Guides
Plain-language guides to Indian property. Each carries a last-updated date and links to official sources. Written to inform, not to promote.
Stamp duty
Stamp duty in India: how it works
Stamp duty is a state tax on the sale deed. The rate varies by state, the base it applies to is not always what you think, and women buyers often pay less.
Circle rate, guideline value, Jantri, DLC rate: what they are
The locality-level minimum value the sub-registrar uses to compute stamp duty — by any name. State-by-state vocabulary and how to look yours up.
Registration fee in India: how it works
Often conflated with stamp duty. Actually a separate fee under the Registration Act, 1908. Rates and caps by state.
Stamp duty concessions for women buyers — state by state
Most Indian states give women a 1-2% concession. Several don't. The current map.
Practical and buyer-side
How to pay stamp duty: e-stamping, SHCIL, franking
Three legal ways to pay. e-Stamping is the default now. Workflow from price negotiation through registration.
Stamp duty on different transaction types
Sale, gift, partition, release, exchange, mortgage — each transaction type attracts a different rate. State-by-state.
GST on under-construction property
GST applies when a flat is under construction. Stamp duty applies always. How they stack on top of each other and what ready-to-move-in buyers save.
Common stamp duty mistakes buyers make
Eight mistakes that turn up routinely at the sub-registrar's office — and how to avoid each. Each costs a buyer real money.
Land and area
What is a bigha — and why it's different in every state
The same word, very different plots. State-by-state bigha values plus the historical reason for the variation.
Indian land measurement units explained
Bigha, biswa, marla, kanal, guntha, cent, ground, gaj — every customary Indian land unit, who uses it, and what it equals in square feet.
Bigha to acre, hectare, square feet: how to convert
Conversion formulas and worked examples — for every state where the bigha is used.
Carpet area vs built-up area vs super built-up
Three different ways builders measure a flat. Only one is the area you can actually use — and only one is legally binding under RERA.