Purchasing your dream home is the biggest joy of one’s life. However, proper care should be taken to ensure that this dream doesn’t turn into the biggest regret of your life. To protect yourself against any potential fraud, we list house-buying process checklist: Always ask for original property documents. If the seller can’t furnish the originals, it’s not a good sign. There could be chances that the title of the seller is unclear or there could be a lien or mortgage over the property. Request for the photocopies of every document of the title deed. Hire a lawyer to take legal opinion. It is important to check for previous encumbrances or loans on the property to establish the title of the vendor. You should check the approved layout and building plan along with checking the building bye-laws of the area. You should cross check the transfer fees along with the charges for stamp duty and registration to be paid. Ensure that there are no dues on the property. Ensure that the original sale agreement has the plan of the house approved by the municipal corporation. The agreement should state the carpet area (balconies should be marked separately), the price of the property, other facilities, etc. If you are purchasing your house in a co-operative society, you should verify the original share certificate, which should be in the name of the seller. Apart from ensuring that the seller has dutifully discharged all his income-tax liabilities, ensure that the developer has not mortgaged the land to any bank. Insist on the physical delivery of the house along with the title deed. A transaction is complete upon the registration of the deed. Always remember that an unregistered agreement has no validity in the eyes of law.