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15+ Checks Smart Buyers Always Perform
Modern property buyers - especially NRIs and urban professionals - conduct thorough due diligence before purchase. Understanding what they verify helps you prepare your documentation and set realistic expectations.
Buyers today are more informed than ever. They research online, hire advocates for title verification, and engage surveyors for boundary checks. Properties with incomplete documentation or unclear titles sit on the market for months.
This guide explains the verification process from a buyer's perspective. If you're selling, use this as a preparation checklist. If you're buying, this is your verification roadmap.
Properties with complete documentation sell 60% faster. Missing 12 Sala records, unclear heir NOCs, or pending mutations are deal-breakers for serious buyers.
15+ Checks
2-4 Weeks
Documents and records buyers will request
Buyers will request 12-year revenue records from Tehsil. This reveals ownership history, any government land origins, past disputes, and mutation chain. If you cannot provide this, expect serious buyers to walk away.
Prepare: Get Tehsil-certified 12 Sala in advance. Review it yourself first.
Buyer's advocate will trace ownership back 30+ years through registered sale deeds. Any gaps, undocumented transfers, or irregularities will be flagged. Family partitions without proper documentation are common issues.
Prepare: Gather all previous sale deeds and partition documents.
Buyers will obtain EC for 13+ years from Sub-Registrar. This reveals mortgages, liens, court attachments, and any registered transactions. Outstanding loans or pending legal cases will surface here.
Prepare: Clear all loans/mortgages before listing. Get current EC yourself.
Smart buyers search eCourts database and Revenue Court records for pending litigation. Partition suits, inheritance disputes, and boundary cases are discovered. Even cases from 10+ years ago may still be relevant.
Prepare: Resolve all pending disputes before selling.
For inherited property, buyers demand NOC from all legal heirs on stamp paper. Since Hindu Succession Amendment 2005, daughters have equal rights. Missing heir consent is automatic deal-breaker.
Prepare: Get all heirs on board before listing. Prepare NOCs in advance.
Buyers verify if land is agricultural, residential, or commercial. Agricultural land requires Section 143 conversion for construction. After February 20, 2025 (Bhu Kanoon Act), non-residents cannot buy agricultural land in 11 districts.
Prepare: Complete Section 143 conversion if selling to non-residents.
Buyers check their own eligibility under Bhu Kanoon Act. Non-residents face 250 sq.m. limit in non-municipal areas. If your property exceeds limits, your buyer pool is restricted to Uttarakhand domiciles.
Prepare: Understand buyer eligibility restrictions for your property.
Site inspections and surveys buyers will conduct
Serious buyers hire licensed surveyors to verify actual boundaries match documents. Discrepancies between paper and ground reality are common in hills. Missing boundary stones trigger concerns.
Prepare: Get survey done beforehand. Fix boundary markers.
Buyers verify legal access to property. If access passes through private land without registered easement, it's a major red flag. Seasonal roads inaccessible in monsoons reduce value significantly.
Prepare: Document access rights. Register easement if needed.
Buyers check electricity connection feasibility, water source reliability (bore well, spring, municipal), and mobile/internet coverage. Remote properties without these face steep price cuts.
Prepare: Get utility connections in place if possible.
In MDDA/HRDA areas, buyers verify building approval status for existing structures. Unauthorized construction faces demolition risk. Map deviation is common issue.
Prepare: Regularize unauthorized construction before selling.
Buyers often talk to neighbors about property history, boundary disputes, seller reputation, and area issues. Previous conflicts, water disputes, and access problems surface in these conversations.
Prepare: Maintain good neighbor relations. Resolve disputes amicably.
Price and value analysis buyers conduct
Buyers check government circle rates on IGR portal. They know circle rate is the registration minimum, not market value. Asking prices 5-10x circle rate raise red flags.
Prepare: Price based on actual comparable sales, not wishful thinking.
Smart buyers research actual registered sale prices in the area (available at Sub-Registrar), not listing prices. They know asking prices are often 2-3x actual transaction values.
Prepare: Research actual sales in your area before pricing.
Buyers calculate total cost: purchase price + stamp duty (5-7%) + registration (1%) + Section 143 conversion + development authority fees + utility connections. They factor this into negotiation.
Prepare: Be transparent about additional costs buyer will face.
Sophisticated buyers evaluate rental yield (typically 0-2% in hills) and appreciation trends. They don't believe "this area is about to boom" claims without evidence.
Prepare: Don't make unrealistic appreciation claims.
Common issues that make buyers walk away
If seller cannot or will not provide 12 Sala, buyers assume the worst. This is non-negotiable for any serious buyer.
Even one missing heir NOC (including daughters) can void the sale. Buyers won't risk future litigation.
Neighbors claiming part of the property or active boundary disputes kill deals instantly.
Any indication property was government/community land in past (gram sabha, van panchayat, forest) makes buyers walk away.
Access dependent on neighbor goodwill without legal easement is deal-breaker. Locked properties also fail.
Properties priced 3-4x actual market value based on "future potential" sit unsold. Buyers know the difference between asking and selling prices.
Professional buyers take 2-4 weeks for thorough due diligence. Rushing them leads to deal failure. Plan for this timeline when accepting offers.
Minimum: Sale deed, Khatauni, 12 Sala (Tehsil certified), Encumbrance Certificate, Tax receipts. If inherited: Legal heir certificate, all NOCs. If agricultural: Section 143 status.
No. Smart buyers know Bhulekh covers only 40-50% of properties in hill districts and isn't accepted by courts or banks. They insist on Tehsil-certified records.
Property cannot be sold cleanly. You'll need to either convince the heir or pursue legal partition. Buyers will not purchase with missing heir consent.
They check circle rates (IGR portal), research actual registered sales at Sub-Registrar, and compare with similar listings. Inflated prices are immediately spotted.
Yes. NRIs typically hire professional services for verification since they can't make multiple trips. They're also more cautious due to distance and investment size.
Last updated: January 2026
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