Are you planning to buy a house during Ganesh Chaturthi? Why traditional freebies are being replaced by payment plans

By Bricksnwall | 2026-09-17

This Ganesh Chaturthi, real estate developers are replacing traditional giveaways with milestone-linked strategies to help consumers prioritize payment flexibility.

This Ganesh Chaturthi, realtors are changing their holiday pitch to personalized payment plans, making property buying less expensive. Festive offers are moving away from freebies to more organized solutions that might relieve buyers’ cash-flow difficulties. It’s more typical to see construction-linked, deferred and staggered payment plans, especially for higher-priced homes, which allow buyers to stagger payments instead of making huge upfront commitments.

That’s not to say the typical holiday giveaways are out. Gold coins, stamp duty absorption and other incentives are selectively featured. But for many purchasers, what they pay may matter more than what they get for free, real estate experts say.

They say seasonal offers could be a good starting point for talks for house buyers, but not a reason to rush into buying. The emphasis should be on the overall cost of the home, terms of the payment and whether the offer really makes it more affordable.

"Buyers today are more discerning and looking beyond the short-term incentives," Amit Jain, chairman and managing director, Arkade Developers told Hindustan Times Real Estate. “They’re looking at location, quality of property, amenities and long term value. For our eastern projects, at Arkade, our seasonal offer for qualified purchasers is up to 50 grams of gold, incorporating a traditional festive incentive into the home buying journey.”

Flexible payment plans and milestone connected plans are becoming more common, making the purchase path more comfortable and predictable. Traditional seasonal incentives have not disappeared totally but their role is altering. "At Arkade, we believe the strongest proposition is when you have a customer-centric payment flexibility and an auspicious offering with the purchase but more than that, a better quality home in a strategic location with the assurance of timely execution," said Mr. Jain.

Festive season is the time for financial schemes

The festive offers have changed from superficial novelty to systematic, balance sheet-friendly solutions, which have a direct impact on affordability of homes. This season the flavor is flexible milestone-based plans like 10:90, 20:80 or construction-linked flexi-schedules that are aimed to reduce upfront capital requirements.

Some developers are moving away from one-off gifts and organizing offers around payment flexibility. Popular designs are modest upfront booking payments, often 10%, no EMI liability till possession or OC receipt, and subvention schemes where the developer bears pre-EMI interest throughout construction. "While some projects continue to lure customers with stamp duty and registration waivers, a handful are still offering token freebies such as gold vouchers to sweeten bookings during the festive window," said Rajkumar Singh, Senior Executive Director, Residential Sales (West), ANAROCK Group.

Kamlesh Thakur, president, NAREDCO Maharashtra, says, “This Ganesh Chaturthi, developers across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) are looking at conversion driving by high utility financial incentives and not cosmetic freebies.

Includes:

Customized payment schedules: flexible milestone based plans like 10:90, 20:80 or construction linked flexi-plans to reduce upfront capital requirements.

Financial subvention and price protection : No-EMI-till-possession alternatives Absorption or sharing of stamp duty/registration fees Limited-period price lock-ins to hedge against possible price revisions.

Value-added upgrades: Fully-fitted modular kitchens, air-conditioning units, tailored home automation packages or club-membership exemptions, providing immediate monetary value to end-users.

Spot discounts on inventory clearance: Festive pricing and spot-booking discounts on select ready-to-move-in or near-completion inventory.

““There is a distinct paradigm shift toward financial agility and transparency. “While gold coins or foreign trips were popular a few years ago, today’s homebuyers in Mumbai, especially working professionals and nuclear families, are quite value-conscious and realistic about cash flows,” he said.

Schemes like purchase now-pay later, flexi-payment choices and subvention models directly ease the twin strain of paying rent and servicing a home loan during development. “Homebuyers are seeking lower upfront down payments and deferred financial pressure over non-essential gifts,” he said, adding stamp duty absorption has also been incorporated into the fundamental price strategy of many projects as a direct financial inducement rather than a promotional 'gimmick.'

What should purchasers remember before making investments in the festive season?

The festive season may present enticing entry points, but purchasers need to remain financially disciplined and do their due diligence.

Thakur recommends, “Cross-check the MahaRERA registration number of the project and check the actual progress of construction, escrow account information, and committed possession date on the MahaRERA portal.”

Assess the real worth of payment plans: Know the whole cost of ownership. Make sure flexible plans (like BNPL or 20:80) don’t increase the underlying per-square-foot baseline pricing beyond the regular payment terms. Carefully go through the Agreement for Sale to get to know the due dates of successive installments.

Developer reputation: Work with experienced, reliable developers with a track record of prompt delivery and financial discipline.

Focus on fundamentals: No buying out of the Christmas bargain. Project site, social infrastructure, connection (metro/road network), layout efficiency, long term resale/rental potential should be given priority.

Don’t forget to account for all incidental expenses: Plan for necessary overheads such maintenance deposits, property registration, GST (for under-construction properties) and interior costs beyond the base agreement value.

Buy Now, Pay Later and flexible payment plans have not completely done away with conventional gifts like gold coins, free stamp duty and international getaways, but the focus has shifted, says Rajkumar Singh.

“More and more we’re seeing deferred and staggered payment terms tied to construction, especially for more expensive homes. Gold coins and stamp-duty absorption and the like have not disappeared and still seem selectively. They haven’t been completely supplanted by giveaways. “The timing of payment has become more important than a one-off gift for many buyers,” he said.

“Festive offers should be considered as a starting point for negotiations, not as an excuse to make a decision in a hurry,” he says.

Location, connectivity, builder track record and development progress, are the true decider for consumers. It is crucial to distinguish between a genuine saving and a mere deferral of spending, examine the RERA disclosures and sanctioned plans and determine the time frames for possession. And buyers should remember to know the complete buying price, including stamp duty, registration, parking and maintenance. A flexible plan might provide cash-flow assistance without necessarily reducing the total cost, he notes.