Siddhartha, working with a MNC, is searching for his dream home in Bangalore. He tries various online portals and shortlists a few properties based on his requirements such as budget, number of rooms, and location.
Siddhartha is floored by the pictures of the shortlisted properties. Everything looks gorgeous! How can he even choose his home from among these? He would talk to the builders, he thinks, but he ends up being even confused. Every builder extolled the virtue of his property.
Enough of online searching, he thinks. Taking time off from work, he decides to visit his shortlisted properties. Reality is a harsh mistress. One of the properties has a graveyard facing the master bedroom. Another is dank and dusty, being poorly ventilated. He realises that when it comes to house hunting, what you see is often not what you get. Does that scenario sound familiar? Our Home Buying Advisor, Ashutosh, tells us that this is all too familiar. “That’s why we always stress that you need to organise and plan your site visits. You need to know what to look for instead of just visiting properties.”
Here are the top things that Ashutosh suggests a homebuyer should look for during a site visit:
At unit level
A homebuyer should look for proper ventilation in every corner of the apartment. He should check the floorplan and compare it with what he saw on various portals.
Specifically:
- Look for the surrounding view from the balconies.
- Ask the builder about any high rises that are planned.
- Review the construction quality.
“Every homebuyer should ask as many questions as possible from the builder regarding the components used in the construction. Depending on your belief, one should also look for the Vaastu details,” says Ashutosh.
At project level
“I suggest that the homebuyer should look for the construction progress as had been promised by the builder. This issue should be largely solved after the implementation of RERA.”
Ashutosh also suggests that it is important to see that the project passes municipality guidelines. “Identify if your property passes through existing drainage systems such as Raja Kaluves.”
A homebuyer should monitor any deviation in the project plan and ensure that amenities are as promised in the brochure.
At locality level
Typically, location is one of the most important criterion for a prospective homebuyer. But Ashutosh cautions that there is more to location, than well…location.
“You should check that connectivity of the project should be good keeping in mind issues like traffic. Have an overview of water logging, ground water level, and water and air pollution in the area.”
Check for:
- Hospitals, schools, and shopping malls.
- The commute to office and school.
Investment potential like upcoming Tech Parks, major infrastructure like Metro, and development of highways, which can result in significant property price appreciation and rental income.
“A focused site visit gives you the opportunity to evaluate the property from all factors before making the biggest investment decision of your life,” says Ashutosh.
