Decision guide · Updated 8 November 2026
Six questions to point you the right way, an honest side-by-side, and a year-by-year cash comparison of buying the same home off-plan or ready.
Written by the CBA Real Estate teamRERA licensed · ORN 39665Part 1 · The quiz
Answer honestly. There is no wrong result, only a better fit.
Part 2 · Side by side
Part 3 · The cash comparison
Cash out of your pocket, year by year: off-plan on a payment plan, or ready with a mortgage and rent coming in.
| Year | Off-plan paid | Ready paid, net of rent |
|---|
Off-plan: the plan, 4% DLD, Oqood admin AED 1,000 and trustee and registration admin AED 5,250; the handover balance is paid in cash in the handover year and rent starts the year after at the same net yield. Ready: down payment, 4% DLD, trustee AED 4,000 plus VAT, agency 2% plus VAT, mortgage registration 0.25% of the loan and bank fees of about 1%, then mortgage payments less net rent. It ignores price growth, which can favour either side, and what is still owed on the mortgage at the end. A simplified model, not advice.
Part 4 · When each wins
Off-plan wins when
Ready wins when
Tell us your budget and timing. We will show you an off-plan and a ready option side by side, with real numbers. Licensed by RERA, ORN 39665.
FAQ
Straight answers from the advisors who handle these questions every day.
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Launch prices can be lower per square foot than finished homes nearby, but not always. Compare the launch price with recorded sales of similar finished buildings in the same area before deciding.
Ready property, because it earns rent from the first tenancy. An off-plan home earns nothing until handover, but may cost less in total if bought well.
Some banks lend on off-plan homes at a lower loan to value and later in construction. Most buyers pay the instalments in cash and use a mortgage at handover if needed.
The 4% DLD registration fee applies to both. Ready purchases add trustee, agency and mortgage costs; off-plan purchases add Oqood registration admin and later the handover payment and service charges.
It carries different risks: delays, changes to the finished home and resale prices at completion. Escrow and registration rules protect your payments, and choosing an established developer reduces the rest.
General information, not legal or financial advice. Fees, mortgage terms and rules change; check current figures for your purchase. Updated 8 November 2026.
