Guides / Buying

Is this plot or house really yours? How to check before you pay

Buying6 min readLast checked 22 October 2026

What to ask the seller for

Ask for copies of these first. A real owner will not mind.

• The seller’s CNIC, so you can match the name on every paper.
• A recent fard (فرد), the land record extract. Ask for a fresh one, not an old photocopy. Land records change, and an old fard can hide a sale or a dispute.
• The registry (رجسٹری), the sale deed that brought the property to the seller.
• Proof that the intiqal (انتقال), or mutation, was done in the seller’s name. A sale that was registered but never mutated can leave the old owner still showing in the record.
• For a plot in a society, the allotment letter and the society’s transfer papers.

If any paper is missing, ask why. "It is with my cousin" is not an answer to accept without seeing the paper.

Check the society or scheme

Many plot frauds happen in schemes that were never approved. The authorities publish lists, so look there yourself rather than trusting an agent’s word.

1. In Lahore, the LDA website has pages for its approved schemes and its illegal schemes (lda.gop.pk). Check that the scheme appears on the approved list and not the illegal one.
2. In Islamabad, the CDA publishes a list of private housing schemes with their approval status and a separate list of illegal schemes (cda.gov.pk). CDA explains that a scheme is approved in two steps: a layout plan first, then a No Objection Certificate (NOC, این او سی). CDA says sponsors may start development and sell plots only after the NOC. So look for both, and be careful with any entry marked cancelled.
3. For Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, ask the development authority (FDA or RDA) in writing whether the scheme is approved. Ask for the answer on paper, with the scheme’s name and the date.

One more point from the CDA page: it says that allotment and transfer of plots inside a scheme are handled by the scheme’s sponsor, not by CDA. So an approval does not prove that this particular plot belongs to this particular seller. You still need the papers above.

See the plot with your own eyes

A paper can be perfect and the plot can still be a problem. Someone has to stand on it.

• Does the plot sit where the file says, with the same size and shape?
• Are the boundaries as described, or has a neighbour built over the line?
• Is anyone living on it, farming it or storing things on it?
• Are there roads, water and electricity nearby, or only in the brochure?
• Do neighbours say it has been sold before, or that there is a family argument?

Ask for dated photos taken on the plot, with the place stamp showing. Ask for a short video walk from the road to the plot.

If someone is selling for the owner

When the seller says he acts for the owner, ask to see the power of attorney (مختار نامہ). Check the name, the date, what it allows, and that it has not been cancelled. A limited, specific document is safer than a general one. Ask your lawyer to confirm it, and to speak to the owner directly if possible.

Paying safely

1. Do not pay the full price on a promise. Pay in steps, tied to papers you have checked.
2. Pay through a bank, to the seller named in the papers, and keep the receipt.
3. Do not pay "booking money" to an agent before the checks above.
4. Have your lawyer prepare or review the sale agreement.
5. After the sale, make sure the mutation goes into your name and ask for a fresh fard showing it.

Common mistakes

• Trusting a WhatsApp photo or a video the seller sent, which may show someone else’s plot.
• Accepting an old fard instead of a fresh one.
• Believing "the file is clear" from an agent who is paid only if you buy.
• Skipping the check that the scheme is approved because many people have already bought there.
• Paying in cash with no receipt.
• Buying in a hurry because the price is "only for this week".
• Never sending anyone to the plot before paying.

Urdu glossary

Last checked: 22 October 2026. Rules change; confirm with the office or a lawyer before acting.