Property In a Gated Community Vs. Stand Alone Property

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.