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✦ Insider Knowledge
What's Negotiable When Buying
Builders don't volunteer this information. Here's exactly what you can push back on — and what you can't.
🏢 Floor Rise Charges Save ₹2–8L
Negotiable
HIGH
✅What: Builders charge
₹20–100/sqft per floor above a base floor (usually 4th or 8th).
💡Tactic: Ask to waive
floor rise for floors 10–15. Above 20, negotiate 50% reduction. Builders often
agree near quarter-end to meet targets.
⚠️Reality: Floor rise
is 100% builder-defined (not regulated). It's pure margin for them — highly
negotiable.
🅿️ Parking Charges Save ₹3–10L
Negotiable
HIGH
✅What: Parking costs
₹3–10L+ per slot. Builders sometimes bundle free parking as an incentive.
💡Tactic: Always ask
for parking included in the deal. If buying 2+ units, demand free parking. For
high-floor units, parking is often waived.
📜 Stamp Duty & Registration
Negotiable
NO
❌Government mandated.
Cannot be negotiated. Currently 6% stamp duty + 1% registration in
Maharashtra.
💡But: Some builders
absorb stamp duty as a promotional offer ("zero stamp duty offer"). Always ask —
it's essentially a 7% discount.
🧾 GST (Under Construction)
Negotiable
NO
❌5% GST applies to
under-construction properties without input tax credit. Not negotiable.
💡Strategy: If a
project is close to OC (Occupancy Certificate), wait for it — GST drops to 0%
once OC is received.
💳 Payment Plan / Schedule Save ₹5–15L
Negotiable
HIGH
✅Subvention: 10:90 /
20:80 / 5:95 schemes where you pay less upfront. Builder pays your EMI during
construction.
✅CLP vs TLP:
Construction-Linked Plan offers 4–6% lower total cost. Ask for CLP with
milestone payments.
💡Tactic: Offer to pay
more upfront (30-40%) in exchange for a per-sqft discount. Cash flow is king for
builders.
🛋️ Furnishing Packages Save ₹5–20L
Negotiable
VERY HIGH
⚠️Builder furnishing is
typically 30–40% overpriced compared to doing it
independently.
💡Tactic: Decline the
furnishing package. Either negotiate it as a freebie, or hire your own interior
designer for 30–40% less.
🔧 Advance Maintenance
Negotiable
MEDIUM
⚠️Builders charge 2–3 years of
maintenance upfront (₹2–6L depending on project). This is
common but negotiable.
💡Tactic: Negotiate
down to 1 year advance. Once society forms, maintenance is set by
residents.
💡 Pro Tip: The best time to negotiate is end of quarter (March, June,
September, December), especially March and December. Builders have sales targets to meet and are most
flexible then.
🚫 Never do: Don't pay in cash. Don't agree to
undervaluation in agreement. Don't skip your own lawyer's review. These "savings" can cost you 10x in
legal trouble.
