Budget 2026 Expectations Updates: ‘Expand Homeownership by Cutting Hidden Costs Passed on to Buyers’

Budget 2026 Expectations Updates: As India prepares for Union Budget 2026, real estate leaders are urging the government to focus on making homeownership more affordable by reducing the hidden costs that quietly get passed on to buyers.

Samarth Setia, Founder of Rezio.ai, believes that Budget 2026 has a major opportunity to expand homeownership by fixing approval delays, rationalising stamp duty, simplifying compliance and strengthening urban infrastructure.

Why Homeownership Is Becoming Expensive

While property prices are visible, many costs are hidden and silently passed on to buyers:

• Long approval timelines
• Complex clearances
• High stamp duty
• Compliance burden
• Inefficient regulations

These increase project delays, raise interest costs for developers and finally show up as higher home prices and EMIs for buyers.

Cut Delays with Time-Bound Single-Window Approvals

Budget Expectation

• Introduce a time-bound single-window clearance system
• Faster approvals = lower project delays
• Lower delays = lower cost escalation

This will directly reduce the final price paid by homebuyers.

Stamp Duty Rationalisation to Reduce Buyer Burden

High stamp duty adds a heavy burden to buyers.

Key Ask

• Rationalise stamp duty across states
• Incentivise states to reduce stamp duty for affordable housing
• Align stamp duty with long-term homeownership goals

Lower stamp duty means immediate savings for buyers.

Relief for First-Time and Mid-Income Buyers

Budget 2026 Expectations

• Increase home-loan interest deduction limits
• Special benefits for first-time buyers
• Targeted relief for mid-income families

This will reduce EMI pressure and improve housing affordability.

Faster Clearances and Cleaner Rules for Developers

For developers, Samarth Setia suggests:

• Faster project approvals
• Clear and consistent regulations
• Continued urban infrastructure capex

This will unlock new locations, improve livability and expand investable housing markets.

Simplify Compliance for Brokers with Digital RERA

Key Recommendations

• Fully digital, standardised RERA registration across states
• Cheaper and simpler compliance
• Strict action against unregistered agents

This will improve transparency and protect homebuyers.

Regulate Online Property Advertising Like Dubai

To prevent misleading listings, Rezio.ai proposes:

• A Trakheesi-style permit system
• Listings published only after regulator approval
• QR-linked permits via State RERA and land-record systems

This ensures buyers see only verified and legal properties online.

Why This Matters

If Budget 2026 adopts these reforms, India will see:

✔ Lower home prices
✔ Faster project delivery
✔ Higher homeownership
✔ Better transparency
✔ Stronger real estate growth

Final Thoughts

Union Budget 2026 can transform India’s housing market by cutting hidden costs and fixing systemic bottlenecks.

With the right reforms, India can make homeownership more affordable, transparent and accessible for millions of families.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only.