Ready Flat or Under Construction: Which Should You Buy in Dhaka?

Buyers in Dhaka usually arrive with the question already half-decided by a relative: "buy ready, never book early." It is sound advice against a weak developer and expensive advice against a strong one. The honest comparison is narrower than the folklore suggests.

What a Ready Apartment Buys You

You see the actual unit, the actual light, the actual lift and the actual neighbours. Registration can follow immediately, you can move in or let it out at once, and there is no construction risk left to carry. You pay for all of that: a handed-over apartment in the same building typically costs meaningfully more per square foot than the same unit did at booking.

What an Under-Construction Booking Buys You

• A lower entry price, and instalments spread across the build rather than one lump sum.
• First choice of floor, facing and corner position, which is gone by handover.
• Some ability to choose finishes and make minor layout changes while walls are still drawings.
• The value the building gains between booking and completion, if the area is rising.

The Risk, Stated Plainly

The risk is not that the building will be bad. It is that it will be late, or that the specification quietly thins between the brochure and the handover. Both risks are manageable, and both are managed by the same thing: written commitments, and a developer with completed buildings you can walk into.

What to Verify Before You Pay a Booking Amount

• The sanctioned RAJUK plan, and that the floor you are buying exists on it.
• The land ownership or the joint venture deed behind the project.
• A written specification — brand and grade, not "high quality imported".
• A payment schedule tied to construction milestones, not to calendar dates alone.
• A stated handover date in the agreement, with a stated consequence if it slips.
• Two or three buildings the developer handed over three or more years ago.

A Simple Rule

If you need to move within the year, or you cannot absorb a six-month delay, buy ready. If you are buying for the medium term and the developer's completed buildings hold up under inspection, booking early is usually the better-priced version of the same apartment. The decision is about the developer far more than about the stage.

Edge Construction & Consultancy sells at every stage — handed over, under construction and booking open. Browse our projects in Dhaka, see how our apartment development works, or arrange a site visit.