A house purchase for most buyers in India is a long-drawn process and a lot of financial planning and emotional decisions go into it. In a country rich in traditions and diverse festivals, it is common to see homebuyers choosing auspicious days to make their property purchases. Several property developers take this opportunity and introduce lucrative schemes, festive offers and incentives to capture buyers’ attention. At the same time, some buyers go for homebuying depending on their needs rather than waiting for any festive season.
Festive offers, discounts and freebies attract buyers
Market trends show that residential property sales see a rise around the festive season, such as Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali. The festive period witnesses a decent supply of homes with a significant surge in new project launches and ready-to-move-in units. Moreover, with high levels of unsold inventory, developers utilise this time to clear their inventory of ready-to-move-in homes by offering special schemes or freebies with the housing units.
Developers attract buyers by offering discounts on property prices. While these may be direct offers by reducing the sale price, they may offer waivers on floor rise charges. Many developers provide flexible payment plans such as construction-linked payment plans, no EMI till possession and a 10:90 plan (where 10% will be paid during booking and the remaining during possession). These offers are financially beneficial for buyers. Developers, too, benefit from these transactions during the festive season. Freebies like gold coins, free modular kitchen and parking space are also popular benefits provided by developers to capture buyers’ interest during this time.
Besides, it is not only developers that take efforts to get buyers’ attention, many banks and lending institutions introduce attractive schemes like pre-approved loans and waivers on loan processing fees.
Property buying: A rational decision for many
While it is true that the market sees a lot of activity during the festive season with several buyers rushing to book a deal in an auspicious muhurat, some buyers are driven by their informed decisions. This is seen mostly among the younger buyers who prefer to view the larger market scenario instead of merely waiting for a particular festival or an auspicious date.
Many buyers get busy looking for investment options close to the financial year-end. This is the time when several developers launch their projects. While the buying activities may not be as intense as the festive months, the market does see positive movement.
Festive season drives home sales in India
Going by the recent market trends, residential sales have seen a significant uptick around the festivals. Despite a segment of buyers who do not base their property decisions on festivals, most buyers prefer to take advantage of the offers available during the season. It is worth noting that some auspicious festivals in India coincide with the monsoon season when most cities witness heavy rains. Such factors also influence the residential activities and sales.
According to Housing.com’s Real Insight report, the July-September 2025 quarter witnessed an increase in new supply. Most of the new launches were in the mid and premium segments. The market continued to see sales activities, although recording a 1% drop with sales of less than 1 lakh homes across the eight markets.
Festive seasons provide a wider range of options for buyers across segments like luxury housing and affordable housing. Apart from the lucrative offers, buyers find themselves in a better financial position during the festive season, with most salaried people gaining annual bonuses and other perks that increase a family’s disposable income.
Thus, festivals in India influence India’s residential market in many ways, giving homebuyers ample opportunities to invest. At the same time, developers also make the most of the season and benefit from the market sentiment.
