Here's why you should be cautious when buying a property in the hills
Picturesque scenic beauty alone will not make your second home in the hills a paradise. If you are looking at buying a retreat in the hills to escape from the fast-paced city life or pollution-filled environment, or even choose a retirement home, there’s a lot that goes into making your property in the hills into a peaceful haven.
There are great options to buy hill properties for example, in Uttarakhand in the north, Darjeeling in the east or Kodaikanal down south, but one should be mindful of the following dos and don’ts that will help you in deciding whether or not you should buy a property in the hills.
Property prices
A hill construction is 1.5 times more expensive than the construction in a plain flat land. This is not only because of the need of making the construction sturdy and long-lasting, also due to the steep transport cost of the construction material.
You will also have to shell out a premium if you are looking to buy from an experienced and reputed developer. This will be mainly because of the developer’s proven experience of constructing houses in the hills as well its focus on using only high-quality material. While an apartment or villa in the hills with the best view to die for will also be priced on a higher side, you will need to ensure that the view stays as it is while your property lasts.
Security
Independent houses, however well made, always face a security threat. You not only will have to do pre-monsoon work like waterproofing, preventing seepage, garden maintenance etc. Your property in the hills can soon become a nightmare, if your windows, electric cables, pipes start getting pilfered by the crap sellers or if your land is trespassed. You may have to visit every three months in order to ensure the safety of your second home.
Regulatory Approvals
Is the property that you are exploring to buy approved by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). The approval will mean that the developer has taken all approvals from the government bodies, there won’t be false promises and promotions and your grievances, if any, won’t go unheard.
You must also ensure that a house before it becomes a dream home has received clearances from different banks too. This will also ensure that the developer has not only sound fundamentals, the project is also technically possible. When banks certify properties, they carry out a thorough scrutiny of the title and of all the documents related to the project.
Amenities available
The question you need to ask yourself before investing in a hill property, whether as a second home or a retirement home is, how active your lifestyle will be during your stay in the hill station property. Are you prepared to spend your time just enjoying nature’s beauty, or would also like to have amenities like swimming pool, play areas like badminton court, children’s park, jogging tracks, gym etc. which offer an active lifestyle? Just because you switch and shift out from your primary city, you don’t have to compromise on your recreation and fitness.
Maintenance
Who will be responsible for the maintenance of your second home in your absence? Keeping your home maintained with manicured lawns, hedges, cared-for planters will not happen on its own, and you will need to hire a care-taker. In that case you should be ready to drive up your costs. A property in a gated complex, be it a villa or an apartment, will have arrangements to take care of basic upkeep services.
Even though people in the hills are welcoming and helpful, finding a carpenter, electrician and plumber, ordering food from a grocer may not be simple if you visit for a few days rather than live as a permanent resident. A gated complex living not only offers a like-minded community, it also takes care of such basics you may need for living peacefully in your second home or retirement home.
It is true that the pure pine-scented air of the hills in Uttarakhand is therapeutic. Many researches have even documented the fact. But wrong property choice can be a headache rather than becoming therapeutic. Owning a free-hold property in a gated complex will free you of all the troubles of maintenance
Second home as income generator
In states like Uttarakhand, there is always an opportunity to convert your property in the hills or your second home into an income generator rather than keeping it lying idle when not in use. You can even explore options to earn rental income from your property. This is possible by tying up with agencies who can help you do that. How about investing in a location that is constantly witnessing 15% to 20% appreciation in property prices? In Uttarakhand, for example, prices have increased from Rs 4000 per square foot in the Bhimtal area to Rs 6000 per square foot over the last one year, and are expected to further increase to touch Rs 7000 over the next one year.
Best living for old parents to enjoy tension free living-
A property in the hills is the best gift that you can give to yourself or to your parents as a retirement home or a second home. Vaastu-compliant building, healthy spring water of 100 TDS for better digestion, clean pollution-free air and nature bathing is all that is needed for the best retired living experience. You just need to ensure that medical facilities, including the speciality doctors are located nearby.
Here’s why you shouldn’t buy a hill property
Feel lonely in less populated places
Climate in the hill areas can get extremely cold in the winters and can really get you, but there’s no denying that spending time in nature’s abundance is good for both body and mind. Some people believe that life in the mountain areas gets slow as the usual polluting modes of transportation, such as private cabs and other forms of public transportation are few and far between. Don’t expect to find retail centres like malls and movie theatres nearby your location. Afterall, you have chosen a peaceful retreat in the heart of nature rather than crowded spaces. A property in the hills is purely for nature lovers.
