The total cost of buying a flat in India, every charge explained
The brochure price is not what you pay. Stamp duty, registration, GST, brokerage, legal fees and loan charges can add 8–15%. Here is the full list with typical ranges.
4 min read · Published 2026-10-31 · Last reviewed 2026-10-31
A ₹75 lakh flat does not cost ₹75 lakh. By the time the keys are in your hand you will have paid the state, the sub-registrar, the broker, the bank and possibly the GST department as well. Buyers who budget only for the price and the down payment routinely find themselves ₹5–10 lakh short at the registration office. This guide lists every charge, what drives it, and which ones a bank will not lend against.
The one-time charges, in the order you meet them
1. Token and agreement
Most deals start with a token amount of ₹50,000 to a few lakh, followed by an agreement to sell with 10–20% of the price. These are part of the price, not extra, but they are cash you need early, before any loan is disbursed.
2. Brokerage
Typically 1% of the price from the buyer, sometimes 2% in smaller cities or for rentals-turned-sales. Developer sales often have no brokerage because the developer pays the channel partner. Brokerage attracts 18% GST on top.
3. GST on under-construction homes
If the flat does not yet have a completion or occupancy certificate, you pay GST on the agreement value: 5% for regular homes and 1% for affordable homes (carpet area up to 60 sq m in metros or 90 sq m elsewhere, and price up to ₹45 lakh). Ready-to-move and resale homes attract no GST. On a ₹75 lakh under-construction flat that is ₹3.75 lakh, which is why ready flats often look cheaper once everything is counted.
4. Stamp duty
A state tax on the sale deed, 4–7% of the higher of the agreement value and the government's circle rate (also called ready reckoner, guideline or DLC value). Several states give women buyers a 1–2% concession. Some add a cess: Mumbai adds 1% metro cess, Rajasthan adds a labour cess of 20% of the duty. This is the single largest extra, and the one that varies most by state. See the state-by-state guide for current rates.
5. Registration fee
Paid to the sub-registrar for recording the deed. Usually 1% of value, capped in some states (₹30,000 in Maharashtra, ₹50,000 in Haryana) and uncapped in others (Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan). Add stamp paper, document writing and a few hundred rupees in miscellaneous charges.
6. TDS
Not an extra cost, but cash flow you must plan for. If the consideration is ₹50 lakh or more you deduct 1% from what you pay the seller and deposit it with the Income Tax Department, under Section 393 of the Income-tax Act, 2025. If you borrow, the bank disburses the net amount, but you must still file the challan-cum-statement.
7. Legal and due diligence
A title search, encumbrance certificate and a lawyer's opinion run ₹10,000–50,000. Skipping this to save money is the most expensive mistake on the list.
8. Society and developer charges
New projects bundle in club membership, parking, electricity and water connection deposits, advance maintenance for 12–24 months, and a corpus fund. Together these are commonly ₹2–6 lakh in a mid-range project. Ask for the full "other charges" schedule before paying the token.
9. Home loan charges
Processing fee of 0.25–1% of the loan (often capped at ₹10,000–25,000 in promotions), legal and technical valuation charges of ₹3,000–10,000, stamp duty on the loan agreement in some states, and the first year's property insurance premium if the bank insists.
10. Interiors and moving
Not a transaction cost, but if you are budgeting cash, a basic fit-out of a new flat starts at ₹1,000–1,500 per sq ft.
What the bank will and will not fund
RBI's loan-to-value limits cap a home loan at 90% of the property value up to ₹30 lakh, 80% between ₹30 lakh and ₹75 lakh, and 75% above ₹75 lakh. Value here means the agreement value or the bank's own valuation, whichever is lower, and it excludes stamp duty, registration and other charges. So on a ₹75 lakh flat the most you can borrow is ₹60 lakh, and every rupee of duty, registration, brokerage and GST comes from your own pocket on top of the ₹15 lakh down payment.
A worked example
Ready-to-move flat in Delhi, ₹75 lakh, male buyer, 1% brokerage, 20% down payment, 0.5% processing fee:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | ₹75,00,000 |
| Stamp duty at 6% | ₹4,50,000 |
| Registration 1% + ₹100 | ₹75,100 |
| Brokerage 1% | ₹75,000 |
| Legal and misc. | ₹25,000 |
| Loan processing 0.5% of ₹60 lakh | ₹30,000 |
| Total | ₹81,55,100 |
Cash needed upfront after a ₹60 lakh loan: about ₹21.6 lakh, not the ₹15 lakh that a 20% down payment suggests. For a woman buyer the duty drops to 4%, saving ₹1.5 lakh.
Three ways to reduce the bill
- Register in a woman's name or jointly where the state offers a concession. Check the state's rule on joint ownership; some give the full concession only when all owners are women.
- Prefer ready-to-move if the GST saving outweighs the price premium. On a ₹75 lakh flat, 5% GST is ₹3.75 lakh.
- Claim stamp duty and registration under Section 80C in the year of payment if you use the old tax regime, within the ₹1.5 lakh limit.
Use the property purchase cost calculator to run your own numbers by state, buyer type and property type, then carry the loan amount into the home loan EMI calculator.
Sources
This guide is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Rules change; the review date above tells you when it was last checked. See our editorial policy.