CHECKLIST FOR HOME BUYERS - TO COMPARE THE PROJ ECTS YOU ARE

INTERESTED IN. AS A RULE ONE SHOULD "ALWAYS" VISIT THE SITE / REGION
PERSONALLY
1. HAS THE BUILDER GOT THE LAND REGISTERED IN HIS NAME?
2. IS THE BUILDER TAKING LOAN FROM A BANK TO PAY FOR THE LAND
3. ARE GOOD BANKS SUCH AS HDFC, LIC, ETC GIVING HOME LOANS ON THIS PROJ ECT. IF
YES THEN ARE THEY GIVING ON DP OR CLP. AND HOW MUCH %
4. IS THE MASTER PLAN OF THE PROJ ECT AUTHORISED BY AUTHORITY? IF NOT THEN WHEN
IT WILL BE DONE, AS TILL THE AUTHORITY AUTHORISES THE MASTER PLAN, BUILDER IS
FREE TO MAKE ANY CHANGES AS HE WANTS. ONCE AUTHORISED BY AUTHORITY, CHANGES
IN SITE MASTER PLAN ARE VERY DIFFICULT
5. DO YOU HAVE THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE "REGION" TO SEE WHERE EXACTLY IS THIS
SITE AS PER CITY MASTER PLAN. AND TO CHECK WITH WHOM THIS PROJ ECT SHARES ITS
BOUNDRIES WITH. PROJ ECTS VERY CLOSE (WITHIN DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT OF 100-200
MTRS) FROM FOLLOWING IS A NEGATIVE: Police stations & J ails, Courts, Hospitals, Sewage
area, Dumping Grounds, School spl. Govt.Schools, Colleges, Villages, Huge Drains, Low income
housing societies, Sector markets, MIG/LIG Market areas, Govt.offices, Factories, Power station,
High tension wires, Mobile Towers, Railway tracks, Graveyards, Places of worship, wine and
beer shops, Bus Terminals,Cremation Grounds, Mental asylums, Warehouses, Major Chaurahas
with Red Lights, Metro stations (Best to have Metro stations around 400-700 Mtrs to avoid
Encroachments, Traffic and Illegal Parkings around Complex),Slaughter Houses, Wholesale
Markets, Forest area, Huge Parking Areas,Petrol Pumps (should not share boundry with
complex)
6. IF PROJ ECTS ARE CLOSE TO (APPROX. WITHIN 200-700 MTRS) FROM FOLLOWING THEN
ITS A POSITIVE: 4/5 Star Hotels, Green Belts, Golf Courses, High End Shopping Malls, Park
areas, Well Planned IT, MNC Office areas, Plotted Development areas (makes the region open
and less dense), Well laid out Expressways, Metro stations (best around 400-700Mtrs)
7. WHO IS THE SUB CONTRACTOR OF THE PROJ ECT FOR CONSTRUCTION
8. HOW MANY APPARTMENTS PER ACRE OF PROJ ECT (TOTAL NUMBER OF FLATS DIVIDED BY
TOTAL AREA)
9. WHAT IS THE % LOADING (CARPET AREA - WHICH YOU CAN ADD FROM LAYOUT PLAN,
DIVIDED BY SUPER AREA)
10. ARE CUPBOARDS INBUILT OR WILL TAKE SPACE IN YOUR ROOM CARPET AREA
11. WHAT IS THE CEILING HEIGHT
12. ALWAYS GO FOR A PROJ ECT WHICH IS LESS DENSE AND HAS MORE OPEN AREA..AS
FACILTIES CAN ALWAYS BE ADDED BUT NO ONE CAN ADD EXTRA SPACE
13. IF BUILDER GIVING YOU FURNISHINGS..THEN OF WHAT BRAND THEY WILL
BE.REMEMBER "XYZ BRAND OR EQUIIVALENT" MEANS "CHINESE EQUIVALENT"
14. REMEMBER MAINTENANCE CHARGES CAN BE BETWEEN RS. 1-2 PSF PER MONTHS PLUS
12% SERVICE CHARGES. SOME PROJ ECTS ALSO ASK FOR MONTHLY CLUB FEE AND ALSO
CHARGES FOR USING FACILTIES LIKE STEAM, SAUNA, ETC. REMEMBER POWER BACK UP IS
NOT FREE, OTHER THAN FIXED CHARGES, PER UNIT CHARGES ON POWER BACK UP DEPEND
ON DIESEL RATE AND NOWDAYS IS AROUND RS.11-14 PER UNIT
15. EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT - TO WHAT RICHTER SCALE ??..HIGHER THE BETTER. AND
WHO WILL CERTIFY THIS.
16. WHAT TYPE OF A.C PROVISION WILL BE PROVIDED. SPLIT A.C PROVISION IS MUST
NOWADAYS AS WINDOW A.Cs OCCUPY A LOT OF BALCONY SPACE
17. PIPED GAS - IS BUILDER GIVING PROVISION FOR PIPED GAS SET UP INTERNALLY,
BECAUSE IF NOT THEN IN FUTURE YOU HAVE TO SET IT UP ON THE WALL OF BUILDING
WHICH LOOKS PRETTY BAD
18. ELECTRONIC SECURITY IS MUST...ALL SECURITY GUARDS ARE MORE OR LESS USELESS.
ITS MOST IMPORTANT THAT BUILDER PROVIDED CCTV CAMERAS AND PROVISIONS FOR
DOOR PHONES IN EACH APPARTMENT. INTERCOM IS STANDARD FEATURE
19. ARE THERE TOO MANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN THE PROJ ECT SITE. IF YES,
THEN KEEP IN MIND THIS MEANS LOTS OF LABOUR MOVEMENT, NOISE AND AIR POLLUTION,
ETC..PLUS MAYBE THE BUILDER MAKES A TALLER BUILDING IN FUTURE.
20. IF THE PROJ ECT YOU ARE BUYING IS PART OF A BIG PROJ ECT THEN DOES YOUR
PROJ ECT HAVE ITS OWN BOUNDRY WALL...IF NO..THEN ITS A NEGATIVE AS IN SUCH
PROJ ECTS THERE ARE NEARLY 10-15,000 FLATS PLUS COMMERCIALS, ETC INSIDE..MEANING
CONSTRUCTION WILL CONTINUE FOR YEARS AND NO CONTROL OVER MOVEMENT INSIDE
THE COMPLEX. EVEN WHEN PROJ ECT IS COMPLETED THE EXCLUSIVITY IS NOT THERE..AS
ANYONE WHO ENTERS THE COMPLEX WILL BE FREE TO MOVE ABOUT ANYWHERE
21. CHECK THE STATUS OF THE LAST 3 PROJ ECTS COMPLETED BY THE BUILDER (THEY MAY
BE COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL), VISIT THEM YOURSELF IF POSSIBLE AND GET A FIRST
HAND EXPERIENCE ON THE BUILT AND MAINTENANCE QUALITY. TALKING TO MAINTENANCE
STAFF, LABOUR, ETC GIVES A GOOD IDEA HOW THE BUILDER HAS BUILT THE PROJ ECT.
PREFERABLY IF THE LAST 3 PROJ ECTS OF THE BUILDER ARE OF SIMILAR SCALE TO THE ONE
YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, THEN ITS BETTER.
22. TOTAL "POCKET PRICE" IS CALCULATED BY ADDING ALL THIS:
BSP+All charges by builder incl. Parking, power back up, IFMS, External Dev. charges, Meter
charges, Club membership, etc etc.
Now add 5% extra area on you Super Area as when possession time, the builder will casually
tell you that your 1500 sq.ft area is now 1600 sq.ft..and guess what NO increase in carpet
area...so be prepared.
Add service charges...approx 2.5% on BSP and approx.10.5% on other charges...add registry
charges (8% in Noida), and another miscellaneous charges of approx. 25,000
23. WHO WILL MAINTAIN THE PROJ ECT. USUALLY ITS A SISTER CONCERN OF THE
BUILDER..AND HE WILL ASK YOU TO SIGN AT POSSESSION TIME FOR 1-2 YEARS.
MAINTENANCE QUALITY IS USUALLY POOR BY THESE SISTER CONCERNS AND UNTILL
UNLESS A PROACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE RWA TAKES OVER..BE PREPARED FOR POOR
MAINTENANCE. USUALLY THESE BUILDER MAINTENANCE AGENCIES TAKE AT LEAST 2 YEARS
TO LEAVE.
24. DONOT ISSUE CHEQUES TO ANY BROKER, BUILDER UNTILL UNLESS A APPARTMENT
NUMBER AND TOWER WITH AREA IS CONFIRMED TO YOU. THE RECEIPT OF YOUR BOOKING
CHEQUE SHOULD BE GIVEN BY BUILDER WITH FLAT, TOWER NUMBER AND SUPER AREA.
NEVER EVER GIVE CHEQUES TO BROKERS WHO WILL SAY THAT THEY WILL GIVE YOU THE
FLAT OF YOUR CHOICE AFTER SOMETIME IN EXCHANGE.THEY WILL BOOK YOU A POOR
LOCATED APPARTMENT PROMISING THAT THEY WILL CHANGE IT IN FUTURE. THAT SELDOM
HAPPENS.
25. NEVER BE OVERWHELMED BY "FREE FURNISHINGS" ALL THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT
CHEAPER PRICE AFTER 2,3 YEARS. CONCENTRATE MORE ON BASICS OF REAL ESTATE. IF A
PROJ ECT FULFILLS THE BASICS WELL..THEN AS ADD ON "FREE FURNISHING' ARE BONUS.
26. IS THE BUILDER PROVIDING BASEMENT PARKING OR NOT. HOW MANY CARS CAN BE
PARKED INSIDE THE COMPLEX. KEEP IN MIND NUMBER OF CARS WILL ALWAYS INCREASE.
THERE SHOULD BE PROVISION FOR ATLEAST 2 CARS PER FLAT. BASEMENT PARKING IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
27. HAVING THE LIFT SHAFT NEXT TO BEDROOM IS NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL
28. HOW MANY LIFTS IN THE BUILDING, AND HOW MANY STRETCHER SIZE LIFTS. IF
NUMBER OF APPARTMENTS IN A BUILDING IS LESS THAN 50 THEN 2 LIFTS WITH ONE
STRETCHER LIFT IS FINE. IF MORE APAPRTMENTS IN THE BUILDING THEN THERE SHOULD
BE AT LEAST 3 LIFTS WITH ONE STRECTHER LIFT
29. KITCHEN WALLS AND TOILET WALLS BEING SHARED IS NOT RECOMMENDED
30. CHECK THE SUNLIGHT DIRECTION IS AS PER YOUR REQUIREMENT. THE APPTS. WITH
DIRECT SUNLIGHT FOR A LONG TIME WILL HAVE A "BAKING" EFFECT AND WILL BE HOT IN
SUMMERS BUT "WARMER" IS WINTERS. THE APPTS. WHICH ARE NOT EXPOSED TO DIRECT
SUNLIGHT FOR A LONG TIME WILL BE "COOL" IN SUMMER BUT "COLD" IN WINTER. DELHI IS
HOT FOR 8-9 MONTHS A YEAR AND 3-4 MONTHS IS COOL, COLD. SO DEPENDING ON WHAT
YOU FEEL IS BEST FOR YOU SELECT THE APPARTMENT. KEEP IN MIND THE TOTAL HEIGHT
OF THE BUILDING CLOSE TO YOU..IT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT AS TO WHEN YOUR FLAT GETS
SUN.