Total cost of buying a flat in India: a line-by-line worked example and checklist

To find the real cost of buying a flat in India, start with the agreement price. Add stamp duty and registration (often 6–8% of value), GST if the flat is under construction (5%, or 1% for affordable housing), brokerage with 18% GST if a broker is involved (often 1–2% of value before GST), and legal, society and loan charges. On a ₹1 crore resale flat in a large city, these typically come to ₹7–9 lakh. On an under-construction flat at the same price, GST adds about another ₹5 lakh. The worked examples below show every line, so you can replace the numbers with your own.

All figures are illustrative. Real rates depend on your state, your lender and what you negotiate.

The cost lines, in the order you meet them

Stage	Cost	Typical basis	Who receives it
Search	Brokerage	% of price + 18% GST, or flat fee	Broker
Before token	Title search, document review	Flat fee	Your advocate
Booking	Token or earnest money	Part of price, not extra	Seller / builder
Agreement	Stamp duty, registration	State rate on higher of price and circle value	State government
Agreement	GST (under-construction only)	5% or 1% effective	Builder, who remits it
Loan	Processing fee + GST, legal and valuation, mortgage stamp duty	Lender's schedule, state rules	Lender, state
Transfer	Society transfer fee, share certificate, NOC	Society bye-laws	Housing society
After registration	Mutation or khata transfer, property tax update	Municipal fee	Local body
Moving in	Maintenance deposit, utility transfer, repairs, furnishing	Varies	Society, utilities, contractors

The price also includes the 1% TDS you deduct and pay to the government. It is part of the price, not an extra cost. See the TDS guide.

Example 1: resale flat in Mumbai

Illustrative 2BHK resale flat. Agreed price ₹1,40,00,000, ready reckoner value ₹1,20,00,000. Buyer: one male buyer, with a home loan of ₹1 crore.

Item	Working	Amount
Stamp duty	6% of ₹1.4 crore (higher than RR value)	₹8,40,000
Registration fee	1%, capped	₹30,000
Document handling and scanning	Illustrative	₹2,000
Brokerage	1% of ₹1.4 crore = ₹1,40,000 + GST ₹25,200	₹1,65,200
Advocate: title search and drafting	Illustrative flat fee	₹25,000
Society transfer charges	Illustrative, within bye-law limit	₹25,000
Loan processing fee	0.35% of ₹1 crore = ₹35,000 + GST ₹6,300	₹41,300
Mortgage document stamp duty	Illustrative, state-capped	₹10,000
Maintenance deposit and utility transfers	Illustrative	₹30,000
Total on top of price		₹11,68,500

That is 8.3% of the price. The cash needed upfront is the down payment of ₹40 lakh plus ₹11,68,500, or about ₹51.7 lakh. Most lenders do not finance stamp duty and registration except for low-value homes, so budget them in cash.

Example 2: under-construction flat in Bengaluru

Illustrative flat booked from a builder. Agreement value ₹90,00,000, not affordable housing. No broker. Loan of ₹70 lakh.

Item	Working	Amount
GST	5% of ₹90 lakh, paid with instalments	₹4,50,000
Stamp duty (with cess and surcharge)	5.6% of ₹90 lakh	₹5,04,000
Registration	2% of ₹90 lakh	₹1,80,000
Car park, club, PLC, if billed separately	Illustrative, check if inside agreement value	₹0 here (included)
Advance maintenance (12 months) + GST	Illustrative ₹4 per sq ft × 1,250 × 12 + 18%	₹70,800
Corpus fund	Illustrative	₹1,00,000
Advocate: agreement review	Illustrative	₹15,000
Loan processing fee + GST	0.5% of ₹70 lakh + 18%	₹41,300
Pre-EMI interest during construction	Depends on disbursements; illustrative	₹2,50,000
Total on top of price		₹16,11,100

That is about 17.9% on top of the agreement value. GST, registration at 2% and pre-EMI interest make the difference compared with a resale flat. The new launch versus resale comparison sets the two side by side.

Building your own budget: checklist

Find the circle rate value for the exact property, not the locality average.
Confirm the stamp rate and registration fee with any concession you qualify for. Read buying jointly or in a woman's name first.
Agree brokerage in writing, including GST and when it is earned: see negotiating the broker agreement.
Ask the society for its transfer charges and outstanding dues in writing. See hidden transfer costs.
Get the lender's Key Fact Statement for loan charges.
Plan TDS at 1%, or at the NRI rate if the seller is non-resident.
Keep 5% as a buffer for repairs, a slow society NOC or a second advocate visit.
Run the documents checklist in the resale document guide before paying a token.

If you are on the selling side, use the seller's net proceeds example and the Section 54 and 54EC guide.

Using the calculators

Enter the value, rate and registration amount in the stamp duty calculator.
Enter the price and broker's GST-inclusive rate in the brokerage calculator. The first output line is your brokerage cost.
Check your TDS in the property TDS calculator.
Add the three totals to the legal, society and loan lines above.

FAQ

Can I include stamp duty in my home loan?

Generally not. RBI's loan-to-value rules exclude stamp duty, registration and documentation from the property cost, except for homes up to a low value threshold. Plan to pay them from savings.

Do these costs come back when I sell?

Not directly, but stamp duty, registration and brokerage you paid become part of your cost of acquisition, which lowers your taxable capital gain. Keep every receipt.

Is a 5% buffer enough?

For a clean resale flat, usually. For an older building, a flat needing repairs or a society with disputed dues, set aside more and get the figures in writing.

Which costs can I negotiate?

Brokerage, advocate fees and sometimes the society's informal charges. Stamp duty, registration and GST are fixed by law.

Sources

IGR Maharashtra — stamp duty and registration in Maharashtra
Kaveri Online Services, Karnataka — Karnataka registration and guidance values
CBIC GST portal — GST on construction and services
Reserve Bank of India — loan-to-value rules for housing loans
See also the overview of buying and selling costs