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Buying a flat or plot
Go beyond the brochures
FE Report
7/26/2006
Developers promise heaven in a two-bedroom flat in colourful brochures and a spate of hoardings, banners, pamphlets, advertisements, short films and personal calls. But you must Check the site and flat personally before finalising the deal. That way, a stay in hell can be avoided.
l A walking distance in brochure could mean a few kilometres.
l A plot may have been touted as a safe investment. But it may have been sold to others also.
l A fully developed plot in some cases does not even have proper demarcations and levelling.
l Gleaming roads shown in publicity material could in reality be just a rough pathway.
lGreen and appealing pictures of lawns may turn out to be a rocky outcrop.
l Bathrooms without tiles, kitchen without sink and living room without cupboards are some of the common complaints.
l Flat buyers spend anxious moments on realising that their dream apartments do not come with the assured lift, generator or a play area for children.
l It is a good idea to withhold part of the agreed payment till the promised amenities are provided.
l It is always advisable to visit and revisit the site before entering into an agreement for a property.
l Do follow it up with enquiries and if it is an apartment or row house, monitor the progress of work at regular intervals.
l A badminton court may have been situated in an open area where play is not possible when there is rain and wind. This is an indoor game. So is table tennis.
l Party hall is a misnomer. While the brochures clearly state that the party hall is different from the club house, they cleverly reword it in the agreement to show party hall as club house.
l The drawings in the brochure can be different from the approved drawings.
l The developer may not have paid enough attention to ensure structural safety especially from earthquake forces, fire safety and hazards from electrical accidents.
l If there are objections to the plan from the approving authority, haphazard modifications are made just to satisfy the authority concerned. In one case, there was no sunshade for the sit-out and utility areas. So it could not be used in the rainy season.
l Check whether you can keep the washing machine under cover. If exposed to rain, electrical accidents may occur.
l Buyers should get together even during the construction stage and fight for the facilities.
l Form an informal forum and insist that all safety equipments provided are in working condition; for example, fire fighting equipment, exit through staircases, horizontal exits connecting different blocks.
l Customers, who are in a hurry to take possession of a flat, may sign the documents which are binding but may not be giving the promised facilities.
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