What to Check When Buying a Condo Before Paying and Transferring Ownership

Separate what needs to be checked according to each decision stage

Before arranging a viewing, first eliminate rooms that do not meet your budget, location, size, or non-negotiable conditions. During the viewing, check things that listing images cannot confirm, such as the room’s condition, noise, access, and common property. Before paying or transferring ownership, check the contracting parties’ names, room details, documents, expenses, and each party’s responsibilities

New project units and resale units do not have identical inspection points. The government information service published the Department of Lands’ guidance on 4 August 2025, separating project and contract-form matters from resale-unit checks such as room condition, outstanding debts, and the certificate of no outstanding debt

Before arranging a viewing, set the budget and conditions used to screen options

Create a budget table with at least 6 columns: item, collector, calculation basis, payment date, responsible party, and evidence. Use only figures that can be verified from listings, project documents, the seller, the condominium juristic person, the lender, and the land office. If a field has no evidence yet, write “not yet confirmed”

Then set conditions that require an option to be eliminated if they are not met, such as acceptable distance, number of rooms, parking, pet ownership, or regulations affecting living arrangements. This screening approach makes the viewing an inspection of options that already meet your requirements, rather than a decision based on images or advertising language

What expenses are involved in buying a condo? Separate them into 4 portions

Portion 1 is money committed before the transfer, such as a reservation payment, contract payment, down payment, or deposit. The amount, payment date, refund conditions, and consequences if the loan is rejected must be read from the documents for that specific room; do not use average figures from another project

Portion 2 is expenses on the ownership-registration date, such as the transfer fee and, if there is financing, the mortgage-registration fee, as well as taxes or duties arising from the transaction. Ask for an itemized list stating the calculation basis, who is responsible, and which party the contract assigns responsibility to before paying

Portion 3 is money related to the condominium juristic person, such as common fees, the sinking fund, or amounts under the building’s resolutions and regulations. Confirm the rate, billing cycle, outstanding amount, and responsible party with the juristic person and the room’s documents. Do not conclude this from information about another condominium

Portion 4 is financing and post-move-in expenses, such as items in the loan offer, moving, furnishing, repairs, and regular expenses after becoming the owner. The Department of Lands provides a calculator for estimating transaction expenses initially, but the final amount must still be confirmed with the land office and the collecting authority according to the actual case

How much is the condo down payment? Calculate it from the actual loan amount

There is no single down-payment percentage that applies to every room and borrower. Start with the sale price stated in the contract, then obtain in writing the loan amount that the lender confirms it will disburse to pay for that room. The amount you must pay toward the price yourself is the difference between the sale price and that amount. Then deduct only the reservation payment, contract payment, or down payment that the documents confirm has already been applied to the sale price, to find the amount still remaining before transfer. Separate registration-date expenses, juristic-person expenses, and post-move-in expenses from the sale price; do not combine everything under the single term “down payment”

The Bank of Thailand announced on 14 May 2026 an expansion of the temporary relaxation of the LTV cap to 100% for collateral values below 10 million baht from the 2nd loan contract onward, and for collateral values of 10 million baht or more from the first loan contract, applying to loan agreements made from 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2027

The phrase “LTV cap of 100%” should not be interpreted as an automatic approval for the full sale price, because the announcement sets a regulatory ceiling, while the Bank of Thailand states that financial institutions remain cautious in granting loans. Before paying, you must confirm the collateral value, approved amount, disbursement conditions, and loan-contract signing date with the actual lender. If you have only an expected loan amount, record the amount you must pay yourself as “not yet confirmed”

During the viewing, inspect both the room interior and common property

Research on inspecting condominium units before accepting the transfer, published in 2022, divides the inspection areas into the living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, and balcony, with work categories including floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows, electrical systems, plumbing, drainage, sanitary fixtures, and furniture. Buyers should therefore test actual operation, rather than relying only on visual neatness

Outside the room, inspect things that affect actual living, such as entrances and exits, elevators, parking, security systems, and the condition of common property. For resale units, the Department of Lands’ guidance recommends checking the room condition, common property, juristic-person management, common-fee collection method, and building regulations

Before paying, make sure the person, room, and contract information matches

For a resale unit, check who the seller is, whether the room details in the documents match the room viewed, and how the contract states the price, payment method, transfer date, items included in the sale, each party’s expenses, and the consequences if either party breaches the contract. The Real Estate Information Center identifies these as inspection points in its guidance for resale houses and condominiums

For a new project unit, check the documents and contract form used for that case, and keep the relevant brochure and advertising messages. The Department of Lands recommends checking the sale-and-purchase contract form, transfer-date conditions, cancellation terms, and expense obligations before paying

For a resale unit, request juristic-person information and the certificate of no outstanding debt

The Nakhon Pathom Provincial Land Office, Sam Phran Branch, published on 11 May 2026 that registering a condominium-unit transfer requires presenting a certificate of no outstanding debt from the condominium juristic person. This document confirms common-expense debt matters under Section 18 of the Condominium Act

Do not use this certificate as a substitute for checking everything. Ask the juristic person separately about common fees, the sinking fund, other relevant expenses or resolutions, the regulations, and the steps the buyer must take over. If any information remains unclear, state in the contract who must handle it and by what date it must be completed

Before the transfer, list the amounts, documents, and work to be handed over

Request itemized amounts and expenses from the contracting parties, the juristic person, the lender, and the land office according to the actual case. The Department of Lands publishes fee, tax, and duty guides as well as an initial calculator, but figures from articles or preliminary calculations should not replace the transaction’s confirmed amounts, because the calculation basis, measures, conditions, and responsible party may differ

Review the documents against the contract again, including the list of assets, repair work, keys, access cards, meters, and handover date. If the buyer cannot independently assess system inspections or legal matters, have a specialist in that area inspect the documents and actual room before the transfer

Use a stop rule when key information is still unconfirmed

Stop before paying or transferring ownership when you still cannot confirm who has authority to sell, what room and assets are included in the sale, what condition must be delivered, who is responsible for each expense, or when important documents will be ready

Stopping does not mean you must cancel immediately. It means there is not yet enough information to bind yourself: request documents, add conditions to the contract, or obtain a specialist inspection before proceeding

Decision checklist

• Create a 4-portion money table: before transfer, registration date, juristic person, and after receiving the room
• Calculate the difference between the sale price and the loan amount confirmed for disbursement toward the price, and deduct only amounts that documents confirm have already been applied to the sale price
• Record the collector, calculation basis, payment date, responsible party, and evidence for each item
• Write down the conditions that require eliminating a room if they are not met
• View the actual room and test relevant systems
• Check entrances and exits, elevators, parking, and common property
• Check the contracting parties’ names, room details, price, and payment method
• Specify included items, repairs, handover date, and consequences of breach
• For a resale unit, request the latest juristic-person information and certificate of no outstanding debt
• Request expense items for the actual case and identify the responsible party
• Stop before paying or transferring ownership when key information remains unconfirmed

Frequently asked questions