We do a lot of site visits with clients. And the ones who get the most out of them aren't the ones who ask the most questions. They're the ones who ask the right ones, then go quiet and look around.

Here's what we'd suggest you take with you.

Before you go

  • Look up the project's RERA number on the state portal. It takes five minutes (here's how), and you'll walk in better informed than most.
  • Ask for the floor plan of the layout you like, ideally with room dimensions.
  • Plan to visit at the time of day you'd usually be home. Traffic, noise and light all change through the day.

At the sales office or experience centre

  • “What's the carpet area of this unit?” Get the carpet area, not just the built-up or super area.
  • “Can I see the full cost sheet?” That means the base price plus parking, club membership, maintenance deposit, GST and anything else.
  • “Which floors and facings are still available?” The sample flat is always on the best floor. Make sure you know what you're really choosing from.
  • “What's the payment plan, and what triggers each instalment?” Construction-linked plans are tied to progress, which is generally reassuring.
  • “What's the committed completion date on RERA?” Not the sales pitch date — the registered one.

At the site itself

  • Stand where your tower will be and look around. What will you see from your balcony in five years?
  • Check the approach road. Is it the 24 m road on the plan, or a lane that floods every July?
  • On under-construction sites, ask the engineer which floors are complete. Fairway Reserve, for example, publishes construction photos — compare them with what you see.
  • Note where the clubhouse, pool and main gate sit relative to your unit. Some people want to be close to the action, and some definitely don't.

Take photos of

  • The sample flat's fittings, so you can check later that they match the specification sheet
  • The view from roughly your floor level, if you can get there
  • Any site plan board, which often shows details the brochure skips

After you leave

Sleep on it. Seriously. A good project will still be there next week, and a good advisor won't push you to sign on the day. If someone does, that tells you something too.

Want company on the visit? We'll set it up at a time that suits you, and we'll ask the awkward questions so you don't have to.