If you are buying property in or around the major cities of India there are factors that affect your purchase. Unlike Western countries, unique considerations apply in the case of India and especially the cities where you purchase property.
Proximity to infrastructure
Builders offer developed plots or apartments or bungalows described as “luxurious” and “in the lap of nature”. This is as true of property in Patna as it is of, say, Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore. What this means is that the property in question may be located in a radius of 100 km away. If you choose to buy such property expect to use your own car to commute. There may be no schools, hospitals, trains, buses or even a well developed road system. It may be peaceful but it is a hassle to live here.
Builder
A builder’s reputation and track record counts for a lot when it comes to property purchase. They make glowing offers but do they live up to their promises in terms of speed of completion, sticking to a fixed price, quality construction, furnishing, décor, accessories used inside the house, the design that allows for light and air and all such related factors. You could be stuck in an investment that has little chance of high returns.
Location and surroundings
Builders may offer property in the heart of the city. However, apartments bordering busy thoroughfares and hutments or slum areas or open gutters or open pools of water or trash are not the best buy. If it is a roadside apartment you can expect air to be polluted and noise all the time. If there are slums or hutments you can expect smoke from woodfire and encroachments. All such factors could water down property prices when you want to sell or reduce quality of life.
Clear titles
Property must have clear marketable titles and when you buy any such property, it should be free of any dispute or litigation or lien. If you buy property you should be free to sell it or dispose it off any way you like. If titles are not clear you can expect litigation and you may even have to bear part of the cost of fines. In any case it will be difficult to sell property at the right price if titles are not clear.
Like it or not, cities and residential areas are still divided along communal lines and also caste lines. Check the neighborhood and the community before you invest in any property, especially residential property.
It pays to engage a lawyer to carry out due diligence and also make inquiries on your own about the builder, the location, the current rates, the demand and quality of life before making a decision to invest in property anywhere in Patna or India. Make the right decision to go with established Patna builders and you have property you will value and for which you can easily get a good market price if you wish to sell.