Due diligence: a buyer's checklist

Appoint your own lawyer first

Independent means independent: not the developer''s lawyer, not the agent''s cousin. Expect a fixed fee and a written scope.

Title and land

• Deed category and history — how the land came to be held.
• Encumbrances: mortgages, charges, injunctions, caveats.
• Plot boundaries matching the site plan you were shown.
• Whether the plot is inside a restricted or military zone.

Development and build

• Valid building permit for the specific block and floor.
• Planning approval matching the marketed layout and amenity list.
• Completion history of the developer: delivered projects, delays, disputes.
• Whether communal areas and infrastructure are contractually committed.

Contract protections

1. Payment tied to construction milestones, not calendar dates alone.
2. Specification schedule attached, with named finishes and brands.
3. Delivery date with a defined remedy for delay.
4. Registration of the contract at the Land Registry, with a deadline.
5. Clear treatment of transfer taxes, VAT and who bears what.
6. Exit terms if Permission to Purchase is refused.

Money

• Pay into named accounts referenced in the contract; never to individuals.
• Keep every receipt; they matter at deed transfer.
• Confirm the currency of the contract and who carries exchange risk.

Red flags

Pressure to pay before searches. Refusal to share the permit. A specification described only in adjectives. Reservation fees that are non-refundable before your lawyer has reported.

Everything on this list is answerable in writing. If an answer keeps moving, that is the answer.