Visit Builder’s Past Projects for a Sound Purchase

Mithun and Deepali, a couple who lived on rent in Delhi, were excited about buying their new house in Gurgaon. They decided to do a proper background check of the builder before buying the shortlisted property. While they were preparing a checklist before buying a flat, their screening process included visiting the past projects of the builder. Deepali shared what prompted them to do these visits, “We learnt from the bitter experience of our friends Vanita and Rohit who got carried away by the glitz of the show-home of the builders and did not visit the other completed projects of their builder.

They were finally able to take possession of their home, over four years after the promised date. And, to add to the woes, the builder had used sub-par construction materials, and the couple had to exhaust their savings, to make their brand new home livable.”

Mithun adds, “We realised that purchasing a property is one of the most important life’s decision. We had to pay extra attention, exercise caution to ensure that we only buy from a credible builder.”

One should not be carried away by the attractive offers/schemes or aesthetics of the show property that they end up entering the agreement, without considering other crucial factors. It is because a very few people know the things to check before buying a new flat. This laxity may be detrimental to their plans of buying a sound home. Mithun explained the meticulous process of scrutiny he followed, “After shortlisting 3-4 properties based on our affordability and preferred location, we decided to assess the delivery record of the builder by visiting their past projects.”

Seeing is Believing

Only when you visit a completed project and interact with the residents, you get the real picture. The residents might also help in figuring out the documents required for the purchase of flat. Think of this as a way to analyze and evaluate your builder’s claims, behind the screens. This screening not only helps you make an informed decision but also prevents you from falling into the trap of dubious builders and their false claims. Also, if you are undecided, the visit will give you the confidence to take the decision.

He continued, “After visiting different builder’s project, we spoke to 3-4 actual residents to know their good and bad experiences with the builder. We enquired whether the builder had delivered as per promise. Was it delivered on time and if they are happy with their decision? We also checked how well the developers were maintaining the property.”

Deepali Concluded, “We were then finally able to make up our mind about purchasing the said property in Gurgaon. After visiting the builder’s past projects, we became doubly sure about our decision and saved on a lot of time as well as overall cost. It may feel at times too tiring and the waste of time to visit past project of various builders, but believe me it will make sure your hard earned money is safe. In our case, it has turned out to be a great decision as we are joyfully living in our new home.”

Take the First Step in the Right Direction

While the excitement and emotions, around buying a house is unsurpassable, make sure that you make a well-thought out and well-researched decision. This also means that you shall know the documents to check before buying a flat and run an elaborate research on the same.

Like Mithun and Deepali, visit and evaluate past projects of your prospective builder, before making the purchase. Don’t stop your research after seeing the show home. Instead, do your homework, read up your builder and make it a point to visit previously completed projects, look for the documents to be verified before buying a flat. Here are three factors you should consider while evaluating a builder’s project, during a site visit.

• Timely Possession: Research and find out if other buyers were able to take timely possession of their properties. Speak to residents to find out how their possession experience was and if they faced any issues during pre-inspection or post that.

• Builder Responsiveness: You can understand how responsive the builder was after project booking by talking to those who are already living there.

• Construction Quality: On-site evaluation of older projects is the best way to check property details gives you a better idea about the quality of construction than new ones or those under construction.

It is evident that there is no guide to buy property, so plan your site visits and take a tour of the builder’s projects, and evaluate your builder’s authenticity and credibility. Get ready to make smarter decisions while purchasing your dream home.