Navi Mumbai Real Estate: Apartments for Sale across the Harbour from Mumbai

Navi Mumbai was developed by CIDCO from the 1970s as a planned township to relieve Mumbai. Nodes include Vashi, Nerul, Belapur CBD, Kharghar, Panvel, Ulwe and Dronagiri. Vashi and Nerul are well established, with shopping and offices, while Kharghar, Ulwe and Panvel are newer and cheaper. The Navi Mumbai International Airport at Ulwe, the Atal Setu sea link to south Mumbai and a metro line have changed the outlook for the southern nodes.

Trains on the harbour line link Navi Mumbai to Mumbai, with journeys of 45 minutes to an hour to reach the centre. Monsoons are heavy, and some low-lying parts flood.

Compare with other markets such as Pune, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Kolkata.

NRIs and OCIs can buy residential and commercial property, but not farmland. Maharashtra's rules are strict about agricultural land.

• RERA. Check MahaRERA registration for every project.
• Stamp duty. Maharashtra stamp duty plus registration fees add several percent; some concessions exist for certain buyers. Verify.
• CIDCO lands. Many plots are leasehold from CIDCO or other authorities, which may need permissions and transfer charges.
• GST. Under-construction flats attract GST.

See our India consultation guide and financing guide, plus the India overview.

Navi Mumbai is well supplied with schools, hospitals and malls, and its wide, planned roads feel different from Mumbai's. The harbour and trans-harbour rail lines are the backbone of commuting, and a metro line serves Belapur and Kharghar. Bus services are reasonably frequent. The planned airport and logistics zones may bring jobs to Ulwe and Panvel, though it will take years for the surrounding area to fill in. Before buying, travel the actual route to your office at peak time and note the walking distance to the railway station, since a short rickshaw ride can add a lot to a daily commute.

Check that the building has a valid fire clearance, structural audit for older blocks and insurance for the common areas. Coastal Maharashtra has heavy monsoon rains, so ask about the history of seepage in the specific flat, especially on top floors and ground floors. Ask the society secretary for the last annual accounts and any special levies planned for repairs or lift replacement.

Confirm whether the land is freehold or CIDCO leasehold, and ask for transfer permissions. Look at distance to a railway station and the status of the metro line. Ask about the flood history of the specific plot, and about the developer's pending delivery dates. Use the mortgage calculator and compare against the property valuation tool to test the price.