Tag Archives: Villaments

Buying a home is probably the biggest purchase anyone will ever make. For most of us it is the ultimate ‘status symbol’, the ultimate ‘we made it’ sign. Everyone realizes buying a new home isn’t easy. It involves a lot of work and effort, sometimes even years of preparation. When the moment finally arrives and we’ve decided on the house of our dreams how does one go about paying for it? Almost everyone opts for a home loan, besides the obvious benefits like ease of payment, tax benefits and not blocking up capital, home loans are also easy to apply for, especially with so many banks offering the home loan. With that being said, as a potential new owner, one needs to do a few things that ensure that the home loan approval happens on time and smoothly.

1) Plan within budget: The first step is to plan the budget of your house. As someone going for a home loan do not worry about the project cost, you need to pay closer attention to the EMI (Equated Monthly Installment). Ensure that the EMI is within your budget. This is something the bank looks into as well. When they get your bank statements they cross your earnings to your expenses and saving and then see how much EMI an individual can afford.

There are many EMI calculators online which can help you plan your spending. Just enter the amount of home loan, the tenure, approximate interest rate and voila! Your answer is in front of you 🙂

2) Keep your documents handy: Buying a new home can be overwhelming; the last thing you need is the stress of running around for documents at the last minute. Save yourself the trouble and keep the documents ready beforehand. Most banks ask for more or less the similar documentation like –

Identity Proof: Voter’s ID, PAN Card or any photo ID

Income Proof: Latest salary slips and Form 16 documents or if you’re are self-employed, last 2 years IT returns and certified computation of income.

Proof of residence: Electricity Bill, Water Bill, Telephone bill, Bank account statement, Property documents etc… or other such bills with your name on it can be used.

Last 6 months bank statements: Salaried or Self Employees they usually ask for these.

Guarantors: Some banks might ask for a guarantor so ask a couple of friends and family and be ready in case the bank asks for it.

Each bank has different requirements so be sure to talk to your home loan officer in advance, alternatively, you could check out your bank’s site and get that info as well.

3) Track your Credit rating: CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau India Limited) tracks people’s credit history and allots a rating to them. When purchasing a home, people plan months in advance. This is when you need to start tracking your credit rating. If it needs improvement, this is the best time to do it. Start paying off loans and credit cards on time, & make sure you have no cheque bounces and outstanding payments etc…

The credit score is rated on a scale of 300 to 900. The higher the rating, the higher the chances of you getting the loan approved. A Credit score of around 800 is ideal, failing which 700 should be the target. For a small fee, you can check your CIBIL credit score by logging on to their website.

Additional Tips:

Check with your own banker for a loan. Since you already have a savings or current account there getting a loan might be easier.

If you are buying an apartment or Villament, try to get the loan through the banks that the builder has tied up with. The banks are aware of the property and this sometimes helps expedite the process.

Before you decide on a bank cross-check with other banks to ensure that you are getting the best interest rate possible.

Buying a home is a big decision. Don’t let the smaller details of applying for a loan make you sweat. Follow these simple guidelines and you should be in our new house in no time 🙂

Apartments in Bangalore, Home Buyer Tips, Real Estate Tips, Villaments in Bangalore

Top 10 Things to Consider When Buying a New Home (part 2)

July 28, 2014 Habitat Ventures Leave a comment

If you landed here directly and haven’t read the first half of this article, click here to go to: Top Ten Things to Consider When Buying a New Home (Part 1)

So just to quickly recap, we reviewed 5 of our 10 primary things your everyday home buyer should make it a point to consider, before making that final offer on a new home – Location, Credibility of Ownership, Budget, Loan Approval and Access to Essentials. Wondering what else is left to add to the checklist? Read on and you might just be surprised 🙂

Credibility of Builder

In cases, where the keys of your new home are being handed to you directly by the builder himself (or herself 😛 ), be sure to run a quick background check and do your fair share of homework on the builder/developer’s reputation. In addition to their profile and years of experience in the industry, view some of their more recent projects. And if possible, try and visit at least one completed home/apartment and maybe even talk to a few of the residents, getting their review(s) of the builder.

Learning about their experiences with the builder, can give you valuable insight and this in turn can go on to help you in your own negotiation with the builder.

Quality of Construction

You want to make sure that the home you are buying, is of a good structure and doesn’t have any structural issues no matter how minor they might be. You want to avoid any such issues that might cost you big money to fix in the future, or might depreciate the value of the house at the time of resale, if they aren’t fixed.

Seek the help of a civil engineer or even a local mason to help you inspect the quality of the house. However, here are a list of things you can look for yourself:

issues with the foundation – look for cracks or tiny cave-in holes in the walls or ceiling, especially on the lower floors.

Cracks in the walls like these, are an immediate sign of bad foundation.

any signs of mold or water damage- these can be rather expensive to fix and are usually signs of larger foundation and roof issues.
problems with the electrical and plumbing systems – these are a home’s lifeblood and can be quite nuisansical to fix.

Amenities Provided

If you are purchasing a brand new home from a builder, find out what are the upgrades versus standard amenities that come with the house. Most model homes are setup with interior upgrades to showcase the homes in their “highest quality” state.

Clubhouse and infinity pool at Habitat Crest

Inspect amenities such bathroom fittings, kitchen appliances, wardrobe and furniture, heating/air conditioner unit and in the case of an apartment, check for provision of a clubhouse, swimming pool, children’s play area and parking space. While these are pretty much standard features offered with every apartment now days, find out the exact terms of usage and/or any restrictions that might be in place or if there is an additional cost associated with the usage of these amenities.

Access to Sunlight

Look for a home that’s not only well ventilated but ventilated in the right areas. It’s a bonus if the house is already located in a spacious and open area that doesn’t block out the sunlight. However, it that isn’t a luxury, at least make sure the home is architecturally designed to allow for maximum inlet of sunlight.

Studies indicate that 60% of homeowners who reside in a well-lit and naturally illuminated home are more active and are generally happier. Another obvious benefit is the save of electricity. Invest in a solar power system and you can reduce your electricity bills by less than half 🙂

Security

And finally for you to be able to consider it a complete home, you want to ensure that the house is safe and secure and you and your family can zZZ peacefully at night 🙂 Though it may be a relatively safe neighbourhood, check if the house comes fitted with any sort of security system. Especially with kids at home and the outburst of crimes in the recent past, a home security system is soon becoming a thing of necessity.

If it’s an apartment, get as much info from the builder about the security agency and security guards who are stationed at the gate. Take some time out and talk to these guards. Inquire about their patrol routines and what is their plan of action in case of any attempt at burglary of any other emergency for that matter like a fire in the building. These might sound silly at first but knowing these finer details might just come handy when an actual theft or burglary happens.

So now that you are prepared and have your checklist ready, happy house hunting 🙂

Have any other points you feel are necessary inclusions to this checklist? We’d really like to hear from you in the comments below.

Home Buyer Tips, Real Estate Tips

Top 10 Things to Consider When Buying a New Home

July 27, 2014 Habitat Ventures 1 Comment

Before you lace your boots and set out on your next house hunting expedition, here are some vital survival tools that need to go in your backpack. Not one for well-crafted metaphors? 🙁 Well, all we saying is if you’re in the market for a new home, our list of “Top 10 Things to Consider When Buying a New Home” can help get your search off to a right start 🙂

While the square footage, the number of bedrooms and the size of the living room are all important, there are other things you should consider before cashing in that final offer. Let’s start with the basics which you probably already have on your checklist:

Location

“Location, Location, Location!” A phrase that everyone in the real estate business or anyone who isn’t new to buying a home, is more than familiar with; and for good reason too. You can work around almost any imperfection within a house, but the one thing you cannot change once the home is bought – is it’s location. A safe and friendly neighbourhood with warm friendly neighbours, will make it a lot easier to follow the Bible’s preaching “Love thy neighbour as thyself” 🙂

When you are choosing your home, in addition to the charm of the neighbourhood, also consider these following essentials – proximity of neighbouring homes, noise from neighbours, traffic levels at rush hour, distance from the nearest main road, ease of parking, convenient to home a pet if your a pet person, and finally access to good restaurants, shopping outlets, schools, offices, parks, and public transportation.

Credibility of Ownership

The last thing you or any one wants, just after moving into your new home, is finding out that the previous owner who sold you the house was not the rightful owner of in the case of a newly constructed home, the land on which the home is built on, belongs to someone else. It can be quite a traumatizing experience, having random stranger(s) knocking at your door, claiming their land or ancestral property. And this has become quite a common practice in India, to an extent that goons have starting using it as a method to falsely extract money from home owners, by making false claims of land ownership and creating havoc if they don’t get compensated.

We suggest having all the necessary paperwork, reviewed and thoroughly inspected by not one, but two lawyers to be doubly sure. It may cost you a little more to do this, but in the larger scheme of things, it’s a small price to pay for a peaceful mind 🙂 Also, talk to some of the older residents of that neighbourhood to find out if they might have any stories to share 🙂

Budget

Certainly number one on every house hunter’s check list. This list would be but incomplete without a mention of budget. While we all want to own that inexpensive dream home, budget yourself properly to a home that suits your lifestyle, as you don’t want to be caught paying through your nose on the mortgage, over the years to follow.

Also, staying up-to-date with the real estate market can help you get the best value within your budget. For example, Villaments are a fairly new concept in the real estate world which offers home buyers the luxury of a villa at the affordable cost of an apartment.

Loan Approval

Speak to a reputed home-loan agent and ensure you pre-qualify for a home loan first. This will put you in a better position to negotiate on the final offer, as this will tell the seller that you are financially ready to make a purchase.

According to a recent news article, home loans of affordable homes may drop by 8-10%! So now might very well be a good time to consider investing in a new home, even if your aren’t in the market.

Access to Essentials

In addition to basic amenities such as 24/7 running water and electricity (which to be honest, not much can be done about the irregularly regular power cuts in India, other than finding out if the local service personnel are responsive and quick to fix any issues other than scheduled power cuts) , ensure that your other essential service providers (like internet, LPG connection, cable television and practically any other service that’s important to you) are able to provide their respective service at the new address. Every so often, we’ve heard our own colleagues cursing ACT or Airtel, for not being able to provide a new internet connection at their new address, stating they do not have access points in that neighbourhood; and how they are being forced to settle with other internet service providers. Only way to make sure this doesn’t happen to you, is to make a few calls and find out directly.

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.Do you have a checklist of your own, that you’d like to share with us and our readers? If so, please do so in the comments below 🙂

Apartments in Bangalore, Villament for families, Villaments in Bangalore

It is important to childproof your home, and here is how you do it.

July 25, 2014 Habitat Ventures Leave a comment

The joy of parenthood is quickly overcome by a sense of responsibility. Having a child at home can be very exciting for every parent. A lot of new parents forget to childproof their houses or if they do, they miss a couple of things here and there. Who can blame them? The months leading up to a child’s birth are no child’s play (no pun intended). Children unlike adults don’t know any better and as parents/guardians it is our job to provide them a childproof safe environment. Things we often overlook as adults can be dangerous to a child. Given below is a checklist to ensure your home is safe for children.

1) Keep household chemicals out of reach: We often keep household chemicals like floor cleaner, phenyl, dishwasher liquid etc… in the lower cabinets. They need to be moved to higher cabinets, and out of the child’s reach.

Tip: Alternatively you could lock your cabinets to ensure your child cannot access them.

2) Cushion furniture corners: As adults we have a sense of our surrounding (well some of us still run into the table occasionally but that’s a topic for another day). Children could easily hurt themselves on table corners, bed edges and other such places. It’s a good idea to cushion these to help prevent any accidents by childproof.

A quick search on ebay can get you many corner guards like these.

3) Install Safety Nets: Apartments and Villaments in Bangalore are on the rise. Parents living in houses that are either in the first floor or higher need to make sure they put some kind of childproof safety nets in their balconies.

4) Keep breakable pieces out of the child’s reach: Items like costly electronics, showpieces etc… should be moved to the back, towards the wall and if they are standing on a piece of furniture that can be easily pushed over, both the breakable piece and the furniture need to be moved.

5) Keep medicines in locked cabinets: There’s a lot of medication given to the children during the early years and some parents themselves use regular medication. All of these should be stored in locked cabinets. If children have access them, accidental overdose could lead to serious problems.

6) Cover Electrical Outlets: This prevents children from accidentally sticking fingers or objects into them.

7) Install Door Stoppers: If the house you live in does not have door stoppers, it is advisable to get them installed. Children can easily get their fingers or toes stuck under moving doors.

While some of these guidelines might seem unnecessary or even outrageous to someone, they by no means are to be taken lightly. Remember, “It’s better to be safe than sorry!”

As parents having a child at home can make us happy and at the same time concerned for their safety. By taking some of the steps mentioned here we can ensure we spend less time being concerned and more time being happy with our children!

Happy parenting from all of us at Habitat Ventures! 🙂

Apartments in Bangalore, Apartments in Whitefield, Home Buyer Tips, Villament for families, Villaments in Bangalore, Villaments in Whitefield

Advantages Of Having A Private Garden At Your Home

July 23, 2014 Habitat Ventures Leave a comment

Private Garden A touch of greenery amidst all the concrete is very appealing to the eye. If you have your own plot and are planning to build a home, do make sure you save some space for a beautiful garden. In case you reside in apartments, you can always go for small hanging gardens which will add a spark to your balcony. Or in the case of most new villaments, each home already comes with its own private garden/park.

Habitat Crest Villaments — At Habitat Crest, each villament has its own private park that can be doubled as a garden area.

While some folks may think of a private garden as high maintenance, which they kinda are, gardens and landscapes have a lot of advantages which many aren’t fully aware of.

In addition to the common benefits of serving as a great place to relax, exercise or simply soak in the sun from the comfort of your home or even serve as a great space for hosting barbeque parties, here are some of the more commonly overlooked advantages.

1. Experience

The most important factor which contributes to the overall look and feel of any home is the experience. To be specific, a visual experience is something which lasts longer in the minds of people. Aesthetics are essential to any home and gardens probably top the list of things which provide a visual long lasting impact on any person, as they are closely associated with natural fauna.

Not just a visual, but a mental experience also comes into play by the mood it creates. After a long and tiring day through the concrete jungle, returning home to the sight of that green is only second to that of returning home to your family and/or pet 🙂

2. Access to Fresh Produce

The vegetables and fruits we buy from the marketplace are prone to have remnant pesticides which can be harmful to your health. A garden, on the other hand, can be a source of fresh produce which is safe to consume. It might take a lot more effort to maintain the produce gardens though, but it sure is worth the rewards. You literally reap what you sow, in this case 😀

Home grown potatoes - private garden — Fresh home grown potatoes | Image credit: Tommy Hemmert Olesen

Growing vegetables and fruits with family can be fun too. If you are planning on having a garden mainly for growing veggies, it is better to have a wider area in the backyard where there is ample sunlight. Just a quick tip for those of you who lack the extra space at home, you can always consider container gardening – tomatoes and peppers grow well in small pots.

private-garden-beetroot — Gardening can be quite a productive hobby.

3. Impact on the Environment

The very word ‘garden’ instantly forces you to think of the environment. It doesn’t matter how big or small the garden is, it is sure to create an environmental impression.

Plants absorb greenhouse gases through photosynthesis. They reduce the glares from buildings and absorb unwanted noises. It also helps in conserving energy. Pollution can also be minimized to a certain extent.

Gardening is also a way to provide habitat for different life forms. This attracts birds and insects which are always an added pleasant sight in your garden.

Nature in your very own backyard garden.

4. Value of Medicinal Plants and In-house Gardening

In addition to growing fruits &vegetables or that rare botanical collection, many gardeners are known to grow medicinal plants, whose benefits are aplenty. Aloe Vera, for example, is a common home grown medicinal plant and is very helpful when it comes to healing, reducing risks of infections and also poor appetite.

If you are planning on growing plants within the four walls of your house, there are some amazing plants like peace lily and snake plant which are very forgiving.

A healthy and peaceful surrounding is all one wants and having a landscaped garden is truly something to die for. There is no disadvantage which would overrule the advantage though. Any home will surely look complete, beautiful and more with nature with the addition of a well-maintained garden.

What do you feel? Having a garden is too much maintenance or do are it’s benefits worth the effort? Do you enjoy gardening or have a private garden in your home? Let us know how it benefits you the most.

Apartments in Bangalore, Villament for families, Villaments in Bangalore, Villaments in Whitefield

Apartments or Villaments in Bangalore? What’s better for kids?

July 4, 2014 Habitat Ventures Leave a comment

In today’s fact-paced and competitive world, we are all concerned about our kids growing up in the right community. A big part of that is attributed to where they live. It’s the experiences they gather here that define their future. And as protective parents we all want to give our children the best tools to help them succeed.

Families have long considered moving into apartments as a safe haven for their kids considering the features some of the apartment complexes offer. However, villaments in Bangalore are beginning to change that trend and are quickly becoming the top destination for families with kids. Listed below are a few of the reasons we found people considering villaments over regular apartments.

1. Gated Community: Most apartment complexes usually have a tower or two constructed with a small wall around the apartment complex. On the up side a villament usually has multiple towers and are usually placed upon larger land spaces. Villaments in Bangalore have far better security measures with a gated community system in place. Getting in and out of the Villament complex would not be easily possible for a stranger or visitor. Ensuring you wouldn’t have to worry too much when your kid is out playing in the community garden or other public places within the Villament.

2. Extra-curricular activities: In today’s highly competitive world, kids need to be future ready by sharpening their social skills, amongst others. Having a Community Hall and Community Garden within walking distance, ensures your kids interact and socialize with other like minded people boys and girls.

3. Skill Development: No longer do you have to travel long distances just to place your kids in camps, hoping they pick up the right skill. Villaments offer various high-end amenities like a swimming pool, basketball court or in certain Villaments in Bangalore, even a tennis court. And with these at your family’s disposal, you can be sure that your kids get all the training they want, when they want it and however often they want it.

4. No surface-vehicle-movement: Take Habitat Crest’s Villaments in Whitefield, Bangalore for example, architects have designed the entire place in such a way that there is absolutely no vehicular movement at the surface level. Vehicles enter a subterrestrial driveway right from the gates to their individual Villaments in Bangalore. This doesn’t just reduce the air pollution; it also ensures the roads are kept safe from any speeding or negligent drivers.

5. Location, location, location: Life in a gated community is good, but what happens when you step out? Unlike most apartment complexes, Habitat Ventures’ Crest Villament has been strategically placed amidst international schools, hospitals, malls, hotels and other essential hot spots. Here’s a list of a few of those hot-spots:

Hospitals & Schools
1. Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialty Hospital
2. Brookefield Hospital
3. Ryan International School
4. Gopalan International School
5. Delhi Public School

Hotels & Malls
1. Zuri Hotel
2. Marriott
3. Vivanta by Taj
4. Forum Value Mall
5. Phoenix Market City

Theatres & Tech Parks
1. PVR Cinema
2. Fame Cinema
3. ITPL
4. Brigade Tech Park
5. Prestige Shantiniketan

Also, within close vicinity are the Whitefield rail station, bus stand and proposed Metro station.

As parents we want to ensure our kids have all the tools necessary, in order to create a great future for themselves. A villament brings you as many of these tools which a dream home possibly can, and more! And it does so without you having to sacrifice on the quality or standard of your life and your family’s well being 🙂

What are your thoughts about children’s safety and betterment in Bangalore today? Apart from a safe home, what else do you feel contributes to a child’s successful upbringing? We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

Images Credit: Philippe Put

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What Is A Villament and Why It Makes Sense To Opt For One?

June 9, 2014 Habitat Ventures 3 Comments

Owning a new home is quite presumably, on the wishlist of almost everyone. In fact most of us, work tirelessly through the years in hope of one day owning that dream home, amongst other possessions. And we’re pretty sure we all love to dream big, and why shouldn’t we !?! When investing your hard earned life-savings, you want the best that your money can buy. However, investing in that perfect crib can be quite the challenge. With the scores of property advertisements that are thrown at you almost everyday, it becomes imperative for you to not only understand the various industry terms you read in these ads but also to stay up-to-speed with what’s current in the real estate world. So where exactly are we going with this? We’ll get to that in the next few lines.

We’ve all at some point or the other, seen a villa either on the tv or in person. Large, luxurious, completely independent, and most often studded with equally luxurious amenities – you’d be lying if you said you didn’t aspire to dwell under the confines of such a luxurious abode someday. The sad truth, however remains, that this luxury remains elusive to most of us, largely owing to the soaring real estate prices 🙁 So what do we end up doing? We settle for a regular apartment, that’s within our budget. If this sounds like the story of your life, or anything close to it, then know that Habitat Ventures had you in mind when we pioneered the concept of a Villament, which has garnered us much news spotlight over the years. Like the name itself reads, a villament is an amalgamation of a villa and an apartment, which gives you the best of both worlds. How so you ask? We list them below one by one.

Affordability of an apartment: With this new model of community living you get the luxury of living in a villa, at prices that are affordable and within your budget.

Privacy & Exclusivity of a villa: As opposed to the high number of homes in a single apartment complex or tower, a villament ideally consists of around 5 homes in a single building with ideally not more than 2 homes on a single floor. In addition to this, the interiors of a villament are designed much like that of a modern villa – with privacy, exclusivity and even a garden area for each home.

Habitat Crest, where each home with its own private park. — Model Villament with a private garden at Habitat Crest

Amenities of an apartment: Yes! you even get to enjoy the amenities which residents of an apartment complex do, most commonly a club house and a swimming pool, and with certain premium luxury villaments such as Habitat Crest, even game courts for basketball, tennis and squash.

Habitat Crest's club house boasts of an elegantly designed roof-top swimming pool — Habitat Crest club house with roof-top swimming pool

The comparison chart below perfectly summarizes the benefits of our Habitat Crest villament (winner of the prestigious Asia Pacific Property Award 2013) showing you exactly why one should be investing in a villament, as they are clearly the future of real estate.

Habitat Crest Villaments - comparison chart vs Villa and Apartment — Villa vs Apartment vs Villament comparison chart

Also not to mention, owning a villament adds huge points to your prestige, making you part of a very elite club of home owners who have seen the value and been quick to jump on the ship of this new genre of housing in the Indian market. So much so that many renowned and upcoming builders have drawn inspiration from us and have begun offering their customers similar offerings. And to this, we simply raise our collars up and remind ourselves of the quote by Charles Caleb Colton, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” 🙂

Habitat Ventures