India, Aug. 19 -- Wridhayan Bhatt and his wife, Ankita, were close to booking a Rs.1.7 crore 2-BHK apartment in Mumbai's suburbs last weekend, but eventually put the purchase on hold after assessing the financial burden. The couple had negotiated the price down to around Rs.1.5 crore with the developer's sales team, but a closer look at the numbers made them reconsider the deal.

The couple visited the project on August 15, when the developer was quoting around Rs.1.7 crore for the apartment. They offered about Rs.1.5 crore, but the developer did not agree to the price. With around Rs.30 lakh available as equity, a significant portion would go towards stamp duty, registration and other transaction-related expenses, leaving them with a pot...