Do you find it confusing to shop for groceries or home supplies? So many options, so many brands, so many flavours for every little thing. And sometimes it gets impossible to tell if you even need something or if you’re buying it because the packaging just caught your eye.
Now imagine shopping for a home to live in, a huge investment you’re making for a place to live in for years to come. It’s rather different from the jar of marmalade that could go bad by next week. So when you’re looking to spend on something so long-term, it’s important you do your research and figure out which apartment suits you best. But that’s hardly as easy as it sounds. There’s a hundred different factors you need to consider collectively when you’re going in for the plunge. Here’s 5 things you should absolutely take a look at when you’re considering a place to buy or rent:
1) Turnover rates should be low. The number of tenants that vacate their homes from those apartments are an important indicator for how happy they are staying there. Apartments having a high turnover rates are very often unsuitable for people to stay in. When most people getting in seem to be getting out fast, that sounds like a bad sign, doesn’t it?
2) The apartment owners’ association should be active. Nearly all residential buildings and complexes have homeowners’ associations that meet every month or so to discuss about the upkeep, finances and other important matters related to running the apartment complex, providing necessities like backup power, and keeping it nice and tidy. An immediately obvious indicator is how well-maintained the whole place is.
3) The apartment complex should have an efficient and responsible waste-management system. Most major apartment buildings in Bangalore practice total waste management, and require residents to segregate their household waste, keeping aside organic wastes separate from the inorganic. Find out if the apartments use organic waste converters to turn organic refuse into reusable compost. You can only imagine how much waste would get into landfills if they didn’t make this a standard practice.
4) The roads leading to the apartment should be reasonably wide and well-paved. India is notorious for damaged and badly paved roads, and the newer areas of any city tend to be denser, poorly planned and consequently, the roads are extremely narrow. When that’s the case, traffic and noise pollution gets a lot more pronounced in those little pockets, making life a lot harder for the residents of apartment buildings there.
5) The utility bill should be reasonable. A lot of apartment buildings, for one reason or another, charge their residents exorbitant utility costs. Maintenance and utilities, in most cases, aren’t that expensive. You could end up getting a raw deal if you’re not careful.
There you have it. To be sure, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to selecting the perfect home for you and your family. But this should get you started. The most important thing to remember is to take few things at face value and try to find out all you can about every little detail. After all, houses and flats are almost definitely the most expensive things you’d ever buy, and the most important. Only when you’re sure nothing about the place makes you uncomfortable should you go ahead. Until then, happy apartment-hunting!
