Buying off-plan - before or during construction - can be cheaper than buying a finished flat, and developers offer payment plans. But buyers carry the risk of delays, changes and, at worst, projects that stall. These checks reduce that risk.

Check the developer

  • Track record - visit projects they have completed, and talk to the people who bought there. Did they deliver on time and to the specification?
  • Company details - search the company on the Business Registration Service, and check for court cases against it.
  • Who is building it - the main contractor should be registered with the National Construction Authority (NCA) in the right category.

Check the project

Ask for, and have your advocate review:

  • The title to the land, with an official search showing who owns it and any charges. See Land search on Ardhisasa.
  • County building approval - the approval letter itself, not just proof it was submitted.
  • NEMA approval and NCA project registration.
  • Any bank financing - if the land is charged to a bank, how buyers’ units will be released.
  • The proposed sectional plan and management arrangements, including the estimated service charge.

The sale agreement

Use your own advocate, not the developer’s. The agreement should cover:

  • The exact unit, specification and finishes.
  • The completion date, and what happens if it is missed - compensation, or the right to cancel and get your money back.
  • Payment stages tied to construction milestones.
  • A defects liability period, commonly twelve months, during which the developer fixes defects at no cost.
  • How you will get your title - a sectional title for the unit under the Sectional Properties Act.

Protecting your money

  • Pay into an escrow or stakeholder account held by an advocate, with money released as milestones are certified - never into a personal account.
  • Link payments to progress rather than to dates.
  • Visit the site, or have someone independent check progress, before each payment.
  • Keep every receipt.

Warning signs

  • Pressure to pay a deposit today for a “last unit” or discount.
  • No approvals yet, or the developer will not share documents.
  • A price well below similar finished flats nearby.
  • Construction that has stopped or slowed for months.

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