Preparing the handover payment on an off-plan purchase in Dubai
The handover balance ranges from 35% to 80% of the price depending on the project. How to prepare it in good time, from savings and asset sales to lender-dependent financing and the handover notice itself.
The last payment is the largest, and it has a deadline
Across the Orven selection, the share due at handover ranges from 35% of the price to 80%, depending on which published payment plan applies to your project. Coastal Haven asks for 80% at handover, Golf Residences asks for 60%, Hilton Residences asks for 40%, and Luxury Canal Residences asks for 35%. Whichever figure applies to you, it arrives at a fixed point, the anticipated handover date, not on a schedule you control, so the preparation has to start well before the handover notice itself.
Know your own number first
Before planning how to fund the balance, confirm which published plan applies to your unit and what percentage is actually due at handover. On a Golf Residences unit, the structure is 20% at reservation, 20% during construction and 60% at handover, so the final payment is the largest single instalment in the whole plan by a wide margin. On Coastal Haven, the 80% handover balance is larger still relative to the 20% reservation deposit. Your adviser confirms the exact percentage and the current price for your unit; do not assume a different project's split applies to yours.
Three ways buyers typically fund the balance
- Savings set aside in advance. The simplest approach: treat the handover balance as a fixed target from the day you reserve, and build toward it on a schedule independent of the construction timeline, so a delay in one direction does not leave you short in the other.
- Selling another asset. Some buyers plan to fund the handover balance by selling a property or other asset closer to the anticipated date. This needs its own timeline, since a sale can take longer than expected, and the handover balance does not wait for it.
- Bank financing for part of the balance. Financing is possible for certain non-residents, always subject to the lender's approval, and typically becomes relevant closer to handover rather than at reservation. Our guide on non-resident mortgages in Dubai: what to prepare sets out what a lender generally asks for, without promising any rate, loan-to-value ratio or approval.
Most buyers combine more than one of these, rather than relying on a single source for the full handover amount.
What the handover notice actually triggers
The handover, or completion, notice is the developer's formal signal that the unit is ready, and it is what starts the clock on your final payment, the snagging inspection and the title deed transfer. Our Dubai property handover checklist walks through what to check on the unit itself once that notice arrives, alongside the financial side covered here. Because the notice can arrive earlier or later than the anticipated date originally published, treat your preparation timeline as needing some flexibility on both sides rather than a fixed date.
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Coastal Haven's 80% balance as a worked case
Because Coastal Haven's structure concentrates 80% of the price at handover against only a 20% reservation deposit, it is the plan in our selection where advance preparation matters most. Our dedicated guide on financing the 80% at handover for Coastal Haven walks through how buyers typically approach that specific balance, including where bank financing fits in, subject to the lender's approval, and where savings or an asset sale cover the rest.
Lighter handover balances: Hilton, Canal and Sanctuary
Not every plan concentrates this much at the end. Hilton Residences and FAUCHON Résidences ask for 40% at handover against a 40% construction portion already paid, and Luxury Canal Residences and Sanctuary Residences ask for only 35%, having collected 45% during construction. A smaller handover balance still deserves the same advance planning, simply over a smaller amount, since the deadline itself does not move regardless of the percentage.
The 4% DLD fee does not disappear at handover
Whichever percentage applies to your handover balance, the Dubai Land Department's 4% registration fee is calculated on the full price, not only on the handover portion, and it is confirmed and settled as part of completing the purchase. Budget for it separately from the handover balance itself rather than assuming it is already included in the percentage your plan quotes.
Plan your handover balance with an adviser
Send your project, unit type and expected handover date on WhatsApp to +971 52 776 1939, or by email to sales@orvenproperties.com, and your adviser confirms the exact percentage due at handover for your unit, and talks through how other buyers in a similar position have typically funded it.
FAQ
Which project in the Orven selection has the largest handover balance? Coastal Haven, at 80% of the price, is the largest handover-weighted plan currently published in our selection.
Can I use a bank loan to cover the entire handover balance? Financing part of the balance is possible for certain non-residents, always subject to the lender's approval; it is not assumed or guaranteed for any buyer in advance.
When should I start preparing for the handover payment? As soon as you know which plan applies to your unit and what percentage is due, well before the handover notice itself arrives, since the notice starts a fixed timeline rather than a flexible one.
Does the handover balance include the 4% DLD fee? No. The DLD fee is calculated on the full price and settled separately as part of completing the registration, on top of whatever percentage your plan allocates to handover.
What happens if I am not ready when the handover notice arrives? Your sale agreement, not this guide, sets out what happens if a payment is late; ask your adviser to walk through the relevant clause well before you expect the notice.
ORVEN PROPERTIES
Talk to an Orven adviser
Leave your number: an adviser calls you back or replies on WhatsApp, in your language. No commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Which project in the Orven selection has the largest handover balance?
Coastal Haven, at 80% of the price, is the largest handover-weighted plan currently published in our selection.
Can I use a bank loan to cover the entire handover balance?
Financing part of the balance is possible for certain non-residents, always subject to the lender's approval; it is not assumed or guaranteed for any buyer in advance.
When should I start preparing for the handover payment?
As soon as you know which plan applies to your unit and what percentage is due, well before the handover notice itself arrives, since the notice starts a fixed timeline rather than a flexible one.
Does the handover balance include the 4% DLD fee?
No. The DLD fee is calculated on the full price and settled separately as part of completing the registration, on top of whatever percentage your plan allocates to handover.
What happens if I am not ready when the handover notice arrives?
Your sale agreement, not this guide, sets out what happens if a payment is late; ask your adviser to walk through the relevant clause well before you expect the notice.
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