Buying a Flat in Hyderabad (2026): 10-Step Checklist for First-Time Buyers

By Vijay Arjun V (B.Pharm, PGDM), authorised LIC HFL DSA since 2002 and DME (Direct Marketing Executive) appointed by LIC HFL. Updated 29 October 2026.

Checklist before buying a flat in Hyderabad

• Budget: all EMIs together within about half your take-home pay; check with the eligibility calculator.
• Cash: 10–25% down payment, plus 7.5% stamp duty and registration, plus 5% GST if under construction.
• CIBIL score of 800 or more (825+ for the best LIC HFL rate).
• Loan eligibility known before you book.
• RERA registration checked on the Telangana RERA portal. No money for pre-launch offers.
• Building permission and approved plan; an occupancy certificate for a ready flat.
• Title, encumbrance certificate and your undivided share of land in the agreement.
• Project on a lender’s approved list, if possible: see LIC HFL approved projects.
• Not in a lake FTL or buffer zone.
• No more than 10% advance before a registered agreement for sale.
• At possession: OC, snag list, and property tax and electricity in your name.

The ten steps below explain each check in order.

1. Set a budget you can live with

Start from your monthly take-home pay, not the flat price. Lenders like total EMIs to stay within about half your take-home pay; LIC HFL decides the exact figure on your profile. A ₹32 lakh loan over 30 years at 7.40% is an EMI of about ₹21,600. Try the eligibility calculator and EMI calculator, or read buying a home under ₹50 lakh. Bigger budget? See EMI and salary needed for a ₹1 crore home loan.

2. Save for the down payment and charges

• Down payment: 10% for loans up to ₹30 lakh, 20% for ₹30–75 lakh, 25% above ₹75 lakh.
• Registration charges in Telangana: about 7.5% of the value, plus 0.1% mutation in GHMC areas.
• GST of 5% (1% for affordable homes) if the flat is under construction.
• Builder charges: maintenance deposit, corpus fund, parking, legal fees.

Full breakdown: the hidden costs of buying a flat in Hyderabad.

3. Check your CIBIL score first

LIC HFL’s best rate (from 7.40% for salaried buyers) is for a CIBIL score of 825 or more. Check yours free once a year, fix errors and clear small overdues before you apply. See home loan with a low CIBIL score.

4. Get your eligibility before you shop

Send us your income documents and we will tell you what LIC HFL is likely to sanction. Knowing the number before you visit builders stops you falling for a flat you cannot fund, and adding an earning spouse as co-applicant can raise it. See eligibility by salary.

5. Decide: flat or plot, ready or under construction

• Under-construction vs ready-to-move: GST, pre-EMI and risk
• Plot vs flat: funding, tax and resale
• Resale flats: process, documents and costs
• Independent house or villa: funding limits and the checks a house must pass
• Open plots in Patancheru, Medchal and Shadnagar: for plot buyers

6. Shortlist approved projects

LIC HFL pre-approves many projects (APF approval). Choosing one means faster sanction, a processing-fee discount and no legal and technical fee. See the list of LIC HFL approved projects.

7. Check RERA, documents and the land

• RERA registration, quarterly progress and complaints: how to check Telangana RERA
• Title and approvals: property documents checklist
• Lake buffer zones: FTL and buffer zones in Hyderabad
• Plots: HMDA vs DTCP plot approvals

8. Book carefully

Under RERA a builder cannot take more than 10% of the price before a registered agreement for sale. Pay by bank transfer, get receipts and read the agreement for possession date, penalties and carpet area. Never pay for a flat in a project that is not yet RERA-registered: no lender can fund a pre-launch booking. See pre-launch flats in Hyderabad.

9. Apply for the loan and register

Submit KYC, income and property documents. Once documents are complete, LIC HFL assesses your income and runs legal and technical checks on the property before sanction. You then register the sale deed and LIC HFL releases the loan to the seller or builder. Track it with LIC HFL loan status. Full process: LIC home loan process and approval time.

10. Take possession and claim tax benefits

Check the OC, walk a snag list and move property tax and electricity into your name: flat possession checklist. Then claim interest and principal deductions under the old tax regime: home loan tax benefits 2026.

Related: Still deciding whether to buy now? Try the rent vs buy calculator. After you buy, see home loan prepayment strategies.

Also read: Rent or buy in Kondapur: rent vs EMI in 2026 · How to arrange your down payment: 7 ways · LIC HFL home loan for women: rates, concessions and what really helps

Frequently asked questions

How much should I save before buying my first home?

For a ₹40 lakh ready flat: about ₹8 lakh down payment plus about ₹3 lakh for registration and charges, so roughly ₹11 lakh, plus a cushion for interiors and moving.

Why use a DSA instead of going to the branch?

We cost you nothing extra, check your eligibility and documents before you apply, and follow up with LIC HFL until the loan is released. See LIC HFL offices in Hyderabad and how a DSA helps.

Sources: lichousing.com (rates and funding limits, checked 9 October 2026); Telangana Registration & Stamps Department orders; RERA Act, 2016 section 13. EMI figures are our calculations.

Hyderabad Home Loans is run by Elite Financial Services, an authorised Direct Selling Agent (DSA) of LIC Housing Finance Ltd. We are not LIC HFL. Loans are sanctioned solely at LIC HFL’s discretion; rates and fees may change.