PRECAUTION BEFORE TAKING THE POSSESSION OF THE FLAT
#Realestate
· Doors and windows: Ensure your apartment is provided with required doors and windows for proper ventilation in all rooms, including bathroom and kitchen. Improper ventilation can cause numerous problems in future. Ensure all the sliding door/windows work smoothly.
· Measure size of room: Some builders or developers divert from the sanction planned resulting in reduction in the size of rooms and bathrooms. Ensure that all rooms are provided enough space. Measure the hall, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom sizes. We can ask for compensation for less / difference area.
· Wall Painting: Wall painting need to be checked before taking possession of home or flat from the builder or developer. Some builders or developers provide single coat wall painting in some rooms instead of double coat. Check if all walls have double coat. Exterior painting should be complete along with window and balcony grills.
· Cracks on the wall: Look for cracks in the foundation, ceilings and walls, which indicate movement of the structure caused by settling, soil expansion. Check for cracks on the walls, especially between electrical sockets.
· Checking the tile work: It is also important if there is any crack, hole or damage then it can be replaced but after moving in it is very difficult to do tile work which smokes a lot of dust while removing. Also check the all tiles have proper grouting between the floor tiles and border of walls (No space between the two adjacent tiles) it causes the sippages issue in the floor and wall.
· Electrical fittings: It is better to ensure the electrical fitting are as specified and the switches and plugs are connected to the main supply line. Extra points are provided are not as per your requirements.
· Drainage outlets: This is one of the important things you need to check before taking the possession of flat or home. Clogged outlets are a menace if not rectified before you move in. Water collects in bathrooms, kitchen and balconies and creates a mess. Check if all Drainage outlets such as balcony, bathroom, kitchen, utility, etc. are working and not clogged.
· Check for Leakages: Check if all bathroom fittings are as per specification. Check the working of taps and bathroom fittings. Ensure there are no leakages when opening or switching on taps. Make sure the granite platform in the kitchen is not leaking. Pour a bucket of water on the granite platform and observe for any leakage below it. Check the hot and cold mixer. Also check for water flow from kitchen, bedrooms, and hall. Slope should be towards bathrooms or the terrace. Make sure water is completely draining out and not accumulating at one place. Observe if any leakages are seen in your bathroom. These leakages can cause major headaches later.
· Check switches and plug-points: Make sure that all the sockets, plugs and bulb holder are connected to the main supply. Also check if main fuse in the house is controlling complete current supply. If you have an inverter, ensure the supply shift to the inverter if the main switch is switched off. Check if all switches and plug-points are working. Check if the extra electrical sockets/switches you had asked for are provided as per requirement.
· Safety measures: Ensure that your building is constructed according to safety rules provided by the fire department and National building code. Check if your gas leak detector is working by burning a piece of paper and allowing the smoke to fill the kitchen.
· Check for safety equipments: Like firefighting instruments that are compulsory for every building today. Whether the builder has followed the safety measures or not as per the government rules and regulations. If there is gas pipeline system then check whether the gas leak detector is working properly or not.
· Parking Space: One very important thing is to check the parking lot which is allotted to you as it is usually not clear on paper. Ensure that it is enough to accommodate a big sized car and easily accessible otherwise it will be difficult for you to adjust the big car in small space.
· Kitchen Granite slope: Make sure the kitchen granite slope is towards the sink or else you may have to keep cleaning the stagnant water on the granite daily.
· Chimney: Decide whether you are going for chimney or ventilator fan for kitchen and get the provision done for the same.
· Wiring: It will be the worst thing in most of the apartments. Ensure that you get the best company switches and MCBs and that they provide separate wiring for geysers, fridge, washing machine, microwave oven etc so that you will not face any difficulty in case you prefer to install Inverter.
· Possession letter: If your building or apartment is provided with all amenities, size of rooms is as per approval provided and you have checked all things in your apartment, it is time for taking possession of your flat or home. While taking possession of the flat or home, ensure that you have received all documents from the builder. Possession letter, Blue print, No-Objection Certificate, Development agreement, Power of Attorney, Commencement Certificate, Search Report of the Builder’s Advocate, Receipts of payments made to the builder, Letter of allotment etc are some of the important documents required from the builder or developer during possession of the apartment.
· List of amenities: Builders offer or promise a list of amenities for an apartment you are buying. They include amenities such as playground, lift, swimming pool etc. After completion of construction, buyers or investors find that builder has not provided all amenities as per promised or agreed. Check your agreement to see the list of amenities and make sure each one is provided as per specification.
· GDA / Nagar Palika will issue Occupancy Certificate (OC), if and only if the building has been constructed according to the Sanctioned Plan and meets all bye-laws. GDA / Nagar Palika has rights to allow up to a maximum of 5% deviations (but that too subjected to certain conditions). If deviations are more than 5% GDA / Nagar Palika will not issue OC. Without OC, you will not get Khata (so called ‘A’ Khata). Still you can pay property tax etc, but you will not get your ‘A’ Khata (I mean Khata Certificate and Khata Extract). Without ‘A’ Khata, neither you can sell your property nor you can get mortgage loan from the bank.
· And last but not the least, do not pay the entire amount for the flat before you take over possession of the flat. Keep atleast 10-15% of the total money with you and pay only during handing over of keys. Many people pay the whole amount before hand and builders turn a deaf ear to their requests for completion of work.
