SCO, SCF, booth: commercial property terms explained

Commercial property in Mohali, Chandigarh and Panchkula is sold in a few standard formats. The name tells you what you are buying, what you can build and how you can use it.

The main formats

• SCO (shop-cum-office): a multi-storey building on its own plot, usually with a shop on the ground floor and offices above. In GMADA and HSVP auctions you buy the plot and build to the authority's approved design.
• SCF (shop-cum-flat): an older format in which the upper floors were meant for residential use. In Chandigarh, owners can apply to the Estate Office to convert an SCF to an SCO.
• Booth: a small single-storey shop, common in sector markets.
• Bay shop / showroom: a ground-floor unit in a larger commercial building, often sold by private developers.
• Commercial chunk site: a large parcel auctioned to developers for malls, offices or mixed use.

Questions to ask before you buy

• Are you buying the land and building, or one floor or unit? Which floors does the title cover?
• Is it freehold or leasehold? Leasehold property may need permission and fees for transfer.
• What does the authority allow to be built: height, coverage, number of floors, basement?
• Is parking included, or shared with the whole market?
• For units in a private project, is the project registered with RERA, and does the unit have an occupation or completion certificate?

Auction terms differ

GMADA, HSVP and the Chandigarh Housing Board each set their own payment schedules, construction deadlines and penalties for non-construction. Read the brochure for the specific auction before bidding.

Related

• Bidding at a GMADA e-auction: deposits, payments, possession
• GMADA sells 27.78-acre Sector 62 plot for ₹1,742 crore

This explainer is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.