Guide

Farmland buying guide

What happens in what order, from the first shortlist to the day your name appears in the revenue record.

Editorial informationLast updated: 23 September 2026

1. Shortlist on paper

Fix your budget, the maximum travel time you will accept and the minimum parcel size you need. Then shortlist three to five listings that meet all three. Shortlisting on photographs alone is how buyers end up driving three hours to see land they would never buy.

2. Visit before you ask for documents

A site visit answers questions no document can: what the approach road is really like, whether the boundary matches the sketch, how the neighbouring land is used, and whether water is visibly available. Take photographs, note the survey number on the stone if there is one, and walk the full boundary.

Go on a weekday if you want to meet the local revenue office afterwards
Ask the owner to point out all four boundaries
Photograph the access road from the main road inward

3. Collect the records

Ask the seller for the title deed chain, the RTC or pahani extract, the mutation register extract, the survey sketch, the encumbrance certificate for the last thirty years and current tax receipts. A seller who cannot produce these within a week is a signal in itself.

4. Get a legal opinion

Give the full set to an advocate practising in that district and ask for a written opinion on title, encumbrance, access and classification. Pay for this properly. It costs a fraction of the purchase and it is the only step that reliably prevents a bad buy.

5. Agreement and advance

Record the agreed price, what is included, the timeline, the advance paid and what happens if either side withdraws. Keep the advance modest until the opinion is clear, and pay by traceable bank transfer only.

6. Registration and mutation

The sale deed is executed and registered at the sub-registrar office with stamp duty and registration fees paid. The purchase is not finished there: apply for mutation so the revenue record carries your name, and keep the registered deed, receipts and updated extract together.

Verify names and survey numbers on the deed before signing
Collect the registered copy and the endorsement
Follow the mutation through to the updated extract

This guide is general information about buying land in the Bangalore region and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules change and local practice varies. Confirm anything that affects your money with a qualified advocate in the district where the land is registered.

Frequently asked

How much advance is normal?

There is no fixed figure, but keeping the advance small until the legal opinion is clear protects you. Record every payment in the agreement and pay by bank transfer so it is traceable.

What is mutation and why does it matter?

Mutation updates the revenue record to show the new owner. Until it is done, the record still names the seller, which creates problems when you apply for a borewell, a loan, or later resale.