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Buyer Guide

Read a payment plan like a cash-flow schedule

Convert any payment plan into a month-by-month calendar in your own currency, then add the costs the plan does not show. If the calendar looks tight in any single month, ask for a different structure or a different project.

Know which type of plan you are looking at

Some plans tie instalments to construction milestones; others to fixed dates; some extend after handover. Each moves risk differently. Milestone plans track progress; date plans do not; post-handover plans can ease the burden after you receive keys but extend the commitment.

Build the calendar yourself

List every instalment with its date or trigger. Add the one-off costs around a purchase, such as registration fees and agency fees, and the recurring ones after handover, such as service charges. Ask your adviser to confirm the current fees rather than assuming.

Think in your own currency

The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so exchange-rate risk for buyers paying from India, Pakistan, Russia or the UK sits in your home currency against the dollar. If your income is in rupees, rubles or sterling, test the plan against a weaker home currency.

Ask what happens when plans slip

Find out how the contract treats a late payment, a handover delay and a request to change the schedule. These clauses matter more than the headline structure.

Compare plans on total commitment, not on the first payment

A low first payment can hide a heavier tail. Compare plans by the full schedule and by how the final payments line up with your own expected income.

This article is general information, not financial, legal or investment advice. Market conditions and regulations change — speak to a consultant before you decide.

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