The 20% down payment plan in Dubai: what it changes for an investor

Three moments where you pay

An off-plan purchase in Dubai is not paid in one go. The price is split across three moments, and the developer publishes the split for each project before the launch.

• Reservation. You sign the booking form and the sale agreement, then you transfer the first payment. On the Prestige One projects Orven sells, this first payment is 20% of the price. The unit is taken off the market in your name.
• Construction. Depending on the project, a share of the price is called in instalments while the building goes up. Each instalment is tied to a construction milestone or to a date written in your contract.
• Handover. The final share is paid when the building is complete, before you receive the keys and before the title deed is issued in your name.

Every payment goes into the project's escrow account, which is controlled by the Dubai Land Department. The developer does not receive your money directly; it is released as the work progresses.

Two real schedules from Prestige One

The 20% at reservation is the same, but what follows it is not. Here are two projects that Orven currently sells, with the schedules published by the developer.

Coastal Haven runs on a 20/80 plan: nothing is called between reservation and completion. The 80% balance is due at handover, and bank financing is possible for that share, subject to the lender's approval. Hilton Residences follows a 20/40/40 plan: 40% in instalments during construction, then 40% at handover.

Other Prestige One projects also open with 20% at reservation. For those, the exact schedule is confirmed by your adviser with the sales documents of the unit you pick, because the split can differ by launch phase.

What the first payment changes for your cash flow

Take an investor in Lagos or Paris looking at a one-bedroom on Dubai Islands. Without a payment plan, the full price has to leave his account within weeks. With 20% at reservation, he moves one fifth of the price now and plans the rest.

On a 20/80 plan, the remaining 80% has a single due date: handover. That leaves time to sell another asset, to build up savings in dirhams, or to prepare a mortgage file with a UAE bank for the handover share. On a 20/40/40 plan, the middle 40% arrives in instalments during construction, so the cash outflow is spread but starts earlier. The handover share is smaller, which can make the financing request lighter at the end.

Neither plan changes the price of the unit. It changes when you pay it and how much you need to have available at each date.

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What the 20% does not cover

The payment plan applies to the price of the residence. The purchase costs are separate and come on top:

• the Dubai Land Department registration fee of 4% of the price;
• the Oqood registration for off-plan units, a fixed fee confirmed in your contract;
• the developer's administrative fee, stated in the sales documents;
• your bank's charges on the international transfer.

Ask your adviser for an itemised estimate before you reserve, so the 20% and these costs are both covered on the day you sign.

Two more points. The booking payment follows the developer's sale agreement and Dubai's off-plan regulations, so read the cancellation clause before you pay. And any rental figure you are shown is an illustration based on today's market, not a promise about the market at handover.

Choosing between 20/80 and 20/40/40

There is no better plan in the abstract. A few questions settle it:

1. When will your money be available? If a large sum is expected later (the sale of another property, for example), the single 80% at handover of Coastal Haven suits that timing. If you prefer regular outflows you can budget month by month, the construction instalments of Hilton Residences do that.
2. Do you intend to finance the balance? A smaller handover share means a smaller loan request. Financing remains subject to the lender's approval in both cases.
3. Which district do you want? Coastal Haven sits on Dubai Islands with one- to three-bedroom residences and penthouses; Hilton Residences is a furnished branded residence in Dubai Maritime City. The location and the product matter more than the plan.

See the Coastal Haven page for the current selection and floor plans.

How Orven helps

Orven works with international investors in English, French or Arabic, and everything is done remotely, from the reservation to the DLD registration. Send your budget and your preferred district on WhatsApp at +971 52 776 1939, or write to sales@orvenproperties.com, and an adviser replies with the units available today and the exact payment schedule for each one.

FAQ

Is the 20% the same on every Prestige One project? The 20% at reservation is the published opening on the Prestige One projects Orven sells. The construction and handover shares differ by project: 20/80 on Coastal Haven, 20/40/40 on Hilton Residences. Your adviser confirms the schedule for the unit you choose.

Can I pay the 20% from abroad? Yes. The transfer leaves your bank in your local currency and arrives in dirhams on the project's escrow account. Your bank converts the amount. Keep proof of the origin of funds ready, as banks ask for it.

Can the handover share be financed? For eligible buyers, including many non-residents, a UAE bank can finance the handover share. Approval, valuation and terms depend on the lender.

What happens if construction is delayed? Your contract sets the expected completion date and the developer's obligations. Instalments tied to milestones are only due when the milestone is reached, and progress can be checked on the DLD's Project Status Enquiry service.