Flats VS Independent House

Dear friends

In this thread you can express all your ideas valuable suggestions about flats and independent house. What are the positive and negative points in both. In that way hope it would be very useful for those who are planning to buy whether to go for an independent house or flats. Thank You.

Hi bhanu,

Nice thread.I have lived both in independant and apartment.When you see privacy and value for your property INdependant house is best.You can make your own gardens.You can construct as you wish.You make changes any time and need not ask anyone permission.The value for the land will never decrease.
drawbacks-Maintenance and security.

When you see security aspects and maintenance,you can go for apartments.You need not worry about water problems etc as the association will take care of that.you will feel much secured and also get more friends.
But for each and everything you have to take association permission.

Now a days even you get privacy in apts too.and also if you are ready to give more money, builders give a portion of land for garden purposes and separate entrance for ground floor flats.

if you are keen on playing area for your kids,You can go for bigger constructions.They provide swimming pool, gym, play area etc.But you will have to pay high maintenance fee.


If i am given a choice, i would prefer apartments with less than 12 flats with kitchen garden and terrace space.This would satisfy all our needs.

Shakila Banu,

First of all, it is a preference that comes more out of personal experience. if you have lived in flats, you prefer an independent house most of the time.

I live in a flat right now. like kamala says, today flats are looked at because of all the common amenities and facilities you get, though you have to pay extra for it.

Independent house, I brought one last year, it is a duplex in a community of 8 houses. which gives you the feel of a community and also gives you access to your own car parking, balcony, small garden...

Coming to the value locked...flats will appreciate only for a some years and then the depreciation starts, but in case of independent house, the land value increases, thus boosting the total of the property.

Originally Posted by shanvy

Independent house, I brought one last year, it is a duplex in a community of 8 houses. which gives you the feel of a community and also gives you access to your own car parking, balcony, small garden...

Coming to the value locked...flats will appreciate only for a some years and then the depreciation starts, but in case of independent house, the land value increases, thus boosting the total of the property.

Thanks much for your input :) it helps not just the author.. but me too :)

But these independent houses (duplex types - meaning u get the ground and first floor right) would have been old ones right... or do they still build such around? All I see in Ads are 800-1000 apt types in huge buildings :( not sure if its still feasible to get something like just 4-6 or at the max 10 apts alone?

Nandu,

I am based in south chennai, and from most of the posts you could zoom in on my locality. I live in a flat that we had invested 10 years back. I brought this Independent duplex in jan last year before the guideline value increased. now this is the trend. lot of people are opting for a 1400sq.ft construction in a 1200 sq.ft of land. this way the land is yours....

yes the duplex usually has a hall, kitchen, a bedroom downstairs, and 2bedrooms and a lounge(this is optional) on the first floor.

As i said, when you go looking at the reputed builders they are offering apartments only. but you have lot of other buildes who are doing these projects..and it is more seen in south chennai and also poonamallee area..

I see the offers in property plus, 99acres, magic bricks, also..

Originally Posted by shanvy

Nandu,

I am based in south chennai, and from most of the posts you could zoom in on my locality. I live in a flat that we had invested 10 years back. I brought this Independent duplex in jan last year before the guideline value increased. now this is the trend. lot of people are option for a 1400sq.ft construction in a 1200 sq.ft of land. this way the land is yours....

yes the duplex usually has a hall, kitchen, a bedroom downstairs, and 2bedrooms and a lounge(this is optional) on the first floor.

As i said, when you go looking at the reputed builders they are offering apartments only. but you have lot of other buildes who are doing these projects..and it is more seen in south chennai and also poonamallee area..

I see the offers in property plus, 99acres, magic bricks, also..

Oh ok ok got it... So its upto how we do the search .. if we go for reputed builders like hirandan* or jain.. it will always be apt all highrise.. but if we search further.. such duplexes as you mentioned is still on the go..

I am not that interested in apts :( may be coming from kovai living all my life in an independent house with lots of space around I guess :( I always feel kinda suffocated when I am asked if you want to live in an highrise.. :(

may be I will have them look like you had mentioned.. Can you please post here if you get any info on these of duplexes pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...:bowd own

my budget is 60-70L..

nandu,

I think there is srinivasa builders (??)who were coming up with villas in cbe. beautiful ones...the plan everything was awesome, heard their constructions is also good..but the rates were 50/60 in 2006 itself...

Isha homes - in chennai- they are into villas and duplex.

Chettinad builders--they have beautiful villas, and i would have preferred in that (but did not want to stretch my budget)

Sylvan county inside mahindra city centre

there are others also...

Thanks Shanthi.. copied it.. let me do my homework now :)

Any idea whats is builder floor apartments ?

Hi Nandhu,

Did you go further with search. I have been looking for quite sometime for an independent/row house in a community(so that some safety is also there) - that does not stretch my budget too much. I liked LCS at medavakkam with very good floor plans - but all their nice plots were sold. There was also Priyadarshini shelters in medavakkam looked ok - but the space between the house was almost NIL that it looked like a row house and the bedrooms were too small in size.

Shanthi - do you mind sharing the builder details of your duplex home. Are you satisfied with the construction quality and did you get it on time without any issues. Is the builder into similar duplex group projects now?

hi all,

Great topic yar.

First of all to answer Nandhu's question : Builder floor apartment is just a jargon in their field there is no difference between an ordinary apartment and builder floor apt. The construction party(builder) buys a piece of land, constructs many buildings in it and sells it. This is the basic meaning behind it.

Coming to the topic, I love individual houses a lot and the biggest reason behind it is the privacy we get in it. But cant say choosing apartments is a bad choice it depends on the environment and locality. My dad owns an apartment alone. We had a good community so maintenance, water, safety and cleanliness was not at all a problem but it is not the case with many apartments.

In my in-laws place we live together as a joint family. Touchwood. We are 7 people so we didnt want to go for an apartment. But we were not satisfied with the search finally we came across a good builder. My husband and my BIL got two three bedroom apartments together ; requested not to build the middle wall between the 2 houses and planned accordingly. Now it is a big 6 bedroom house with a spacious living room extended from one house to another. Since it is chettinad style construction we have the Oonjal(Swing), Pillar and Thulasi Maadam in the living room. As todays trend is modular kitchen we have installed two different styles of modular kitchens in the house.Though looks like an apartment outside; it looks similar to an individual house once we enter inside.

Few months back the construction got over. Once we get back to Madras we should be moving there.