For many families the festive season is the moment to book a home: Dhanteras is considered an auspicious day for big purchases, and developers time their offers to match. In 2026, Dhanteras falls on Friday 6 November and Diwali on Sunday 8 November, according to published panchang calendars.

Offers can be genuinely useful. They can also make a price look lower than it is. This guide sets out what the usual offers are, the taxes that apply whatever the offer, and how to judge a deal in rupees.

The offers you'll see, and what to ask

  • A flat discount per sq ft: the simplest to judge. Ask for the revised price sheet in writing and check it against recent prices in the same project.
  • Waived floor-rise or preferential location charges (PLC): real savings if you wanted that floor or view anyway. See what these charges are on our floor-rise and PLC explainer: What Is Floor Rise Plc
  • Free car parking, clubhouse membership or modular kitchen: put a rupee value on each and confirm it is written into the agreement, not just the brochure.
  • "Stamp duty paid by the builder": the duty is still paid; the developer absorbs it in the price. Compare the all-in cost with and without the offer.
  • Pay-later or low-down-payment plans: understand who pays the loan interest until possession and what happens to your loan if the project is delayed. Read the tripartite agreement carefully before signing.
  • Gold coins and gift vouchers: pleasant, but small next to the price of a home. Don't let them decide the purchase.

GST: under-construction or ready to move

GST applies only to under-construction homes: 5% for regular housing and 1% for affordable housing, without input-tax credit. A ready-to-move home that has received its occupancy or completion certificate attracts no GST. On a ₹1.5 crore under-construction flat, 5% GST is ₹7.5 lakh, our own arithmetic, so ask whether a quoted price includes it.

Full explainer: What Is Gst On Under Construction Property

Stamp duty and registration, by city

  • Bengaluru (Karnataka): stamp duty of 5% on market value plus surcharge and additional duty, and a 2% registration fee, per the Stamps and Registration department's fee table. The department states there is no stamp duty concession for flats. Details: Bangalore guidance values
  • Gurugram (Haryana): reported at 7% for men, 5% for women and 6% for joint buyers in urban areas, charged on the higher of the deal price and the collector rate, with a registration fee capped at ₹50,000. Rates by sector and a calculator: Gurgaon circle rates
  • Chennai (Tamil Nadu): 7% (5% stamp duty plus 2% transfer duty) and a 2% registration fee, per TNREGINET. Details: Chennai guideline values

Judge the deal on the all-in price

Add up everything you will actually pay: the basic price after the discount, floor-rise and PLC, parking, club and amenity charges, GST if under construction, stamp duty and registration, maintenance deposit and corpus. Then divide by the carpet area. That carpet-area price is the number to compare across projects and against the same project before the offer.

A festive discount that is smaller than the difference between two projects' all-in prices is not the deciding factor.

A checklist before you book

  • Confirm the project's RERA registration and promised possession date on the state RERA portal. What RERA covers: What Is Rera
  • Get every offer written into the booking form and the agreement for sale, not only the brochure or a WhatsApp message.
  • For a ready home, see the occupancy certificate. Why it matters: What Is Occupancy Certificate
  • In Bengaluru, check the khata and e-khata status: e-Khata guide, Bangalore
  • In Chennai, check the patta and, for apartments, the undivided share of land in the sale deed: What Is Patta
  • Look at the builder's delivery record. Builders who deliver on time in Bengaluru: Bengaluru builders who deliver on time
  • Check the cancellation and refund terms of the booking amount before you pay it.

Is Diwali actually a good time to buy?

It can be, if the home is right for you and the offer lowers the all-in price you would otherwise pay. The festival itself does not make a property a better buy. Location, the builder's record, the approvals and your budget matter far more than the date on the agreement.

If the right home isn't available this season, waiting costs less than buying the wrong one.