1 — Token and bayana
A deal starts with token money to take the property off the market, followed by a bayana (earnest) agreement that fixes the price, the balance, and the transfer date. Put every commercial term in writing, including who pays which charges, and keep the window short — two to four weeks is normal in DHA markets.
2 — No Demand Certificate
The seller applies to DHA for an NDC (No Demand Certificate), which confirms nothing is owed on the property and clears it for transfer. The NDC states the dues position and is the document that catches unpaid development, surcharges, or litigation flags before they become your problem. Do not pay the balance before the NDC is issued and read.
3 — Transfer day
Both parties — or their attorneys under an accepted power of attorney — appear at the DHA transfer office with original CNICs or NICOPs, photographs, the original allotment or allocation papers, and paid challans for transfer fee and taxes. DHA runs biometric verification on both sides, the transfer set is signed, and the balance payment changes hands, almost always as a banker's cheque or pay order, never cash.
DHA then issues the new allotment or allocation letter in the buyer's name — typically within a few working days. The deal is not done when hands are shaken; it is done when that letter exists.
Common failure points
- Paying a large balance before the NDC — unpaid dues then surface as the buyer's cost.
- An SPA that was never attested in Pakistan, discovered on transfer day.
- Name or CNIC mismatches between documents — fix spellings before, not during, transfer.
- Open files sold without verification of the original allocation letter behind them.