Base price is not your final price
When a listing says an apartment costs ₹90 Lakhs, that is usually the agreement value or base price. What leaves your bank account is more. The gap depends on the stage of the project, state taxes and the charges the developer adds, so a home that looks like it is under ₹1 crore may cost more once everything is included.
Decide first whether your ₹1 crore is the base price or the all-in amount. Most buyers mean all-in, and that makes the price you can actually look at lower than you think. Working it out early saves wasted site visits.
Cost components to include
| Component | What to know | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | Agreed rate multiplied by the area on which you are charged | Cost sheet from the developer |
| GST | Applies to under-construction homes; the rate depends on the category and rules in force | GST guide and current government notifications |
| Stamp duty | A state levy on the sale document, charged on the higher of agreement value or guidance value | Stamp duty guide and the Karnataka registration department |
| Registration charges | A separate percentage-based fee on the property value | Sub-registrar office or official portal |
| Maintenance deposit | A one-time corpus or advance for common-area upkeep, set by the developer | Cost sheet and agreement |
| Parking | May be included or charged separately | Cost sheet |
| Other charges | Legal fees, loan processing, club membership, power backup, society formation | Written list from developer and bank |
| Interiors and moving | Wardrobes, kitchen, lighting, curtains, furniture | Your own quotes |
Tax and duty rates change and may differ by buyer category. The table describes components only; please verify current rates before you calculate.
As a general guide, when you add taxes, duties and extras to an agreement value, the total can be noticeably higher than the base price. Do the calculation with current rates and the actual cost sheet, not by guesswork.
A simple way to budget in four steps
- Fix your all-in ceiling, for example ₹1 crore, including interiors if you plan to furnish.
- Subtract an estimate for interiors, parking and moving, which is your own number.
- Subtract the combined effect of GST, stamp duty, registration and the maintenance deposit using current rates.
- The remainder is the maximum agreement value you should look for.
Because the percentages change over time and with category, treat this method as a framework and ask the developer or a chartered accountant to confirm the final amount. The home loan and EMI guide then helps you work out how much of that value to finance.
Put the numbers in a spreadsheet before visiting projects. It protects you from falling for a home that is just above your real limit.
Where Prestige Huyilalu fits
Prestige Huyilalu, a premium residential project by Prestige Group in Huyilalu, Mysore, shows a starting price of ₹75 Lakhs onwards*. Because that is a starting figure, some configurations may fall under ₹1 crore at the base price, but this must be confirmed per BHK. The price of each configuration is not announced at Pre-Launch and larger homes can sit well above the starting figure.
Also remember that the base price is not the all-in price. Even if a configuration is quoted below ₹1 crore, GST, stamp duty, registration and deposits may take your total over that mark. Ask the team for a full cost sheet, and compare it with the all-in ceiling you fixed above.
- Ask which configuration the ₹75 Lakhs onwards* price applies to.
- Request the carpet area so you can compare cost per usable square foot.
- Ask for the complete cost sheet including taxes and deposits.
- Confirm payment stages and when the RERA number will be shared.
Our price page and the payment plan page carry what is currently available, and the 2 BHK page is a good starting point for the smaller configuration.
Ways to stay under the ceiling without compromising
- Choose carpet area wisely: an efficient 2 BHK can feel better than an inefficient larger flat. See the 2 BHK guide.
- Pick a lower floor or a less premium orientation if the developer charges a floor-rise or view premium.
- Phase your interiors and furnish essentials first.
- Negotiate parking and club charges if they are billed separately.
- Compare localities with a consistent framework; see the locality comparison guide.
- Consider timing: under-construction homes let you pay in stages, while ready homes need funds at once.
Do not be tempted by a cheap price that leaves out half the costs, and do not accept a vague promise of an all-inclusive price without a written breakdown.
A worked example using round numbers
To see the logic, take purely illustrative numbers that are not real prices. Suppose your all-in ceiling is ₹1 crore. Say you set aside ₹8 lakhs for interiors and ₹2 lakhs for moving, parking and other costs. That leaves ₹90 lakhs for the home including its taxes and duties.
If the combined effect of GST, stamp duty, registration and the maintenance deposit adds some percentage on top of the agreement value, then the agreement value you can afford is ₹90 lakhs divided by one plus that percentage. The higher the combined percentage, the lower the agreement value. Plug in the current rates, which you must verify, and you get your true search limit.
The figures above are an arithmetic illustration only and do not represent the price of any project.
This simple exercise often shows that the real search limit is noticeably lower than ₹1 crore. Knowing that before you start visiting projects helps you filter listings quickly.
What a lower price may hide
- Super built-up loading: a low price per square foot on a heavily loaded area may cost more per carpet square foot.
- Unbundled extras: parking, club, power backup and gas connections billed separately.
- Distant possession: a cheap price attached to a very late handover date.
- Missing approvals: a price that is low because key clearances are not in place.
- Limited amenities: savings that come from a thin amenity package that you may later regret.
Compare projects on total cost of ownership and quality, not on the first number you hear. You can also read the pre-launch price article for context on early pricing.
Loan, income and a safety buffer
Banks typically assess your income, existing obligations and credit record to decide how much to lend. Whatever the bank offers, set your own comfort limit. A moderate EMI that leaves savings for emergencies is safer than the maximum loan you qualify for.
Because possession of an under-construction project may be some years away, think about whether you will pay rent and EMI together in that time. For Prestige Huyilalu, the target possession is December 2030 and the schedule should be confirmed in the agreement. See the possession date page for what is currently known.
