Mazidi Homes

Guide 03 · Before you pay

12 questions to ask before paying a reservation fee

A written-answer checklist covering the unit, the project, the payment destination, the contract and your exit assumptions.

Reading time
10 min read
Last reviewed
2 September 2026

A reservation is the moment when an interesting project becomes a real financial commitment. The useful response to urgency is not a longer sales conversation. It is a short set of precise questions, answered against the exact unit and preserved in writing.

The questions below do not all have one correct answer. Contract wording, project status, developer policy and buyer circumstances differ. Their purpose is to reveal missing information before you transfer funds. If an answer affects your rights, refund position or ability to complete, ask a qualified UAE lawyer to review the actual documents.

What you will leave with

  • Tie every answer to the exact unit and dated offer.
  • Verify official records and bank instructions independently.
  • Treat verbal assurances as open questions until documented.
  • Do not pay merely to preserve time to perform basic checks.

Questions 1–3: What exactly am I reserving?

Begin with the object of the purchase. Similar unit labels can cover different layouts, areas, floors and views. Ask for one dated pack that makes the unit and commercial offer identifiable. If a feature drove your interest, make sure the written material describes that feature for this unit rather than for the development generally.

1. Which exact unit is this offer for?
Record the unit number, building, floor, stated areas, orientation, parking and storage allocation.
2. What is included in the quoted price?
Ask for a written list of appliances, furniture, finishes, parking, storage, incentives and exclusions.
3. How long is this price and unit hold valid?
Record the expiry time, what secures the hold, and what happens when it expires.

Questions 4–5: What does the first payment do?

A payment described casually as booking, expression of interest or reservation can have specific written terms. Names alone do not tell you whether money is refundable, credited to the price, transferable or subject to deductions. Read the document before authorising the transfer and obtain professional advice where the consequence is unclear.

4. What are the reservation amount and written refund terms?
Ask what event makes the amount refundable or non-refundable, the process, any deductions, and the expected decision deadline.
5. Who is receiving the money, and how do I verify the instructions?
Request the legal recipient name, purpose and official bank details; independently confirm any instructions or later change using a trusted contact route.

Questions 6–7: What can I verify independently?

Dubai Land Department publishes information about registering real-estate projects, opening project escrow accounts and registering initial off-plan sales. Ask the seller or authorised representative to identify the current project and advertising records, then check them through the relevant official DLD channel. A successful check confirms a specific record; it is not a promise of return, timing or suitability.

6. How do I identify this project and advertisement in DLD records?
Request the exact registered names, reference details and advertising permit information needed for the check.
7. What are the project's official escrow payment details?
Ask where the applicable details can be checked and reconcile them with the written payment request before transferring funds.

Questions 8–10: Which document governs the promise?

A brochure, messaging thread and reservation form serve different purposes from an SPA. Ask when you will receive the draft contract and its attachments, and allow time to review them. Terms about completion, changes, notices, default, remedies and transfer can materially affect the decision. This guide cannot tell you what those terms mean for a specific purchase.

8. When can I review the draft SPA and attachments?
Ask for the payment schedule, unit plan, specifications and any rules or schedules incorporated into the contract.
9. What wording governs completion and handover?
Find the contractual definitions, notice method, any stated long-stop or extension provisions, and the amounts due at that stage.
10. Which marketed features are contractual deliverables?
Ask where material unit, building and amenity promises appear in the governing documents, and how changes are addressed.

Questions 11–12: What assumptions am I making about the future?

Many purchases are made with an unstated exit assumption: resell before handover, obtain a mortgage, rent immediately, or qualify for a residence route. None should be treated as automatic. The applicable contract, developer process, lender assessment, authority rules and market conditions can all matter. Ask for the current source, then plan for an outcome in which the assumption is delayed or unavailable.

11. What written conditions apply if I want to transfer or resell?
Ask about contractual restrictions, developer process, amounts that must be paid, documentation, approvals and quoted charges. Do not import a threshold from another project.
12. Which ongoing and handover costs are estimates?
Request the basis and date for service-charge, utility, management, furnishing and handover estimates; keep unconfirmed amounts as ranges in your budget.

Turn the answers into a reservation record

Create a folder named with the project, unit and reservation date. Save the quotation, floor plan, reservation terms, payment schedule, receipts, permit details, official check references and every answer that changed your decision. Add a one-page list of unresolved items and who agreed to answer them.

Before paying, read the list back as conditions: what must be true, which document proves it, and what you will do if it is not confirmed. If the deadline does not allow reasonable verification or advice, that is information about the decision itself. A genuine checklist is allowed to produce a pause.

Official sources

These links support the limited regulatory context used above. Services, fees and requirements can change; check the current authority page for your transaction.

Source review date: 2 September 2026.