Source :ET:3 SEP, 2011, 04.44PM IST, VIVEK SHUKLA,TNN
Apartment or independent house? It is an endless debate. There are valid arguments to buttress the claims on both sides. While the jury is still out, there is a growing demand from certain sections of the housing sector, which argue that builders must ensure that the apartments they build should be able to face the vagaries of time for at least seven-eight decades.
There are apartments like Sagar Apartments and Sujan Singh Park, to name a few, which are still standing tall even after 40 to 60 years of their construction.
It is no secret that economic factors and a fast lifestyle have dealt a death knell for the culture of independent houses in India. As the cost of an independent house is staggering, not many buyers consider the option of going for one now. Land prices have rocketed and made the purchase of a site and construction of a house almost impossible . Cut back to the 80s, when the capital was still green: those were the days when the apartment culture had not yet gripped the capital. Today , the scene is completely different .
Not only are concrete blocks mushrooming all over the city, large individual houses are fast disappearing with residents opting to give them up to developers. A typical apartment complex or gated community comes with clubs, a large community garden with plenty of area for children to play and pathways to walk. With most of these apartments pitching plenty of light and ventilation as their USPs, individual units, though small, do not make a resident feel cramped.
There are apartments like Sagar Apartments and Sujan Singh Park, to name a few, which are still standing tall even after 40 to 60 years of their construction.
It is no secret that economic factors and a fast lifestyle have dealt a death knell for the culture of independent houses in India. As the cost of an independent house is staggering, not many buyers consider the option of going for one now. Land prices have rocketed and made the purchase of a site and construction of a house almost impossible . Cut back to the 80s, when the capital was still green: those were the days when the apartment culture had not yet gripped the capital. Today , the scene is completely different .
Not only are concrete blocks mushrooming all over the city, large individual houses are fast disappearing with residents opting to give them up to developers. A typical apartment complex or gated community comes with clubs, a large community garden with plenty of area for children to play and pathways to walk. With most of these apartments pitching plenty of light and ventilation as their USPs, individual units, though small, do not make a resident feel cramped.
, says, "The New Age customers are finding community living more attractive given the nature of facilities offered as well as the ease in tackling maintenance and security, which is the responsibility of the RWA." According to him, a typical homebuyer does not have the time or energy to spare to build a house.
Sanjay Khanna, director of Kailash Nath Khanna Projects Pvt Ltd, says: "Building an individual house involves not just designing, but finding the right contractor for the construction. And it doesn't end there, as sanctions and approvals for utility connections will still have to be tackled. An independent house also has issues of security and maintenance. These can prove a deterrent, especially when apartment complexes and villas with state-of-the-art facilities are available."
The fact that fresh land for individual houses is no more available within the capital again acts as a dampener. Getting the desired location is a further incentive for homebuyers to opt for gated communities or apartment complexes, Khanna adds.
After listening to all these arguments , you are left with no option but to go for a flat. But, will your flat last more than 50 years or more? Well, it is an important question . Azmal Zaheer Khan, an architect with Delhi-based Kothari Associates, is of the view that unlike independent houses, we are looking at apartments which are unlikely to remain in a perfect state for over 30 years, if they as they are not maintained with due care.
"As far as an independent house is concerned, it can be rebuilt to suit changing tastes and requirements, at any point of time," Khan says, adding that the house can be expanded horizontally if space permits , or vertically, by adding more floors. These are impossible in a unit in an apartment.
Sanjay Khanna says: "I meet many people who have sold their independent houses to move into flats and are now ruing their decision , as the quality of construction of their flats was bad, especially the plumbing and electricity."
Sanjay Khanna, director of Kailash Nath Khanna Projects Pvt Ltd, says: "Building an individual house involves not just designing, but finding the right contractor for the construction. And it doesn't end there, as sanctions and approvals for utility connections will still have to be tackled. An independent house also has issues of security and maintenance. These can prove a deterrent, especially when apartment complexes and villas with state-of-the-art facilities are available."
The fact that fresh land for individual houses is no more available within the capital again acts as a dampener. Getting the desired location is a further incentive for homebuyers to opt for gated communities or apartment complexes, Khanna adds.
After listening to all these arguments , you are left with no option but to go for a flat. But, will your flat last more than 50 years or more? Well, it is an important question . Azmal Zaheer Khan, an architect with Delhi-based Kothari Associates, is of the view that unlike independent houses, we are looking at apartments which are unlikely to remain in a perfect state for over 30 years, if they as they are not maintained with due care.
"As far as an independent house is concerned, it can be rebuilt to suit changing tastes and requirements, at any point of time," Khan says, adding that the house can be expanded horizontally if space permits , or vertically, by adding more floors. These are impossible in a unit in an apartment.
Sanjay Khanna says: "I meet many people who have sold their independent houses to move into flats and are now ruing their decision , as the quality of construction of their flats was bad, especially the plumbing and electricity."
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