The price on an off-plan villa is only half the story. The other half is the schedule: how much you pay now, how much while the villa is built, and how much when the keys arrive. This guide explains how the plans are put together, what you pay on top, how your money is protected, and how to compare two plans on the cash they actually ask of you.
The short answer
A payment plan divides the price into stages. Almost every plan has a booking deposit, a run of construction instalments and a handover payment. Some add instalments after handover.
Plans are named by their split. "60/40" means 60% before handover and 40% on it. "50/20/30" means 50% before, 20% on handover and 30% after. Across 45 verified villa projects that publish their instalments, the median share paid before handover is 50%, and the number with a share due after the keys is 1.
How a plan runs, stage by stage
The diagram shows the four stages and where registration falls.
Booking deposit
The deposit reserves the villa and starts the sale. Budget for more than the deposit itself, because the registration fee is usually paid at the same time. Expect to sign a reservation form first and the sale and purchase agreement soon after.
Construction instalments
The middle of the plan is paid while the villa is built. These instalments are triggered in one of two ways, and the difference matters more than the headline split.
Date-linked instalments fall due on fixed dates, such as every six months or on a named month. Nad Al Sheba Gardens Phase 11 names a calendar month for each instalment, and Greenz spreads part of its plan as a monthly percentage. You know exactly when the money leaves your account.
Progress-linked (or construction-linked) instalments fall due when the build reaches a stage, such as 50% or 70% completion. Ovelle in The Valley ties several of its instalments to construction progress. You pay as the villa takes shape, but you cannot fix the dates in advance.
Many plans mix the two: a few dated payments early on, then progress milestones.
The handover payment
The handover payment is due when the villa is complete and ready to hand over. On a 60/40 plan it is 40% of the price, a large sum to have ready on a date you do not control. Start lining up savings or a mortgage well before the expected completion.
Post-handover instalments
A post-handover plan leaves part of the price owed after you move in. Almeria at Bloom Living is one example, with a share due a year after handover. These plans lower the handover cheque and let rental income or salary carry the rest.
In Dubai there is one effect to plan for. The Dubai Land Department says completed units that have been fully paid for move from the initial register to a title deed, so on a post-handover plan the title deed normally follows your last instalment.
Plan shapes compared
The table sets the common shapes side by side. The percentages are illustrations of each shape, not any developer's offer.
| Plan shape | Example split | Before handover | On handover | After handover | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front-loaded | 80/20 | High | Low | None | Cash buyers who want a small final payment |
| Balanced | 60/40 | Medium | Medium | None | Buyers paying in cash, then financing the handover |
| Handover-heavy | 40/60 | Low | High | None | Buyers with a mortgage approved for completion |
| Post-handover | 50/20/30 | Medium | Low | Medium | Buyers who want to spread cost past the keys |
| Monthly | 1% a month | Steady | Varies | Sometimes | Buyers paying from monthly income |
What verified villas ask for
The table below lists every verified villa project whose developer publishes its instalments, sorted from the lightest share before handover. It reads the villa pages directly, so it changes as plans change.
| Villa | Developer | Before handover | On handover | After handover | Handover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wadeem GardensHudayriyat Island | Modon Properties | 25% | 75% | – | 2031-Q2 |
| Azizi Florence Clusters 1 and 2Azizi Florence | Azizi Developments | 30% | 70% | – | 2029-07-31 |
| Sharjah Sustainable City IISharjah Sustainable City II | Sharjah Sustainable City | 30% | 70% | – | 2028-Q4 |
| DaliaMasaar 3 | Arada | 35% | 65% | – | 2029-12-31 |
| Manchester City Yas Residences Phase 2Yas Island | Ohana Development | 35% | 65% | – | 2029 |
| Wellington Grand VillasMohammed Bin Rashid City | Wellington Developments | 35% | 65% | – | 2027-Q4 |
| Al NaseemHudayriyat Island | Modon Properties | 40% | 60% | – | 2027-Q4 |
| AlmeriaBloom Living | Bloom Holding | 40% | 40% | 20% | 2027-Q4 |
| Fay ValleyFay Hills | Taraf | 40% | 60% | – | 2030-Q2 |
| LayanMasaar 3 | Arada | 40% | 60% | – | On request |
| Masaar 2Masaar 2 | Arada | 40% | 60% | – | 2028-06 |
| Nawayef EastHudayriyat Island | Modon Properties | 40% | 60% | – | 2028-12 |
| SukoonSukoon | Sanzen Developments | 40% | 60% | – | 2029-Q1 |
| The GroveSobha Sanctuary | Sobha Realty | 40% | 60% | – | 2029-08 |
| BashayerHudayriyat Island | Modon Properties | 50% | 50% | – | 2030-Q1 |
| Fay GardensFay Hills | Taraf | 50% | 50% | – | On request |
| MalagaBloom Living | Bloom Holding | 50% | 50% | – | 2028-Q4 |
| MarbellaBloom Living | Bloom Holding | 50% | 50% | – | 2028-Q4 |
| Mira VillasMohammed Bin Rashid City | Mira Developments | 50% | 50% | – | 2026-Q4 |
| SevilleBloom Living | Bloom Holding | 50% | 50% | – | 2027-Q1 |
| Sunrise ValleyNad Al Sheba | H&H | 50% | 50% | – | 2030-03 |
| TalayMarsa Al Saadiyat | Aldar Properties | 50% | 50% | – | On request |
| The WillowsSobha Sanctuary | Sobha Realty | 50% | 50% | – | 2029-08 |
| Al Ghadeer ParksAl Ghadeer | Aldar Properties | 55% | 45% | – | 2031-06 |
| Bay EstateDubai Islands | Nakheel | 60% | 40% | – | 2031-01 |
| GreenzAcademic City | Danube Properties | 60% | 40% | – | 2029-Q4 |
| Nad Al Sheba Gardens Phase 12Nad Al Sheba Gardens | Meraas | 60% | 40% | – | 2029-08 |
| Naseem AlJurfAlJurf | IMKAN | 60% | 40% | – | On request |
| Terra Golf CollectionJumeirah Golf Estates | Taraf | 60% | 40% | – | On request |
| The Acres EstatesThe Acres by Meraas | Meraas | 65% | 35% | – | 2028-08 |
| The Acres Phase 1The Acres by Meraas | Meraas | 65% | 35% | – | 2027-Q4 |
| The Acres Phase 2The Acres by Meraas | Meraas | 65% | 35% | – | 2028-02 |
| The Acres Phase 3The Acres by Meraas | Meraas | 65% | 35% | – | 2028-08 |
| Bora BoraDAMAC Islands | DAMAC Properties | 75% | 25% | – | On request |
| FijiDAMAC Islands | DAMAC Properties | 75% | 25% | – | On request |
| HawaiiDAMAC Islands | DAMAC Properties | 75% | 25% | – | On request |
| MaldivesDAMAC Islands | DAMAC Properties | 75% | 25% | – | On request |
| Montura 2Grand Polo Club & Resort | Emaar Properties | 80% | 20% | – | 2029-05 |
| Nad Al Sheba Gardens Phase 11Nad Al Sheba Gardens | Meraas | 80% | 20% | – | 2029-06 |
| Nad Al Sheba Gardens Phase 7Nad Al Sheba Gardens | Meraas | 80% | 20% | – | 2028-Q2 |
| Nad Al Sheba Gardens Phase 8Nad Al Sheba Gardens | Meraas | 80% | 20% | – | 2029-04 |
| Nad Al Sheba Gardens Phase 9Nad Al Sheba Gardens | Meraas | 80% | 20% | – | 2029-04 |
| OvelleThe Valley by Emaar | Emaar Properties | 80% | 20% | – | On request |
| Palmiera 3The Oasis by Emaar | Emaar Properties | 80% | 20% | – | On request |
| SalvaThe Heights Country Club & Wellness | Emaar Properties | 80% | 20% | – | 2030-07 |
The chart shows the same plans as bars, so you can see at a glance where the weight of each plan sits.
What you pay on top of the price
Dubai: the initial sale registration (Oqood)
Every off-plan sale in Dubai is registered on the Dubai Land Department's initial register, through its Oqood portal. DLD lists the fee as 4% of the sale value, shown as 2% for the seller and 2% for the purchaser, plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees.
The sale agreement decides who carries which share. In many off-plan sales the buyer pays the full 4% to the developer, which then registers the sale. DLD described that arrangement in a May 2021 notice, which also told developers to pay the fees over within 60 days.
Dubai: the title deed at completion
When the villa is complete and paid for, the initial registration is turned into a title deed. DLD's service for this lists a title deed fee of AED 250 for a villa, a map fee of AED 250, and AED 10 each for knowledge and innovation, where the registration fee has already been collected.
Abu Dhabi and Sharjah
In Abu Dhabi, off-plan sales are registered on the DARI platform. DARI lists the ownership registration fee as 2% of the sale price, with an administrative services fee on top. The platform asks who will pay when the sale is entered, so check the agreement.
Sharjah sets its own registration fees through its real estate registration department. Ask the developer for the current figure and who pays it, in writing, before you book.
How your payments are protected in Dubai
Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 governs off-plan payments. A developer who sells off-plan must open an escrow account for the project with an accredited bank, and purchasers' payments are deposited there.
The law says the account is used only for building that project, and the developer's creditors cannot attach the money in it. If the project is not completed, the escrow agent must work with the Land Department to have it finished or the depositors refunded. After completion, 5% of the account is held back and released one year after the units are registered to their buyers.
DLD's own guidance adds two practical rights. When a developer asks for a payment, you can ask for the current completion percentage first. If a project is cancelled, DLD asks the developer to return buyers' payments within 60 days of the decision.
The rule for you is simple: pay only into the project's escrow account, as named in your agreement, and keep every receipt.
If handover moves
Construction schedules shift, and a plan reacts in two ways.
- Date-linked instalments usually stay on their dates. If the build runs late, you can end up having paid most of the price before the villa is ready.
- Progress-linked instalments move with the build. A slower site means later payments.
- The handover payment waits for completion, whatever the date in the brochure.
Your sale agreement sets the anticipated completion date and what happens if it changes, so read that clause closely before you sign. Our handover and snagging checklist covers what happens when the villa is ready, and the 2029 handover list shows which verified villas are scheduled for that year.
Mortgages on off-plan villas
The UAE Central Bank sets one ceiling for every off-plan purchase: a mortgage on property bought off-plan can be at most 50% of its value, regardless of purpose, value or the buyer's category. The rulebook explains this by the long development period and the risk to completion.
In practice, many buyers fund the deposit and construction stage in cash and arrange finance for the handover payment. Ask your bank early whether it lends on the project, at which stage it releases funds, and what it needs from the developer.
Worked example: AED 6 million on two plans
This is an illustration with stated assumptions, not a quote. Take a hypothetical villa priced at AED 6,000,000 in Dubai. Assume the buyer pays the full 4% DLD fee plus the AED 20 knowledge and innovation fees at booking, and the AED 520 title deed fees at handover.
Plan A, 60/40: 10% on booking, 50% during construction, 40% on handover.
Plan B, 50/50 with post-handover: 10% on booking, 40% during construction, 20% on handover, then 30% in six instalments of 5% after handover.
| Stage | Plan A (60/40) | Plan B (50/20/30) |
|---|---|---|
| Booking: 10% deposit | AED 600,000 | AED 600,000 |
| Booking: DLD fee 4% + AED 20 | AED 240,020 | AED 240,020 |
| Cash at booking | AED 840,020 | AED 840,020 |
| During construction | AED 3,000,000 | AED 2,400,000 |
| Paid before handover | AED 3,840,020 | AED 3,240,020 |
| On handover, plus AED 520 title deed fees | AED 2,400,520 | AED 1,200,520 |
| After handover | None | AED 1,800,000 (6 × AED 300,000) |
| Total paid | AED 6,240,540 | AED 6,240,540 |
Both plans cost the same in total. The difference is timing. Plan B asks for AED 600,000 less during construction and AED 1,200,000 less at handover, and moves AED 1,800,000 into the years after.
If you fund the handover with a mortgage, Plan A needs a larger loan at completion. Plan B needs a smaller one, but leaves instalments to the developer running alongside it. When you compare real offers, check that the price is the same under each plan option, and ask for the full schedule with dates.
Checklist before you choose a plan
- Ask for the full schedule in writing, with every percentage and its trigger, date or milestone.
- Check that the percentages add up to 100%.
- Work out the cash needed at booking, including the registration fee.
- Mark which instalments are date-linked and which are progress-linked.
- Confirm the escrow account details in the sale agreement, and pay only into that account.
- Read the clause on the anticipated completion date and what happens if it changes.
- Plan the handover payment early, with savings or a mortgage approval.
- On a post-handover plan, ask when the title deed will be issued.
- Ask whether the price changes between plan options.
- Keep every receipt and every registration certificate.
Use the compare tool to put plans side by side, browse villas in the AED 5M to 10M range, or see the latest new launches, where plans are often set for the first time. How we read each plan is set out in our methodology.
Key terms
- Booking deposit: the first payment, which reserves the villa.
- Split: shorthand for how much is paid before, on and after handover, such as 60/40.
- Date-linked instalment: due on a fixed date.
- Progress-linked instalment: due when construction reaches a stated stage. Also called construction-linked.
- Handover payment: the instalment due when the villa is complete and handed over.
- Post-handover plan: a plan with instalments still due after handover.
- Oqood: the Dubai Land Department's portal for registering off-plan sales on the initial register.
- Escrow account: the project bank account that holds buyers' payments under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007.
- Loan to value (LTV): the share of a property's value a bank may lend, capped at 50% for off-plan purchases.
