The Boost in Real Estate in Pune

In recent years, Pune has been a hub of real estate activity. It has become a favourite haunt for investors and sellers, alike. The city has been quickly developing and spreading out with more and more areas, considered to be out of Pune, coming under the same jurisdiction. The rise of the IT and manufacturing industry has also fuelled this growth. This quick development has resulted in an exodus of people into the city, which has increased the demand for real estate and housing. Owners and landlords can easily find takers for their flats in most parts of the city.

Pune has always been known for the excellence of its education institutions with the University of Pune being referred to as the ‘Oxford of the East’. The various institutions all over the city offer every course imaginable and have attracted students from all over the country. This influx of students has resulted in an increase in the need for rentals and housing, especially in the main parts of the city and around all major institutions.

The rates in the city are also more reasonable compared to other cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. Investing in real estate in Pune is a very good idea because the rates are good and the area is developing. The returns are bound to be good because the value of real estate in the city is only going to go up. Even while buying a second home, Pune is where you should be looking because it is very easy to rent out as there are many students and employees from the IT and Manufacturing industries.

How to have an Eco-friendly Ganesh Utsav

Ganesh Chaturthi is a favourite festival of many Indians. The 10-day long celebration includes decorating Ganesha idols at home, the preparation of various delicacies, dancing and immersion of the idol on the last day. Most people don’t realize the harm that many activities during the festivities cause the environment. It is our duty and responsibility to maintain and preserve nature and the environment. There are many ways that we can celebrate a green, eco-friendly Ganesh Utsav:

1. Use eco-friendly idols: Most people use Ganesha idols made of chemicals, plaster of Paris, plastic, thermocol and other such harmful materials. Instead, get idols made of natural biodegradable materials like clay, paper mache (paper pulp of recycled paper), natural gum, chalk powder and painted with natural paints. The entire idol dissolves and is not toxic to the environment.

2. Conserve energy: Use CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs in all your lighting arrangements. In a country where many don’t have the luxury of electricity, it is our duty to conserve energy as much as possible.

3. Use natural materials for rangoli decorations. Avoid the use of chemicals.

4. Use the smallest idol possible. The bigger the idol, the more difficult will it be for it to dissolve, especially if it is not made of biodegradable materials.

4. Make use of natural decorations. Avoid plastic and non-biodegradable materials.

5. Avoid noise pollution by playing music at moderate levels and avoiding crackers which cause air pollution as well.

6.  Use paper plates and cups. Avoid the use of plastic in all festivities.

7.  Instead of harming natural water bodies, use artificial immersion tanks.

With these simple steps, one can protect the environment during the festive season!

Investment properties – hold or sell?

Real estate is said to be the best market to invest in because of its stability and good returns. While investing, it is important to be sure of the surrounding areas, the builder and other such factors. Once you have bought a property, the decision to be taken is that of holding or selling, especially when the market fluctuates. In this context, there are usually two types of investors – those who are in it for the long haul and those who are looking for quick capital gains.

For people looking for quick gains, a well timed resale is important. Such a resale should happen only when the property has had a good appreciation. In the real estate market, there usually has to be holding time during which the property value rises and gives good returns. The ideal period is 3-5 years or longer. Depending on what kind of returns you are looking for, you can decide whether to hold or sell. In most cases, the longer you wait, the higher the returns.

The best idea for people looking for a quick gain is to invest in a project during construction and during the launch. The resale should be timed at completion of project or one year after completion for the best and quickest returns. While making any real estate decision, be sure to study the local market thoroughly. 

Organize Your kitchen!

In every home, the kitchen is the one room that has to store many commodities from a fridge and microwave oven to utensils and most importantly food items. If not managed properly, it is very easy for a kitchen to become messy and disorganized. This post lists various ideas and methods by which you can make your kitchen more spacious:

1.     Store all your baking items inside your oven. It reduces the space required for these items and also makes things easy to find.

2.     Get cupboards fixed above your counters as well as below. Fill up the wall space with double door cupboards. This increases your storage space by a large amount.

3.     If you don’t want too many cupboards, then make up for it with shelves. You can even make shelves within the shelves and cupboards to better organize your kitchen.

4.     Get hooks installed by the sink for all your towels and by the racks for your spoons, strainers and other such utensils.

5.     Organize the spices in your kitchen by your style of cooking. It makes things easier to find and keeps things uncluttered.

6.     Store large pots and pans on top of cupboards, especially when you use them rarely. This will give you more cupboard space for your other utensils and kitchenware.

7.     Clean as soon as you can and as you go. If you wash up as soon as you use a utensil, it makes things a whole lot easier.

8.     Organize items by purpose and frequency of us. This makes cooking and cleaning up that much easier.

The Best Areas to Invest in Pune!

Pune has quickly become one of the more trusted markets to invest in. While properties and projects have are shooting up all over town, it is a dilemma for investors to pick an area to invest in. The area that is showing the most promise is the western part of Pune because of its location and proximity to important facilities and landmarks.

Western Pune includes Kothrud, Baner, Deccan Gymkhana, Bavdhan, Sinhagad Road and other upcoming areas. These areas have risen in terms of development and the number of residential and commercial properties in the past couple of years. Their proximity to educational institutions, IT and Tech Parks, hospitals, malls and theaters combined with well maintained facilities such as water and electricity have made them popular with investors.

 Educational institutions attract students from other states, especially in Pune. Finding a rental close to college will be on top of the priority list for these students, which is perfect for owners looking to rent out their flats or houses. The same is true about IT and Tech Parks, which attract job seekers from all over the country. When it comes to emergency situations, it is always better to have a hospital nearby and easily accessible, which is the case with these areas. The above mentioned areas have various malls and theaters making them even more attractive. As mentioned in the previous blog post, roads are integral to the development of real estate. The well made concrete roads in the West of Pune are a huge factor in their popularity. 

Roads and Real Estate

The development of a city is defined by its roads. The state of the roads and the areas they connect are important factors in the growth of any city. Any real estate agent worth his salt will use good connectivity as a selling point. Even though an apartment complex has various amenities, if the road to it is not usable, it will be less likely to be sold or rented out. At the same time, a project should not be too close to a highway or a crowded road. It has to be connected and close by to such roads, but not on them. Proximity to a well connected route is the perfect way to attract buyers and tenants.

Developed roads that connect you from home to not just work and school, but other necessary facilities like hospitals, grocery and departmental stores and others are very important. Good connectivity is a key factor in the decision whether to purchase or look for more. Always check the locality, the roads, the proximity to important facilities and the connectivity. All factors should be considered before purchase or rental.

Though roads may seem like the last factor to be considered, they are extremely important when it comes to day to day living. Once you purchase or rent out a house and then realise that it is poorly connected with bad roads, your everyday life becomes a hassle. Therefore, always make sure that the house you buy or rent out has good roads leading to and out of it.

Tips to buying your second home

The average Indian investor's favourite investment is in the real estate market. Lately, people are investing in second homes and holiday homes as well. Second homes offer a great source of constant income when rented out. In most major cities, there is always a great influx of job seekers and students which increases the need for houses on rent. This fact means that buying a second home in a large city is always a good idea.

1. Avoid investing in the ultra posh neighbourhoods of big cities. It is highly unlikely that you will find too many takers in the rental market. Instead, invest in established central areas where the rates are reasonable and the need for places on rent is high. This improves your chances of finding a tenant.

2. Invest in cities like Pune, Vadodara, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, where the rates are affordable and where the need for rentals are high.

3. Buy a second home in an area which is located close to important amenities and facilities such as schools, markets and hospitals. Owning a small home in such an area is better than owning a large home in the outskirts of the city, in terms of appreciation and returns.

4. Before giving your house on rent, be sure of the tenant's credentials and reliability. Get a watertight agreement done by a good lawyer.

5. Talk to experts in the field of investment and real estate before buying a second home.