One
of the questions which I keep getting asked by various property buyers is
whether I would recommend a stand alone property or a property in a gated
community. The phrase “gated community” conjures up an image of security guards
in a walled off compound. Gated communities are very popular these days and
most of the builders are highlighting it as an important feature in their
promotional campaigns. Let me elaborate about both the properties in detail:
Gated
Community:
In
gated communities, the common roads within the development, parks &
gardens, security, rubbish disposal, swimming pool, club house/ gym etc. are
all managed either by the builder or by a property management company. The
advantage of sharing all these facilities reduces the cost of bearing these
facilities. The more property owners share the services, the cheaper it becomes
for an individual property owner. Also, property owners have the comfort and
assurance that all these services are taken care of especially when they are
thousands miles away from their property. And that if anything goes wrong then
somebody will attend to the matter while they are away. In short, gated
communities are more secure and safe and hence more ideal for non resident
owners. Particularly the senior citizens do not need to venture out for
shopping, meditation or recreation. The open areas provide great quality of
life.
Now days developers & builders focus on continuing to remain involved
in the upkeep and management of such gated communities bringing professionalism
in maintenance & governance. If you
are buying a property within a gated community whether directly from the builder
or from the existing owner, it is easier to know the legal status of the
property as most of the sellers have their documents required for buying 7
selling up to date and thus saves a lot of time for the buyer. Also, getting facilities
like water & power supply will be easier and tension free in case of gated
communities. Builders & Developers may provide you an option of making
payments in instalments for a longer time period as compare to a seller selling
a stand alone property.
Stand
Alone Property:
In
stand alone properties, you are able to build your dream home customized to
your requirements. In stand alone properties, owners have the freedom to choose
the service provider and if they are not pleased with the services of the
provider then they can terminate their services and choose another one. In
stand alone properties, one is able to control his expenses and costs and not
bound to pay society charges or collective charges. If someone is buying a
stand alone land for house or cottage then he has full freedom to make changes to
the property and add rooms or amenities over time.
While you are in control of
your own property, you have limited control on your surrounds and so you may
find yourself surrounded by barren land or an ugly structure. In gated
community, you benefit from a master planned community with a certain quality of
features. But you are really on your own and expenses such as maintenance &
security are solely your burden while in gated communities, they are shared.
Sometimes people love to be alone while buying a holiday home property and do not
want any hustle & bustle of neighbours, stand alone properties are best
suited for such people.
Our
Recommendations:
All
in all both kinds of properties offer enough pluses and challenges and one may
try and match one’s needs with what’s being offered. We suggest you to buy a property in a small
gated community which on one hand may save you from the hustle & bustle
while on the other keep your loved ones and your property safer & more
secure as compare to stand alone property. It also saves lots of money and your
precious time to upkeep and maintains the property. Also, from the resale point
of view a well maintained property with good gentry will always fetch you good
returns in the future.
Keeping
it all in our mind, we are coming up with residential communities which are not
larger in size but studded with all the basic facilities in beautiful locations
in hill stations and also provide maintenance & security services for the
property as well. It makes the investment of our buyers safe and sound.
