy it from you, and at what price, before you buy it.