Before You Pay Anything: Essential Checklist

First verify the recipient's authority and that the account or payment method appears in the transaction documents. Do not transfer to a personal account on verbal instructions.

Obtain a document in your name stating the unit, amount, purpose and refund terms. For resale, use an independent lawyer to determine a safe payment and assignment sequence for that deal.

Create a one-page approval record dated and tied to the unit: beneficiary identity, payment purpose, authorizing document, refund condition and the next transaction milestone. Mark each item documented, needs clarification, or not yet reviewed.

Do not let reservation pressure turn an unresolved item into an accepted risk by default. If beneficiary, unit number, amount or refund terms conflict across documents, pause the transfer until the conflict is resolved in writing and independently reviewed.

Obtain evidence of the seller's identity and authority, land allocation or title, building permit where relevant, the unit's account statement, and developer consent for a resale assignment. Cross-check names, unit numbers, and areas across documents.

A receipt or reservation form does not cure missing title or permits. Pay only the entity named in formal documentation, with the unit, purpose, and written refund conditions stated clearly.

Use an independent property lawyer when title history, powers of attorney, assignment, or registration is unclear. Use an engineer when area, finishing condition, structural changes, or technical handover is material.

Independent review is not a signal to reject the deal. It turns unknown risks into items that can be priced, negotiated, corrected, or used as a reason to walk away before payment.