Buying & Investment
Home Inspection Checklist: What to Actually Look At
Everyone visits once, at eleven on a dry Sunday, when the flat is at its best. Go three times, at the right times, and the flat will tell you the truth.
The short answer
Most buyers visit once — 11am, dry weekday, agent present, flat at its best.
Go three times:
1. At 4pm in summer — how hot does it actually get?
2. At 8am on a weekday — the noise, the traffic, the water pressure.
3. AFTER RAIN — seepage cannot hide from a wet wall.
When to go — and this matters more than what you look at
| When | What you'll learn |
|---|---|
| 4pm, a hot day | How hot the flat actually gets. A west-facing flat with no cross-ventilation is unbearable at 4pm in May — and pleasant at 11am in December, which is when you were shown it. |
| 8am, a weekday | The noise. The traffic. The water pressure when the whole building is showering. The parking chaos. None of this exists at 11am on a Sunday. |
| AFTER RAIN | Seepage. Damp. Leaks. Fresh paint hides everything until a wall gets wet. This is the single most valuable visit you can make, and almost nobody makes it. |
| At night | Street lighting. Security. Who is actually around. Whether the corridor lights work. |
You are about to spend a crore. Three visits is not excessive. It is the minimum a rational person would do, and it is more than 95% of buyers manage.
Water — the biggest single issue in Indian housing
“Is there enough water?” in December will get you a yes.
Ask: “What happens in April and May?”
• Where does the water come from? Municipal supply? Borewell? Tankers?
• How many tankers a month in summer? This is the question. In many Bengaluru and Chennai localities the honest answer is a lot — and it is a large, recurring, rising cost that appears in your maintenance bill.
• Is there a borewell? Does it still yield? Many have failed.
• Is there rainwater harvesting? Does it work, or is it a pipe to nowhere installed to satisfy a rule?
• Water pressure on the top floors — check it, at 8am.
• Is there a sewage treatment plant, and does it run? A non-functioning STP is both a smell and a future capital cost.
Ask a resident, not the seller.
The flat
Structure and damp
- Cracks. Hairline cracks in plaster are common. Diagonal cracks near corners, or cracks in beams and columns, are not — get an engineer.
- Damp patches. Especially on external walls, near windows, under the bathrooms above, and on the ceiling of the top floor.
- Freshly painted single walls. Why is that one wall newly painted? Ask. The answer is frequently seepage.
- Efflorescence — white powdery deposits on walls. That is water coming through.
- The bathroom ceilings. Leaks from the flat above show here first.
- The floor. Roll a marble. Hollow tiles sound different — tap them.
Water and plumbing
- Turn on every tap. Pressure, colour, smell.
- Flush every toilet.
- Check under every sink for leaks and stains.
- Look at the drainage in the bathrooms and the balcony. Does water sit?
Electrical
- Switch everything on. Every light, every point.
- Count the power points. An older flat may have far too few.
- Is there an earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB/RCCB)? In an older flat, often not. It should be.
- Sanctioned load — is it enough for ACs?
- Power backup — how many points are on it? Does it cover the lifts and the water pump?
Light, air and orientation
- Which way does it face? Use a compass. In most of India, west-facing gets brutal afternoon heat.
- Cross-ventilation. Open windows on opposite sides. Does air actually move? A flat with windows on one side only will be hot and stuffy forever.
- What is the actual view — and what could be built in front of it? Check the master plan and the layout. That empty plot is not a permanent view.
The building — which people ignore, and shouldn't
- The lobby and corridors. A three-year-old building that already looks tired is telling you exactly how the next twenty years will go.
- The lifts. Age, condition, maintenance records. Lift replacement is a ₹20–40 lakh society expense — and if there is no sinking fund, that is a levy on you.
- The basement. Water? Damp? A pump running constantly? That is a problem.
- The water tanks. Clean? When were they last cleaned?
- The generator. Does it start? What does it actually run?
- The STP. Working? Or is there a smell?
- Fire safety. Extinguishers with valid dates? Is the fire staircase clear, or full of junk? Can a fire engine actually reach the building?
- Parking. Is yours actually usable — or a pillar-blocked slot you cannot reverse into?
- The terrace. Is it accessible? Is it waterproofed? Has someone built on it?
Talk to the residents. This is the best part.
Stand in the lobby. Talk to whoever comes past. They have nothing to sell you, and most people rather like being asked.
“What's the water situation in April?”
“Does the power backup actually work?”
“Has conveyance been done?”
“Is there a sinking fund?”
“Any structural issues?”
“Is the association functioning?”
“Any big levies coming?”
“Would you buy here again?”
That last question is the best one in this entire glossary. Ask it, then be quiet, and listen to the pause before they answer.
Frequently asked questions
When should I visit a flat before buying?
Three times. At 4pm on a hot day — to find out how hot it actually gets. At 8am on a weekday — for the noise, the traffic and the water pressure when the whole building is showering. And AFTER RAIN — because seepage cannot hide on a wet wall, and fresh paint hides everything until then. That third visit is the most valuable, and almost nobody makes it.
What is the most important thing to check when buying a flat?
Water — it is the biggest single issue in Indian housing. And don't ask whether there's enough water today; ask what happens in April and May. How many tankers a month in summer? Does the borewell still yield? Ask a resident, not the seller.
What are the warning signs in a flat?
Diagonal cracks near corners or in beams and columns (get an engineer). Damp patches on external walls and bathroom ceilings. White powdery efflorescence, which is water coming through. And a single freshly painted wall — ask why that one wall is newly painted; the answer is frequently seepage.
What should I check in the building, not just the flat?
The lobby — a three-year-old building that already looks tired is telling you how the next twenty years will go. The lifts, because replacement is a Rs 20-40 lakh society expense and without a sinking fund that becomes a levy on you. The basement, the water tanks, the generator, the STP, and whether the fire staircase is clear and a fire engine could actually reach the building.
What should I ask the residents?
What's the water situation in April? Does the power backup work? Has conveyance been done? Is there a sinking fund? Any structural issues? Any big levies coming? And then the best question available to any buyer: 'Would you buy here again?' Ask it, be quiet, and listen to the pause before they answer.