An article about " ASPECTS WHICH REQUIRE CONSIDERATION WHILE TAKING FLAT ON LEASE "

ASPECTS WHICH REQUIRE CONSIDERATION WHILE TAKING FLAT ON LEASE

If one is contemplating a move to an apartment, they should be sure and they should know their rights and obligations before they sign a lease agreement.

A perfect apartment is the one which has the right neighbourhood, nearness to the train or bus lines for commuting, at the right rate, in a secure building, though however, there are other apartment features they have on their list. When one thinks they've found out the right apartment, they should protect themselves by reviewing the lease agreement before they sign it and ask a few questions to their Landlord. Moving into an apartment without a lease agreement can cause problems, as their rights and obligations are not defined. If they have an apartment lease in hand and if they are ready to sign, they should have a re-look on the clauses of the lease deed before they put their signature on the dotted line. If the Landlord is using his own apartment lease form instead of a standard form, they should read it carefully and shouldn't hesitate to ask for changes if they feel the terms are too restrictive. If the terms and conditions of the apartment lease are not to their liking and there are serious concerns, they may have to rethink their dream apartment and keep looking. The following are the few questions which require answers:-

SECURITY:

Generally, one must see as to how much security is provided. If there is a parking garage, there must be security for that garage, 24 hours a day.

ELEVATORS:

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If an apartment has an elevator system, is it inspected often. If there are problems with the elevator, is there a number that one can call or they should call the Supervisor to lodge the complaint.

APARTMENT SUPERVISOR:

If an apartment building has a Supervisor, one should check whether he/she is resident in the building or not. They should take note of the timings of the Supervisor to meet them in their free time and the services that he provides.

PETS:

Generally, if one is allowed to have pets in the building, they should make sure that their neighbours are comfortable with it.

GARBAGE AND INCINERATION:

Make sure that your Landlord provides services and systems for garbage or incineration. There should be a garbage receptacle area in the building, or they should throw their garbage down into an incinerator. Ask the Owner whether the Clean-up and sanitation is done on a regular basis to ensure that the garbage does not attract rats or vermin.

APARTMENT SECURITY DEPOSIT:

Typically, a Landlord will ask for payment upfront, equal to few months rent to hold for any repairs he may have to make if they leave the apartment in disarray at the end of their lease. They must make a Security Deposit, and find out when they can expect to get it back when they are ready to move out and what deductions the Landlord would be making out of the Security Deposit.

APARTMENT VACANCY AND SUBLEASE:

One should make a note that if they sublet the apartment for some reason, continue to pay rent, can they move back in or will the Landlord seize the apartment and cancel the lease with penalties.

They should also consider any specific requirements that they have and add those to the list of questions they want to ask their Landlord. They should be sure and ask all of these questions and review the apartment lease before they make a decision on an apartment.

An article about " Save building against natural calamities "

Save building against natural calamities

The increased frequency of earthquakes around the world has brought Home the urgency of a planned programme for ensuring safety in design and construction of new buildings and comprehensive need for retrofitting the existing building against collapse during disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones or flooding. The reasons for deficiency could include the following:

1. At the time of building construction, there may not have been adequate concern regarding disasters such as earthquakes and hence, the building might have been executed without fulfilling the requirements of safety measures.

2. In the case of old buildings, deterioration of the material with age or changes in the occupancy category may place the building in a vulnerable category introducing significant structural deficiency.

What is a retrofit?

During an earthquake, the ground and the structure shake violently. This back-and-forth motion and can cause a building to fall off its foundation, resulting in major damage to the structure and sometimes even total collapse. Seismic retrofit is not rocket science, and the basic principles are easily understood. One can quickly learn all that is needed to make informed decisions regarding the retrofitting of one's own Home. Retrofitting focuses on strengthening the house-to-foundation connections using specially designed hardware and engineered construction methods. Retrofitting allows a house to withstand much greater earthquake forces with much less structural damage.

Since, disasters and the forces generated by them are unpredictable retrofitting cannot guarantee that a House will receive no damage at all. However, it has been proven that retrofitting greatly reduces the amount of damage a House receives and is highly effective in preventing catastrophic collapse and loss of life. While retrofitting, the building is provided with additional strength, stiffness and ductility to ensure acceptable performance during future disasters. Modern building codes have been written so that, newer Homes usually don't need to be seismically reinforced if they are properly constructed. However, the Builders sometimes do not understand provisions of the code that are specific to detailing reinforcement and neglect to follow these aspects of the building code. A proper evaluation will reveal if a building needs retrofit, regardless of whether it is new or old. Walls and columns are the most critical elements during disasters. Thousands of structures in metropolitan areas in India need assessment and retrofitting if loss of life is to be minimized during the disasters. The concepts of assessment and retrofitting are well known and will enable both life safety and reduction in loss of property damage. The cost of retrofitting will not be prohibitive, because only existing weaknesses in building that are identified during the evaluation are rectified during the retrofitting.

Architects do not design retrofits; this is something done by Structural or Civil Engineers. As in other fields, Engineers tend to specialise, so if you choose to work with an Engineer, be sure he is one with special training in retrofit design. Contractors, who have had special training in retrofit engineering principles, can take up installation. Seismic retrofit technology is continually evolving, and a Retrofit Contractor needs to understand and follow the most current seismic retrofit standards. It is also important that he teams up with a Structural Engineer. A retrofit generally, costs between 5 percent and 10 percent of a Home's value. For many Home Owners, the one-time cost of a retrofit equals a few years of earthquake insurance. And insurance won't prevent or reduce damage to your home, but retrofitting will.

An article about " USE OF EARTH AS BUILDING MATERIAL "

USE OF EARTH AS BUILDING MATERIAL

Man has been building a shelter for himself since time immemorial as it is one of his basic needs. A changing lifestyle along with technological development has been reflected in the building materials he has used. Nowadays, buildings are just springing up here and there in a contextual way and architecture too has been affected. One of the most widely used building materials is traditionally earth. Vast numbers of structures have been built using this material. Newer building materials have come into use with time and changing living patterns but have had a far-reaching ecological impact and traditional material like earth has been pushed to the side.

Earth has distinctive quality and makes an architectural statement about the quality of the building It determines the kind of architecture. Although other materials definitely do have advantages, earth is the most ecologically sound. It can be totally recycled and has little Repercussions on the environment. It also possesses thermal properties and creates comfort especially in a country like India that is in the tropics.

Some of the typical ways of making earthen structures are Rammed earth, adobe and cob. In these, clay, sand, straw and dung are mixed and become the natural material. Where rammed earth and cob are concerned, the mixture is piled on sculpted with ordinary tools. Formwork may also be used to lend profile. Earth is shoveled into the large form work and tamped down making large forms such as one or more walls at a time. In adobe structures, mud bricks are made by putting this mixture into a mould and leaving it to dry in the sun. Lime or mud mortar can be used to cement these bricks.

A project has been evolved at the METI School at Rudrapur, Bangladesh, in which the local construction knowledge, renewable building materials such as earth plus new construction techniques have been combined for a contextual yet modern identity and outlook.

The other material used to give stability to the structure was Bamboo. Built over a brick foundation, it had a damp proof course to tackle the rising moisture that typically accompanies any earthen structure. Bamboo was a part of the structure and roofing material. Humans were used to carry out simple tests for the strength of the members.

The labourer’s existing skills were fused with today’s technical methods to help building with earthen technology. The contrasting blue doors and curtains made with sarees in the openings contributed to the aura of uniqueness.

Many think that earthen structures can only be at the ground or one floor level, but this is fallacy. There are several multi-storey earthen structures today. Unfortunately, many think of earth as the choice of the poor man but this stigma is regrettable and we should realize the value of it as a building material. The knowledge of earthen technology can be filtered and transformed to meet present day needs. It is not just a romantic concept but the fact is that it is possible toconstruct structures with earth and it is a sustainable option, more so than any other material.

An article about " The Open Kitchen "

The Open Kitchen

Kitchens are no longer what they used to be. A new era has indeed dawned in the field of kitchens. Spacious cooking areas, trendy gadgets, convenient appliances, stylish cooking ranges, wide ranging cookware, concealed storage spaces. That is the modern kitchen.

With changing times, the concept of spaces and their uses have changed drastically. Today the apparent differentiation between the kitchen and the living room has completely disappeared. Now-a-days kitchens have been transformed into living spaces. They are places where the family and friends get together. It is also a creative work place which involves the best of imagination and modern appliances.

There is no longer a divide between the living room and the kitchen, and the open kitchen has become the norm in many homes. When you plan an open kitchen, you have to bear in mind three major things. They are kitchen gadgets, cookware,and the storage space for them. An open kitchen is part of the living room and therefore has to be aesthetically designed, and at the same time, it has to be absolutely functional.

Mind boggling

Cooking plays a crucial role in everyone's lives. Many go in for the trendiest gadgets and the best in kitchen design. A generation ago, kitchens had only a few things like grinding stones, but today the range of cooking gadgets available is mind boggling.

No big expertise is needed for modern cooking, and the cooking process itself has become simpler due to the multitude of gadgets available like juicers, rice cookers, microwave ovens, toasters, blenders, mixers, food processors, coffee makers, deep fryers etc.

Appliances like the food processor occupy only a little space and are multi-functional as it can perform a variety of tasks. Most people would like to have a fully equipped open kitchen. They want a well designed kitchen platform which can accommodate all their gadgets with enough electrical outlets.

Now-a-days numerous fancy cooking ranges are available. They can be fitted on countertops and the space below can be used for storage and other purposes. A dish washer is a good investment for people who have plenty of ceramic and porcelain ware.

Splendour

Once they enter the fashionable world of open kitchens people will think twice before using outdated aluminum and steel utensils. They will abhor the thought of guests and relatives staring at those old world relics.

Fortunately, you can now buy a wide range of cookware made of copper, melamine, ceramic, stainless steel and non-stick material. There are separate vessels for cooking and serving and also cooking-cum–serving vessels. While copper, non-stick and stainless steel are good for cooking, for serving it is better to use beautiful ceramic, melamine, wooden and chinaware. Casseroles, pots, pans, spoons, spatulas etc., are a part of every chef's needs. Dinner sets are available in plenty in many colours and designs and it will be best to have one set for daily use and another for formal entertaining. Stainless steel is better when it is just the family, and this is a good idea if there are small children. In Indian minds stainless steel is deep rooted as it is not fragile and lasts long. Of course many of us would like to take out the chinaware for entertaining, but make sure that children do not have access to them.

Kitchen line enhances the beauty and appearance of the open kitchen. Good quality kitchen linen, complements the stylish and modern kitchen.

Storage units

In an open plan kitchen, open shelves can look odd. Therefore, go for well designed, carefully planned, closed storage units. You can store everything from gadgets to food in them. Shelves and deep, wide drawers of different heights and widths can be added to accommodate various items. Cutlery drawers and vegetable racks can also be incorporated. 

A pull out compartment like an arena shelf accessible from all sides can be used for storing items. All its corners can be used, and the underside of shelves can be used for hanging cups.

If interested, set apart a compartment for wine storage, which will be quite useful while entertaining, and will add a design element to the cabinets. If space is available, a separate store room for storing food items can also be created.

Odour Elimination

If the open kitchen is not properly ventilated, it is likely to smoke up the entire living area. This will spread to the rest of the house, and finally the entire home will smell like the kitchen.

You can eliminate odours by taking the following steps:

- Install an overhead hood in the kitchen with a grease filter. This will prevent the fan from getting clogged with fat.

- Fit a ventilating fan close to apparatuses emitting smoke.

-Use an electric chimney. It will eliminate fumes.

-Go for appliances that come with built-in exhaust fans like ovens.

-Clean out the garbage twice a day.

-It would be better to have a second kitchen exclusively for frying so that the home does not become smoky.

-Using air purifiers can help in eliminating odours.

-Boiling some water with cloves in an open pan for a few minutes or keeping an open container of vinegar on the counter top will create fragrance.

-Lighting some aroma candles or incense in the living room will inject pleasant odoursinto the air.

-Clean the kitchen well after use.

-Keep the cooked food in closed containers.

An article about " Construction Tips for Narrow Sites "

Construction Tips for Narrow Sites

Your site has a narrow frontage, but good depth. Designing a residence on such a plot undoubtedly poses a host of problems. Particularly in terms of circulation of natural lighting and ventilation. Nevertheless, it’s the kind of challenge any creative designer seeks. At the outset, imagine what happens if the site is situated in a continuous building zone. Isn’t the natural light and ventilation blocked out from either sides of the plot?.

Apart from the basic ventilation and lighting, the building also must have some aesthetic character to it. So how does one go about achieving this?

It is easy to give up considering the constraints the site poses. But if one’s intention is to achieve quality space rather than letting the built-up space occupy the entire space, then some interesting solutions are possible.

Let us go through a few important points to be considered in dealing with the narrow sites:

   Leave good frontage. Do not start the building right on the street.

  If one is forced to start on the street line because of the space constraints, provide car porch or entrance lobby immediately. This will act as a buffer zone between the main building and the street in terms of privacy, noise and dust pollution to a certain extent.

   Do not put up any structure above the ground floor space close to the street. Leave it as a terrace or have a sloped roof. This will help to maintain the scale of the building, especially when the streets are narrow.

   Do not provide balconies close to the street. This will give a feeling of a street house. Exclusivity will be lost in the process.

   Try to leave at least 3 ft. on one side of the building. It will help not only to improve the lighting and ventilation, but also provide better circulation and direct access to service area at the back.

   Side open space also will help to provide the service lines like sanitary, plumbing, rainwater harvesting and cable properly.

   Instead of small OTS (open to sky) areas, provide sufficient sizes of multiple courtyards.

   Multiple smaller courtyards provide an excellent natural ventilation system to keep the inner temperature reduced considerably.

   Multiple smaller courtyards are ideal and flexible in terms of present culture and lifestyle compared to a large single courtyard of olden days.

   These courtyards will act not only as an the extension of the adjacent rooms, but also serve as a multi-purpose space.

   Grilles or concrete/stone/wood will help to make the courtyard secure.

   Inner courtyards bring lots of diffused light cutting down harsh sunlight. One can enjoy soft and even sunlight throughout the house.

   Inner smaller courtyards could help to avoid monotonous feeling of corridors that link the various units of the house.

   Create volumetric link between ground and first floor. This will open up the tightness and linearity of the internal space.

   Many air vents at the roof will help the hot air to escape, thus reducing the inner temperature considerably.

   Having covered terraces, opening towards the courtyards will make the house look spacious and open. Covered open terraces are also excellent multi-purpose areas.

   Combination of both overlapping of spaces and corridor links will create very interesting interlink between the units.

   Do not think building every space available in the site will enhance the usage and value of the house. In the long run, the benefit out of smaller quality space is incomparable with large inconvenient dingy space.

   Be it a small apartment,or building at the narrow site, or huge palatial bungalow or informal farm-house, go for the ‘quality’ space definitely not quantity.                            

An article about " METHODS FOR COOLING YOUR HOME "

METHODS FOR COOLING YOUR HOME

Due to the ill efforts of pollution and other related issues, temperatures are soaring above normal in some parts of the world and on account of this, the need for air conditions are felt by many. The increased usage of air conditioners across the world has resulted in the increased consumption of electricity. 

If you wish to reduce your electricity consumption or protect the environment in your own small way, there are enough ways to cool your home without having to use an air conditioner. These methods are not new, and have been in use during earlier generations when our fore fathers did not have electricity or air conditioners to support them.

If you are in process of building your home and are looking to methods to reduce air conditioner usage, insulation of walls and ceilings is a good option that can reduce heat during summers as well as cold during winters. This reduces the usage of room heaters also.

Cross ventilation is a wonderful concept, whereby no equipments are used. The concept is simple, as it used the follow of air to create a cooling effect, without holding the air so that it does not become stagnant and increase temperature. The ventilation points, like windows, are place so that they are in opposite directions, and wind flowing from one direction to the other, pass through the room but exists immediately, thus cooling the room.

Another effective method of reducing internal heat is by installing sun films on your glass windows. This reduces the Temperature inside by at-least 3 to 4 degrees. Creating a garden and maintaining it is a great controller of heat. Trees and shrubs help to cool the environment and hence lawns are great idea, especially if you are in a single home or condominium. Curtains, drapers or blinds can also reduce interior temperature, especially if you keep them closed during the afternoons. Household in equatorial regions also use the technique whereby water holding materials like soil are used as insulation of the roof, and water is poured over it during the evenings. This helps in decreasing the interior temperature as the roof tends to stay cool. 

Using fans are the most convenient way to cool your homes.  Though fans also require electricity for its functioning, the consumption of electricity is far less than that of air conditioner. These fans could be ceiling fans, portable fans, table fans or even pedestal fans. Fixing of these fans in the room as well as on the attic can help in reduction of temperature. 

Swamp coolers are an inexpensive way of cooling your home, as they use very less electricity, but more water. One another way that is used in some other parts of the world is by painting the roof with reflecting pain, which reflects the sunlight, thereby not observing any heat on to the roof.  This helps in reducing the temperature inside the house.

An article about " Residential Illumination "

Residential Illumination

Subtle and unobtrusive lighting produce the best results. Whether it is the home or office or the business spot the lighting should neither be too bright nor too dim. It should be invisible.

Residential illumination is a special kind of its own. It demands personalization in social spaces like the living room as well as in private spaces like the bed room. A flick of a switch which turns darkness into light, can change a room from romantic to dramatic, to relaxing and even more energizing.

If the lighting plan is effective, it helps integrate the entire visual environment by creating an appealing ambience for the persons residing, there and establishes guidelines to avoid visual chaos and fragmentation.

Illumination that is concealed and placed carefully can make quality lighting an integral part of aesthetics and an essential function of architecture.

The home lighting is not just the conventional placement of wall lights, pendant lights or chandeliers.  The following points had to be borne in mind and be followed for an effective lighting plan.

Living Room

The lighting illumination for theliving room has to be in such a way that, it should provide a relaxing and inviting space, by blending general and accent lights, punctuated with task lights.

- An adequate general illumination level should be established

- Individual lighting arrangements should be made for highlighting art work, plants and bar counter.

- If an entire wall is illuminated with overhead fixtures, it will provide background for room furnishings.

- The decor can be enhanced and doubled up as accent lighting by using decorative fixtures.

- Architectural features like niches and mantels could be played up.

Dining Room

The lighting in the dining room should be such that it should create an atmosphere that elevates the mood of the diners and also flatters the food before them, simultaneously it should be conducive to pleasure and conversation.

- The visual emphasis has to be  kept off the ceilings and the wall.  And it should be focused on the décor of food and guests, with the help of ceiling down lights.

- Any meal can be given a special touch by placing candles and a few lamps in decorative holders.

- Special lighting emphasis should be offered to the service areas and chinaware/silverware.

Kitchen

The kitchen illumination should be in such a way that it provides the right combination of beauty, safety and comfort for the user.

- The general lighting should be well distributed, uniform and as shadowless as possible.

- If fluorescent fixtures are used they reduce the energy consumption without sacrificing illumination.        

- For counter tops, under cabinet task lighting is ideal.

- Over the sink and cooking range, recess luminaries could be placed over.

- If low voltage, mini lights are placed over under and inside cabinets, the kitchen cabinets and be well accentuated.

Bed Room

Bed room being an area of gentle and tender emotions, it should have a subtle aura, helped by combination of general and task lighting with the overlay of accent sources.

- Downlights should be avoided over the bed for they are a direct source of glare.

- For reading at bedside, a table lamp or wall light may be placed on a swivel adjustable arm.      

- The closet, the room within a room should be lighted up.

- The uplighters always cut glare and wash the ceiling, providing soothing ambient lighting.

- Dimmers can be useful to play with the intensity of light as per the mood required to be created.

Bath Room

The best arrangement of lighting for the bath room will be a combination of general and task illuminance.

- If light sources are provided on either side of the mirror the shadow on the face will be minimized.

- Lighting in the bathing area can have a soft glow.

- The light fittings should be vapour proof and water tight.

Corridor,  Passage Hallway

- The light fitting in these areas should neither impede circulation nor cause a glare.

- As these are transition spaces,intermediate illuminance levels could be created.

- For these areas, a two-way switch on either ends should be installed.

An article about " VICTIMISATION OF INNOCENT BUYERS OF FLATS "

VICTIMISATION OF INNOCENT BUYERS OF FLATS

Many buyers of flats face problems due to mistakes committed by the builder. Recently, a friend wanted to buy a flat in North Bangalore in an apartment nearing completion. He produced a brochure given by the builder. The brochure contained elevation of the apartment building with basement, ground and four floors. It is mentioned in the brochure that BBMP sanctioned the plan.. But, when enquiries were made with BBMP, it was found that BBMP sanctioned basement, ground and two floors only. It was also found out that the site is facing a road only 15’ wide and additional floors requested by the builder is not being considered by BBMP. Several persons might have advanced considerable amounts to buy the flats. The builders may continue to build additional floors as enforcement by BBM is not good or in collusion with BBMP officials of that area. If any complaint is made about unauthorized construction of floors, builder will obtain stay orders from the Court and forget about the action by the BBMP. Such things are common in Bangalore especially if the builder is not a reputed firm. The builder may feel to get the violation of additional floor/floors regularized under “Akrama-Sakrama Scheme “, when introduced.

The BBMP Revenue Department may collect property tax for that illegal built up area saying that property tax payment is not a commitment to regularize the unauthorized additional area.

Buyers of such flats will have to face problems in the future. BBMP may claim betterment / development charges from buildings which were in panchayat limits before they are included in the BBMP area. By then, the builder will not be available after selling all the flats in that apartment project. Even if available, he may not be willing to pay the betterment charges/development charges claimed by BBMP, which is a substantial amount. The owners may have to form an Association of Owners and collect contribution from the flat owners to pay betterment/development charges to the BBMP. Many of the owners may not be willing to pay contribution for betterment/development charges saying that they have paid market value to the builder and may suggest that the builder may be forced legally to pay betterment charges to BBMP. The builders escape such expenditure later by including a condition in the sale deed that for all future payments to the agencies, builder is not responsible and should be borne by the buyer/buyers. The problem will continue and sewerage connections will not be provided. They may manage water supply from the bore well. But, BBMP services like; garbage removal, road maintenance, street lighting, etc will not be available.

There is one more problem to the buyers of flats in that apartment in respect of ‘Undivided Share of the Property’. In the beginning of the project, the undivided share is distributed to the sanctioned flats. The buyers of flats in the unauthorized floors later may not get undivided share for their flats, or the builder may cheat  by calculating undivided share later on including the illegal flats. This problem will have to be faced many years after the construction of the building when it is decided to demolish the existing building to build a new modern building, or when the building collapses during earth tremors or earth quakes. When a new building is to be  constructed in such a situation, the area to be given to each of the flat owners in the new building based on the undivided  share indicated by the builder will lead to disputes among the owners. Builder will not be available at that time or will not be willing to involve in this problem even if he continues tobe in the building activity.

Advice to the flat buyers  is to verify the building plan sanctioned by BBM P or Appropriate Town Planning Authority and other points mentioned above to see that they do not have problems about the building in the future. 

An article about " A Beautiful Exterior for Home "

A Beautiful Exterior for Home

The first impression should always be a good impression. This goes for the outside of the home too and it is a place, where there is ample opportunity to try out your ideas of home decor.

The gate is the first feature that demands one’s attention. It should really have an aesthetic quality, whether it is small and compact or a large and fancy one. It is important to keep it in good condition by regularly cleaning and painting it. A lovely touch can be obtained by having a creeper growing round an arch with metal wiring above the gate, overhung with flowers such as Jasmine or Bougainville. This should be regularly trimmed so that it will not come in the way visitors and the leaves and flowers below must be swept away.

Although the mailbox is usually thought of as a utilitarian article, one could be different and buy a good looking one or convert an aesthetic piece into a mailbox and set it outside. For those, who live in enclaves that are gated or if there is a watchman, this will be a safer option as nobody could think of walking off with it.

When people call at one’s home, they usually wait outside the front door and gaze about the place. To make this area pretty, one could place potted plants in special ceramic or terracotta containers over there. A wrought iron stand holding small containers with bonsai plants or in the popular coffee-stump holders is good. A cloth, terracotta or metal wall hanging is not very expensive and is at the same time striking.

There is an infinite variety of front doors to choose from nowadays. Antique ones picked up from old homes. Temples and churches are popular. These can be done up and fixed in place. Carvings of floral patterns or popular Gods and Goddesses are often present. One can buy them in dark wood or in black and suede.

Many people like to have attractive door handles and these are available in metals like brass and in many designs. It should match the appearance of the door. Antique ones too are available at retail stores. A pretty festoon in a bright red and gold with Gods and Goddesses or sprinkled with floral patterns would be popular over the threshold. In ethnic handicraft stores, one may find outstanding pieces or make one of their own if they are artistically inclined.

When there is an open space or semi-open verandah, one can even have a mural made of metal or terracotta on the wall next to the front door. Designer tiles with individual or combined patterns are also a popular choice. So, one can make their home complete by having good outdoor decor to make it more welcoming.

An article about " Market picks - UP for Resale properties "

Market picks - UP for Resale properties

Chennai has always been considered as a good resale market for residential properties. Good value for money, ready-to-occupy status and locational advantage has always attracted buyers to second-hand flats. This trend has been on the rise in recent times. This trend has also brought to light the various issues that come with buying them.

A few weeks ago a resale apartment fair was held by HDFC Ltd. The response to this resale initiative was very good and more than a thousand properties were on resale and it is reported that the realtors associated with them are busy closing the deals.

In the present market conditions, many buyers do not want to wait for construction of the house. So HDFC brought together the realtors concerned and facilitated the resale by providing loan facilities.

Most of the buyers wanted property in the city limits in the price range of Rs 50 - 70 lakhs. But properties available for resale in the city limits are in the range of Rs 1.25 to Rs 2 crores. The market slowdown has made the task of finding clients for new and upcoming apartments more difficult for many banks.

Tapping the potential for resale of property has become a necessity for the banks and buyers may be able to gain from the development. The merits of buying a house on resale include lesser price and location within city limits.

The demerits of buying such houses are possible deviation from the approved plan, internal problems among the members of the residents' association, including legal proceedings and absence of opportunity for the buyer to assess the quality of construction.

Technical valuation of a property on resale normally calculates depreciation at 1.5 per cent per year. Around 75 per cent of properties on resale are 'delinquency flats'.

The registration charges are higher for resale apartments as it is decided on the guidelines value of the total property whereas in a new apartment, the charge is arrived at only based on the undivided share of land.

However there were no delinquency flats among the property on resale during the recent initiative of HDFC. Brokers continue to say that the market is favouring the buyers.

As market prices of new flats are gradually reducing, price of resale flats should also follow suit soon. Buyers analyze the aspects such as location, quality of construction and track record of the builder in the process of resale. The Buyers not showing interest in properties on resale in outlaying areas.

The majority of buyers showing interest in properties on resale are end-users and the investors are not opting for purchase of properties on resale.

Many properties on resale belong to speculators who invested in the property a few years ago and planned to sell the property at a higher price soon after the construction got over. They wanted to sell the property as quickly as possible fearing a reduction in the prices. With rentals not increasing to match the EMI, speculators are finding it difficult to maintain the property.

An article about " Economy in Construction "

Economy in Construction

Only a couple of years back, market for a Builder was booming. He was least worried about the cost of construction. His profits were high, even though he was not selling, people were buying from him. With recession, everything has changed and competition was created. They had plenty of options. They could now bargain, and have lucrative deal for themselves. Builder’s profits are naturally dwindled. And for the first time, he started thinking about economising, finding ways to save on construction cost, so that he can stand in competition and continue to be in the market.

With Multi-National Company’s coming in, it is no more amateurs’ market. Builders, with adequate financial support, with proven past record, capable of producing good quality work; delivering goods in promised time, will only survive. With this background, economy in construction becomes even more important.

Economy has to be targeted without compromising in any way on quality, amenities, specifications, and/or delivery schedules. Economy in construction, could be achieved by reducing on wastages and pilferages, reducing on inventories, repeated uses of shuttering material, and saving heavily on construction time, through better management techniques, use of computer, information technology etc.

Wastages on site could be kept in check by not storing too much material on site. Proper way of storing materials is very important. Limited stacks, leveled stacks do help in reducing wastages of materials. Materials should be ordered, as and when required. Double (or repeated) handling of materials is to be avoided, as this increases breakage, and also adds to transport charges. Unloading of materials in planned manner and near to final working place saves on lead charges. Working out the quantities of materials in advance and having periodical check on the same will signal management in good time, any attempt on pilferage.

Builders, have craze in ordering full quantity of materials, thinking that if the materials are available on site, then what they have to look after is arranging only labour in getting speedy completion of work. But that is not true. Many times specifications, amenities are to be changed on technical reasons and/or as required by the planning/sanctioning Authority or by Client for that matter. Materials, already ordered or brought on site, then are unnecessarily wasted. More materials dumped on site, also results in more wastage and pilferage of materials. To get the quantity discounts, material rates could be negotiated on full quantities, with schedule of deliveries well defined. This will ensure that the materials are available when required, but payments are made only after deliveries are actually made on site. In business, funds are always short; funds are often arranged on heavy interest. Blocking money in unwanted stocks is therefore foolish and unpardonable.

Different ways should be found to save on technical grounds. Designing of shuttering materials and repeated use of the same will pay big dividends. Providing full beam from lintel to slab level, especially in residential buildings, will save lots of valuable time. Working on concrete-mix-design and using M20 concrete (instead of M15) will save cement, without any harm. PPC cement (33 grade) is cheaper by about Rs.6/- per bag. Use of PPC Cement for Masonry and Plaster, will not only save in cost, it will also minimise wall (temperature) cracks and resultant leakages and seepages. Where time is constraint, part use of steel fabricated member can come to help. While civil work progresses on site, fabricated members could get ready in workshop. From finished concrete, one can save cost of hacking and plastering and also construction time. Standardisation and Pre-casting could bring in major saving in cost. Construction time is saved. Finishing, like rendering and plastering, become redundant. Precasting saves time and money.

Besides, precast members invariably, look thin and elegant. Spot welding, of reinforcement, not only saves binding wire; it keeps reinforcement in proper place, thus giving better strength. Labour is no more cheap and mechanisation will definitely help in turning out large volumes of work in shortest possible time.

Systematic and planned manner of working will bring economy, as it will reduce rejections and/or repairs. In construction, it is now or never situation. Constant supervision is the ‘mantra’. It is very difficult and expensive, almost impossible to demolish and redo any work. Sometimes, it is even not possible to carry out any major alterations. It is recommended to avoid trails and experiments and to adopt only tried materials and methods.

Negligence, in proper use of materials, is criminal waste. With Global competition, it would be difficult to sustain, if we do not economise in all possible ways, in construction costs. Nevertheless,quality and time schedules are indeed to be met with.