Property Seller Guide

Selling first gives you certainty on proceeds and negotiating strength on the purchase, but risks being without a home if the next purchase slips. Buying first is more comfortable but can force a rushed sale at a discount. Section 54 accommodates both: it allows the new purchase within one year before or two years after the sale. So buying first does not forfeit the exemption.

From registered transactions in your own tower or sector, obtainable from the sub-registrar, rather than from portal asking prices which run 8 to 12% higher in NCR. Adjust for floor, facing, condition and whether your paperwork is complete. Our valuation tool gives you a starting band, and we can pull comparables for your specific building.

Brokerage is customary at 1 to 2% plus GST, usually paid by the seller in NCR, though this is negotiable and occasionally shared. Agree the figure and who pays in writing before marketing starts. Disputes over brokerage at the point of registration are common and entirely avoidable.

Expect an additional three to six weeks. The bank instructs its own valuer and legal counsel, and either can raise queries that stall the file. A low bank valuation is the most common problem: if it comes in below your agreed price, the buyer must fund the gap themselves or renegotiate. Pricing realistically reduces this risk considerably.

If you are resident and the consideration is ₹50 lakh or more, the buyer deducts 1% under Section 194-IA and deposits it via Form 26QB. It is credited against your final liability. If you are an NRI, the buyer must deduct at 20% plus surcharge and cess on long-term gains under Section 195, regardless of value. Apply for a lower deduction certificate under Section 197 before the sale if that exceeds your actual liability.

Yes, and it is routine. The buyer's payment first clears your outstanding loan, the lender issues a no-objection certificate and releases the original documents, and the balance comes to you. Request your foreclosure statement early. Lenders typically take seven to fifteen working days to release originals after receiving payment, and that wait can hold up registration.