Flexible payment schedules can improve short-term liquidity — but they are not “free”. Any deferred cash flow embeds an opportunity cost and, often, an implicit price for vendor financing.
Three common structures
Plans typically cluster around: (1) heavier equity up-front with modest post-handover slices; (2) balanced schedules spanning a few years after handover; (3) long tails that push principal far past completion. Longer tails usually carry higher implicit financing loads even when interest is not stated explicitly.
A simple comparison habit
Discount future installments at a hurdle rate that reflects your alternative deployment of capital. Compare the resulting equivalent cash price to the headline contract price. The gap is the implied cost (or subsidy) of the plan.
Who benefits from what
Liquidity-constrained buyers may rationally pay more in implied financing to preserve cash during construction. Income-focused buyers often prefer faster equity build and earlier rental attribution — subject to handover certainty.
We can incorporate plan mechanics into advisory models on engagement — not as generic marketing comparisons.
Apply this lens to your own mandate with our team.
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