The ladder of instruments
In a developing DHA phase, the same future plot can exist as several different pieces of paper, each priced by how far it sits from a buildable plot on the ground.
- Affidavit file — the earliest, cheapest form: a right in a future ballot, not yet tied to a plot number. Highest risk, highest movement.
- Allocation file — a stronger right, still before plot numbers are balloted. Trades actively; this is most of the 'file market'.
- Allotment / plot number — the ballot has happened and your paper names a specific plot. Pricing starts reflecting location within the phase.
- Possession plot — development charges paid, possession offered, you can build. This trades closest to finished-phase prices.
Why files are cheaper — and when that is fine
The discount on a file is payment for time and uncertainty: ballot timing, development pace, and future development charges. For a long-horizon investor paying from savings, that discount is the return. For someone who needs to build a house in two years, a cheap file in an unballoted sector is the wrong product at any price.
Match the instrument to your timeline first and your budget second. The sheet price tells you what; your horizon tells you which.
File-specific checks
- Verify the file at the issuing DHA office — genuine serial, no duplicate report, no litigation.
- Understand remaining development charges: a 'cheap' file plus future charges can cost more than a dearer ballot plot.
- In early phases, buy only against the original documents, with the seller's biometric transfer — never on an open letter alone.