INTRODUCTION
How to use these lists
There are two entirely different kinds of due diligence, and most buyers do only one of them.
The first asks whether the seller can lawfully sell — the allotment letter, the transfer letter, the registry, the fard, the chain of title. That is covered separately and it is not what this document is about.
The second asks whether the property is worth buying at all. Can you build on it. Will water reach it. Is there a sewer. Will the society allow a servant quarter. Does the plot flood in monsoon. Is a high-tension line running over it. Is the road in front nine feet or thirty.
A plot can have perfect papers and still be a poor purchase. That is what these lists are for.
FOR OVERSEAS BUYERS IN PARTICULAR Most of these checks require somebody to physically stand on the land. Photographs sent by a dealer will not show you a nallah two hundred feet away, a grid station behind the boundary wall, or that the road is unpaved. Send this list to whoever visits on your behalf and ask for the answers in writing. Where a check requires an office visit — building bylaws, zoning, road-widening plans — ask for the document, not a verbal assurance.
Each list below is arranged so that the checks that most often destroy a purchase come first.
SECTION A — Checks common to every property
Location and surroundings
What sits immediately behind, beside and in front — walk all four boundaries Distance to the nearest nallah, drain or watercourse, and whether it overflows in monsoon Any high-tension electricity line or pylon overhead or adjacent Any grid station, sewage treatment plant, garbage dump, slaughterhouse or graveyard within sight Any factory, brick kiln, marble cutting unit or workshop nearby, and what it emits Flooding history of the area — ask three neighbours, not the dealer Standing water anywhere on or beside the land after rain Ground level relative to the road — how much filling will be needed, and at what cost Access
Width of the road directly in front, measured, not stated Whether that road is paved, and whether it is a through road or a dead end Condition of the approach road from the main road to the property Whether a truck or a concrete mixer can physically reach the site Whether the access passes through anyone else's land, and on what right Public transport within walking distance How the approach behaves in rain — many approach roads become impassable Utilities — confirm supply, not promises
Electricity: is there a connection on the plot, or only a line in the street, or neither Distance to the nearest transformer, and whether it has spare capacity Actual load shedding hours in that specific locality Water: piped supply, tube well, or tanker only If tube well — depth, and whether the water is sweet or brackish; get a TDS reading If piped — how many hours a day it actually runs Sui gas: connected, line laid but not connected, or LPG cylinders only Sewerage: connected to a main sewer, or septic tank, or open drain Storm water drainage — where does rain water actually go Telephone and fibre internet availability Mobile signal strength on the plot itself Development status
Percentage of the scheme or locality actually developed and occupied How many houses are built and lived in within two hundred metres Whether street lights work at night — visit after dark Whether roads, footpaths and green belts are complete or still promised Security arrangements, gates, boundary of the scheme Distance to the nearest school, clinic, mosque and general store Money beyond the price
Development charges: paid in full, partly paid, or outstanding against this plot Utility connection charges still to be paid Monthly or annual maintenance charge, and its increase over the last five years Any outstanding dues, penalties or non-construction fines attached to the property Transfer fee payable to the society or authority Whether the seller is clear of property tax Planning risk
Is the property inside the approved master plan or on land awaiting approval Any proposed road widening, ring road, motorway or corridor crossing the land Any land acquisition notification affecting the area Zoning: what use is permitted here, and what is not Whether the surrounding land use is likely to change — residential turning commercial SECTION B — Residential plot for house building
Everything in Section A applies. These are additional.
The plot itself
Physical possession available now, or only paper possession Plot pegs and boundaries physically marked and matching the site plan Actual measured dimensions against the dimensions on the file Shape — regular rectangle, or irregular, which wastes buildable area Level relative to the road and to neighbouring plots Soil condition, and whether a soil test is advisable before designing foundations Depth of the water table, which decides whether a basement is possible Orientation — which direction the plot faces and how the sun falls Corner, park-facing, main-boulevard or back-lane, and the premium each carries Whether the plot backs onto a commercial area, mosque loudspeaker, school or main road Building bylaws — obtain the written rules, do not rely on the dealer
Permitted ground coverage as a percentage of plot area Permitted floor area ratio and total covered area allowed Number of storeys permitted, and permitted height in feet Mandatory front, rear and side setbacks Whether a basement is allowed, and to what depth and coverage Whether a mumty and roof structures count against covered area Minimum and maximum construction period after possession Penalty for non-construction, and whether it compounds annually Approval process and time for the building plan, and the fee Whether the society requires an approved architect on its panel The rules people discover too late
Servant quarter: permitted or not, where it may sit, whether it may have a separate entrance Parking: number of car spaces required inside the plot, and whether street parking is allowed Boundary wall: height limit, material, and whether it must be built within a set time Basement use: parking only, or habitable rooms permitted Whether the house may later be split into portions or apartments Whether any part may be rented separately Whether a commercial or professional use — clinic, tuition centre, office — is permitted Elevation controls: facade material, colour, projection over the setback Whether a lift shaft, water tank or solar structure on the roof is permitted Rules on cutting existing trees on the plot Rain water and sewer connection points — where the society expects you to connect Rules on generators, and on external air conditioner units THE TWO MOST EXPENSIVE SURPRISES Filling. A plot four feet below road level can cost several lakhs to raise before a single brick is laid. Measure the level difference and price the fill before you agree a price. Non-construction penalty. Many schemes impose an escalating annual charge if you do not build within a set period. An overseas buyer holding a plot for ten years can accumulate a liability larger than he expects. Ask for the rule in writing.
SECTION C — Built house, ready to occupy
Sections A and B apply to the land beneath. These concern the structure.
Structure
Age of the building and who built it Frame type — reinforced concrete or load-bearing brick Cracks in walls, beams or columns, and whether they are structural or cosmetic Whether the roof has ever leaked, and when it was last waterproofed Dampness at floor level, salt bloom on walls, or rising damp Seepage around bathrooms, kitchen and the water tank Whether the foundation was designed to carry an additional storey Condition of the roof slab, parapet and mumty Whether any structural wall has been removed by a previous owner Services
Age and type of electrical wiring, and total sanctioned load Whether the distribution board is safe and earthed Water pressure on the top floor Underground and overhead tank capacity, condition and last cleaning Plumbing material and age, and any history of leaks Sewerage connection and whether the line has ever backed up Gas pressure, particularly in winter Whether solar panels, if present, are owned outright and net-metered Approvals and deviations
Whether the building was constructed according to the approved plan Any deviation from the approved plan, and whether it has been regularised Completion certificate obtained or not Any extension, room or floor added without approval Any encroachment onto the street, footpath or a neighbour's land Any notice issued by the authority against the property Whether the boundary wall sits on the plot line or beyond it WHAT AN UNAPPROVED EXTENSION ACTUALLY COSTS An extra room built over the setback is not a bargain — it is a demolition notice waiting to be served, and it becomes your liability the day you buy. Ask for the approved plan and walk the house with it in your hand.
SECTION D — Apartment or flat
The building
Approved building plan, and whether the building matches it Completion certificate and occupancy certificate obtained Age of the building and its expected remaining life Structural condition of the common areas — the truest indicator of how it is managed Fire safety: alarms, extinguishers, hydrants, two independent exits Fire department clearance, current and not expired Whether the stairwell is usable and unobstructed Whether the building has ever been declared unsafe or dangerous Services in a shared building
Number of lifts, their age, service contract and last maintenance Whether lifts run on generator backup during load shedding Generator capacity, and whether it powers apartments or only common areas Water supply hours per day to your specific floor Water source — municipal, bore, or tanker — and monthly tanker cost Water pumping arrangement and pressure on high floors Whether electricity is individually metered or shared and apportioned Waste disposal arrangement Security staff, entry control, and CCTV coverage Money and governance — where apartments differ most
Monthly maintenance charge now, and what it was five years ago What the maintenance charge actually covers Whether a sinking fund or reserve exists for major repairs, and its balance Any outstanding maintenance dues attached to this apartment Whether an owners' association exists and actually functions Whether the builder still controls the building, and for how long Any pending litigation between owners and the builder Occupancy level — how many apartments are occupied rather than sold Your rights inside the building
Parking: allotted and numbered, or first come first served, and how many spaces Whether the parking space is included in the title or licensed separately Whether renting out the apartment is permitted Restrictions on alterations inside the apartment Whether the balcony may be enclosed Rules on pets, on commercial use, and on short-term letting Share in the land — undivided share, lease, or freehold Whether an adjacent plot is likely to be built up and block your light and air SECTION E — Commercial plot or shop
Commercial value drivers
Actual footfall, counted at three different times of day Frontage width — the single largest determinant of shop value Whether the unit is corner, mid-row or at the end of a row Road width, direction of traffic, and whether vehicles can stop outside Customer parking availability Which floor, and how value falls by floor in that market Anchor businesses nearby that draw customers Vacancy rate in the immediate row — count the shuttered shops Prevailing rent per square foot in that row, verified with two tenants Permissions
Whether the land use is commercial in the approved master plan, or residential being used commercially Commercialisation fee paid, or still outstanding Which trades and activities are permitted, and which are prohibited Whether food, medical or educational use requires additional approval Signage rules — size, position, illumination Whether a mezzanine is permitted and whether an existing one is approved Loading and unloading arrangement Whether the frontage is encroached, and by whom SECTION F — Agricultural land
The soil
Soil texture and depth — obtain a soil test, not an opinion Salinity and sodicity levels Whether the land is level or requires laser levelling, and the cost Cropping history and yields over the last three years, from the neighbours Whether the land has been left fallow, and for how long Presence of kallar patches Water — the decisive factor
Canal water: is there a sanctioned outlet, and what is the warabandi turn Position on the watercourse — head, middle or tail. Tail-end land receives least Whether the watercourse is lined or earthen Tube well present, its depth, discharge and age Water table depth and whether it is falling year on year Water quality — sweet, marginal or brackish. Get a TDS test Electricity connection for the tube well, its category and sanctioned load Abiana and water charges outstanding Flood history and distance to the nearest river or drain Access, rights and people
Whether a tractor and a loaded trolley can reach the field in all seasons Any right of way or path crossing the land Whether tenants, haris or sharecroppers are in occupation, and on what terms Whether anyone claims occupancy rights Share in shamlat — common village land — attached to the holding Ownership of the trees standing on the land Grazing rights claimed by others Whether the holding is consolidated or scattered in fragments Distance to the nearest mandi, grain market and cold storage Land revenue dues outstanding Future use
Whether the land falls within any development authority's future boundary Whether conversion to residential use is legally possible, and the process Any nearby industrial unit discharging effluent upstream Any proposed road or corridor crossing the holding SECTION G — Industrial plot
Permission to operate
Whether industrial use is permitted at this location under the master plan Whether the estate is a notified industrial estate and under which authority Which categories of industry are permitted, and which are excluded Whether your specific process falls in a hazardous or restricted category Environmental approval required — initial environmental examination or full impact assessment Distance from the nearest residential area, and the minimum required Fire safety requirements and hydrant availability Power, gas and water at industrial scale
Sanctioned electrical load available at the plot, in kilowatts Whether a high-tension connection is possible and the cost of the connection Distance to the nearest feeder and whether it is a dedicated industrial feeder Gas connection, pressure at the plot, and whether new industrial connections are being issued Process water requirement against actual availability Whether a bore well is permitted, at what depth, and the water quality Boiler and generator permissions Effluent, access and logistics
Effluent disposal — combined treatment plant, or must you build your own Discharge standards you will be required to meet Solid and hazardous waste disposal arrangement Road width and turning radius for a loaded container trailer Distance to the motorway, dry port and seaport Weighbridge availability Labour availability locally and transport for workers Ground bearing capacity for heavy machinery foundations Permitted building height, chimney height and coverage SECTION H — Farmhouse or peri-urban land
Farmhouse land sits between the agricultural and residential categories, and buyers frequently apply the wrong checklist to it.
Whether residential construction is legally permitted on agricultural land here Minimum plot size required for a farmhouse under local rules Maximum covered area permitted — usually a small percentage of the land Whether the land use has been converted, or is being used residentially without conversion Electricity: distance to the nearest line and the cost of extending it Water: depth of bore required and water quality at that depth Sewerage: septic tank design and soil percolation Approach road ownership — many farmhouse approaches cross private land Security in an isolated location, and the cost of maintaining it Distance to the nearest hospital and fire service Whether the land is inside a flood plain Whether any development authority intends to acquire land in the area Caretaker arrangement, and the risk of adverse possession over time THE OVERSEAS BUYER'S PARTICULAR RISK An unoccupied farmhouse in the care of a caretaker for several years is the single most commonly lost category of property held by overseas Pakistanis. Decide before buying who will physically visit, how often, and what they are authorised to do.
SECTION I — A file in an unballoted scheme
A file is not a plot. There is no land to inspect, so every check is a check on the developer and the approvals.
BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE Establish how much land the scheme owns and holds approval for, and how many files it has issued. If those two numbers do not reconcile, no other check matters.
The scheme
Whether the scheme holds a no objection certificate from the relevant authority Whether the layout plan is approved, and for how many plots How much land the developer actually owns as against land under agreement How many files have been issued in total When balloting is scheduled, and how many times it has been postponed Whether earlier phases of the same scheme balloted on time and delivered possession What development work has physically begun on the ground Whether the scheme appears on the authority's list of approved or illegal schemes The developer
Previous schemes completed, and whether possession was delivered as promised Whether the developer is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission Any litigation, regulatory action or public notice against the developer Ownership structure and who personally stands behind the scheme Where instalment money is held, and whether it is in an escrow arrangement Your position
The refund policy in writing, including deductions and the time to refund What happens if balloting is delayed beyond a stated period Whether the file is transferable, and the transfer fee Whether the developer may change the plot size or location at balloting The full payment schedule including development charges due later A file may be an entirely reasonable purchase. It should simply be priced and understood as what it is — a claim on a future plot, carrying developer risk, and not the same asset as land you can stand on.
This document covers selection. Ownership documents — allotment letter, transfer letter, registry, fard and chain of title — are dealt with separately.
General information only. Not legal advice. Rules vary by authority, by society and over time — obtain the written rules from the relevant authority before relying on any of them.
