'Constructing A House Is Tedious, Go For Ready-To Move-In Home'

Chandrakant Bhardwaj heaved a sigh of relief recently after five months of strenuous construction of an extra floor to his bungalow in Ghaziabad. The 45-year-old civil engineer lives with his parents, wife, daughter and son. In an exclusive interview with PropGuide, Bhardwaj shares his journey while driving home this point that constructing a home is an exciting but exhausting process. 

Describe your new home to our readers.

My home, which emits peace, is a three-storey bungalow at Swarn Jayanti Puram in Ghaziabad. My father helped me buy the plot in 2000. Later, we constructed two floors in 2006. The third floor was built recently. My wife runs a beauty parlour on the ground floor. 

Share your experience of constructing your home. 

It is a Herculean Task, if you ask me. Constructing a home according to specifications is exciting but involves a lot of effort, dedication and patience. Although we hired a contractor, supervision was required at all the stages to ensure that our home reflected what we wanted. My father and my wife took charge on weekdays while I was away for work. 

How well did you research about the locality before investing in it? Why did you choose the location?

Ghaziabad, as we all know, falls in the National Capital Region. I live at a place that is away from the hustle & bustle, traffic and pollution; has neat and clean environment and wide roads. We live in a society that is close to a police colony. We were living in a rented house in the same society before we bought a piece of land here. We were familiar with the place, so we decided to have our own home in the same locality. 

How much did the plot and construction cost you? How did you manage the finances?

We bought the 1,250-square-feet plot in 2000. My father gifted it to me. We started constructing the house in 2006 and it cost us Rs 16 lakh for two floors then. In November 2015, we added another floor at a cost of Rs 12 lakh. We opted for home loans and dug into our investments. As we were falling short of a few lakhs, my wife pitched in to sell her jewellery.

What is your advice to prospective home buyers? What tips would you want to share with them? 

I will advise them to opt for ready-to-move-in units; they involve less effort and risk than constructing a new one. There are risks in buying ready-to-move-in units as well. The thumb rule is to check the past record of the developer. Also, ensure that the transportation and connectivity to the location is good.  If you opt for a locality that's away from the city, ensure it is safe. If you're constructing a home, make sure that everything is built according to your specifications. 

Home-buying tips from Bhardwaj

• If you plan to construct a house, make sure that everything is built according to your specifications.
• Even if you hire a contractor, supervision is required at all the stages of development.
• Opt for a ready-to-move-in unit as it saves the hassle of constructing a building from a scratch.
• Don't forget to check the past record of the developer before putting your hard-earned money in his project.
• Ensure that the area has good connectivity.
• If you opt for a locality that's away from the city, ensure it is safe.