Most flat buyers compare headline prices. Fewer compare payment schedules with the same care, yet the schedule decides how much cash a buyer needs, and when. Two flats at the same price can feel very different if one asks for most of the money early and the other spreads payments across construction stages. Reading the schedule properly is therefore not paperwork for its own sake — it is cash-flow planning.
A payment schedule is the timetable in the purchase agreement that says how much is due at booking, how much at each later stage, and how much at handover and registration. It should be read alongside the agreement itself, not instead of it, and every figure in it should be traceable to a clause that explains what triggers that payment.
Booking money: what it is, and what it is not
Booking money is the first payment a buyer makes to reserve a flat. It is not the full deposit, and it is not, on its own, proof of ownership. What matters is what the booking documents say: whether the amount is adjustable against the total price, what happens if the buyer withdraws, what happens if the developer cannot proceed, and within what time the full agreement must be signed.
Buyers should ask for these answers in writing, and should keep receipts for every payment, however small. A verbal assurance about booking money has little value if a dispute arises later. If the booking form refers to terms that are not attached to it, ask for those terms before paying.
Instalments tied to construction stages
In many projects, later instalments are linked to construction milestones — for example, completion of the foundation, of a particular floor slab, of brickwork, or of finishing works. Stage-linked payments protect both sides in principle: the developer receives funds as work progresses, and the buyer pays in step with visible progress rather than entirely in advance.
The protection only works if the stages are defined clearly. A schedule that says "30 per cent on completion of structure" is clearer than one that says "as per progress", because progress can be interpreted in more than one way. Before signing, a buyer should check:
Each stage is named in words a non-builder can understand, and tied to work that can be seen or certified.
The amount due at each stage is stated, and the stages add up to the agreed total price — with any separate charges listed apart, not buried inside an instalment.
The schedule says who confirms that a stage is complete, and what happens if the buyer disputes that confirmation.
The final instalment is genuinely linked to handover — possession of a completed flat — rather than falling due well before the flat is ready to occupy.
A schedule that demands most of the price long before completion shifts risk onto the buyer. A schedule that keeps a meaningful amount for handover gives the buyer leverage to insist that finishing work is actually done.
What to check before signing
Beyond the timetable itself, several points deserve a careful read. First, the total: add up every instalment, booking payment and separately listed charge, and compare the sum with the price quoted in advertisements and in the agreement. Differences often hide in charges described as "other" or "utility" costs. Second, the consequences of delay — on both sides. What does the agreement say if the buyer misses an instalment date, and what does it say if the developer misses a handover date? A fair agreement addresses both. A one-sided agreement, which penalises only the buyer, should prompt questions and legal advice before signing. Third, the loan connection. Under Bangladesh Bank's housing finance framework, banks generally finance up to 70 per cent of a property's value, leaving the buyer to provide the rest. A payment schedule that requires large early payments may therefore need more of the buyer's own cash before a bank loan is disbursed. Buyers should check with their bank when each loan portion will actually be released, and whether that timing matches the developer's schedule — a mismatch can leave a buyer scrambling for bridge funds. Fourth, changes. Ask what happens if the flat's size, layout or specifications change during construction, and whether the price or schedule changes with them. Ask, too, whether the developer can change the schedule unilaterally, or whether changes need the buyer's written agreement.
A payment schedule is fair when a buyer can point to each instalment and say: this payment is for work I can see, at a date I can plan for.
A practical way to read any schedule
Take the schedule and rewrite it as a simple timeline: date or stage, amount, and what must be true before that amount is due. If any row cannot be rewritten that simply, that row needs a question. Then test the timeline against household cash flow: can each payment be met from savings and confirmed loan disbursements, without depending on uncertain income? Finally, have a lawyer read the schedule with the agreement, not apart from it, since a schedule that looks reasonable can still sit inside clauses that are not.
Developers, for their part, benefit from clear schedules too. A buyer who understands when and why each payment falls due is less likely to delay, dispute or withdraw. Clarity is not a concession by either side; it is what makes a long transaction — often the largest a household will ever make — manageable for both.
This article is informational only and is not financial advice. Payment terms vary by developer and project; confirm the agreement, charges and loan disbursement timing with your bank and lawyer before signing.
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