Between Contract and Keys: Monitoring an Off-Plan Unit You Have Bought

Most off-plan buyers go quiet for two years and then arrive at handover with no leverage. The things to do in between, and when each one matters.

Signing an off-plan contract is the beginning of a relationship with a construction programme, not the end of a purchase. Buyers who check in regularly, keep their own record of what was promised and raise variations in writing when they appear arrive at handover able to hold a position. Buyers who wait for an invitation arrive with a unit that differs from their expectations and no documentation of what they were entitled to.

Before stage one

Before the construction period starts, make sure you hold the contract, the full specification, the floor plan with dimensions, the payment schedule and the correspondence that preceded signature. Set up a single file for everything and a reminder cycle so that each instalment and each milestone prompts a check rather than a payment made without one. If you are abroad, decide now who will visit the site on your behalf.

• A complete signed contract with the specification schedule and approved drawings attached.
• The payment schedule with each instalment and its trigger recorded.
• A named contact at the developer, with a written channel for queries.
• A decision on who inspects on your behalf if you are not in the country.
• A diary of expected milestones against which to request updates.

Stage 1: Lock down what you are entitled to

Reduce the contract and specification to a one-page summary: unit number, area, orientation, parking and storage, the specification of each major element, and the handover date with its delay provisions. This is the document you will compare the finished unit against, and it is far easier to write now, while the terms are fresh, than two years later from a folder of messages.

• Deliverable: A one-page entitlement summary cross-referenced to the contract clauses.
• Owner: Buyer with the adviser.
• Approval gate: Every item in the summary can be traced to a contract term, not a conversation.

Stage 2: Verify each instalment before you pay it

Payments on a licensed project relate to the project and its account arrangements, so check each request against the schedule and against what the contract makes it conditional on. Keep the bank evidence of every payment with the request that prompted it. A request that arrives early, or that does not match the schedule, is a question to ask before transferring rather than afterwards.

• Deliverable: A payment log with each request, the contractual basis and the bank confirmation.
• Owner: Buyer.
• Approval gate: No instalment paid without matching it to the schedule.

Stage 3: Request progress updates on a fixed cycle

Ask for written progress updates at regular intervals and photographs where the developer will provide them. Regular, polite, documented contact establishes you as a buyer who pays attention, which changes how queries are handled later. It also creates a dated record of what the developer said about timing, which is useful if the programme slips.

• Deliverable: A dated file of progress updates and the developer responses to your queries.
• Owner: Buyer.
• Approval gate: No period of more than a quarter with no written contact.

Stage 4: Visit or send someone, at least twice

Arrange access when the structure is up and again when finishes are being installed. Those two moments tell you about layout, dimensions, window positions and the quality of what is being fitted, while changes are still possible. If you are abroad, appoint a local inspector or representative rather than relying on a relative taking photographs from the pavement.

• Deliverable: Two dated site reports with photographs, compared against the drawings.
• Owner: Buyer or appointed inspector.
• Approval gate: Any difference from the approved drawings is raised in writing within days.

Stage 5: Deal with variations in writing, as they arise

Specifications change during construction, sometimes for sound reasons such as a product no longer being available. The question is whether the substitution is equivalent, and whether you accepted it. Respond to every notified change in writing, and raise any change you discover yourself rather than waiting for handover to object. Silence over two years is read as acceptance.

• Deliverable: A variation log with each change, your written response and the resolution.
• Owner: Buyer with the developer.
• Approval gate: No change is left unanswered in your file.

Stage 6: Prepare for handover before you are invited

Six to eight weeks ahead, confirm the expected date, book an independent snagging inspection, assemble your entitlement summary and read the handover procedure in the contract. Find out what documents you are to receive, what warranties will be issued, how the service charge starts and what the developer requires before releasing keys. Arriving prepared is what preserves your position.

• Deliverable: A handover plan with the inspection booked and the document list confirmed.
• Owner: Buyer.
• Approval gate: An independent inspection is arranged before any acceptance is signed.

Stage 7: Inspect, list and then accept

Inspect against the specification rather than against general expectations, record every item with photographs, and submit the list formally. Where acceptance documents are presented, make clear in writing that acceptance is subject to the outstanding list. Then follow the remedial work to completion and re-inspect before releasing anything you have held back.

• Deliverable: A submitted snag list, a qualified acceptance and a closed remedial record.
• Owner: Buyer with the inspector.
• Approval gate: Nothing is signed unconditionally while items remain outstanding.

Handovers between stages

The weak point is the gap between the sales team that sold you the unit and the delivery team that hands it over, because the people change and promises made in a showroom do not travel. Your entitlement summary and your written record are what bridge that gap. If a representative acts for you, make sure they send the documents rather than summaries, and that they know they are not authorised to accept the unit on your behalf.

How you know it is finished

The process ends when the unit has been inspected against the specification, the snag list has been closed, the documents and warranties are in your hands, the title position for your unit has been dealt with and the service charge arrangements are clear. Keep the whole file, since the first two years of occupation are when warranty questions arise and the record decides them. The regulatory framework for off-plan sales is updated periodically, so confirm the current requirements with REGA or a licensed Saudi adviser at the points where you need to act.

Domira handles the property side of a Saudi transaction end to end: inspecting the unit, reading the documents, valuing what is in front of you and managing the asset after handover. Tell Domira what you are buying, selling or letting and you will get a plain answer on what it is worth doing.