Wednesday 30 November 2016

Room for meditation


                                          Room for meditation




One may have to ask themselves whether they really need a meditation room in their house or not. Once they have decided to have it, they can then think of how it should be done up. They should remember that it is a place where one wants to relax their mind and soul.

One should make sure that the place they choose as a meditation room is not used for anything else. However, large their house might be, they should choose a quiet or secluded corner where there is adequate space to sit comfortably on the floor or with a cozy chair. Remove all elements of clutter and disorder from it. Nothing should intrude into their time in this spot. There should very definitely not be a telephone here!

It is important to keep the room clean and paint the walls with pastel shades. On the other hand, painting scenery with some drawings of animals or flowers will give an air of peace to the place. Fill the room with things that they find comforting. Some people like to keep the room dark while others like to have natural light. In case, they are thinking of choosing artificial lighting, it would be advisable to use yellow lights. A lot of natural light with fresh air is some people’s taste. It would be good to have a window but not essential. Indoor plants and objects of art can be used. The sound of water flowing or light instrumental music, the aroma of candles etc., promotes tranquility. Walls should be decorated with pleasing pictures.

One should keep the floor clean and have a wooden flooring if possible. Rugs and durries are just right with some floor cushions thrown in. They could be in bright contrasting colours. If one make up their mind to have a quiet time each day, it will help to keep their mind focused and free.

It would be a good idea for them to spend some minutes daily in this room at a pre-determined time. If they are patient, this place will help them to feel de-stressed as soon as they arrive in it.

Tuesday 29 November 2016

Rebuilding Our Cities



                                        Rebuilding Our Cities 




Physical decay has eaten deeply into the urban areas in the country. Corruption at every level in civic bodies are doing maximum damage. It breeds crime and delinquency, the result the housing problem remains unsolved. It is apparent that private builders, who by the way, are constructing over 75% of housing stock in the country, are forced to cough up hefty bribes at every stage of building construction. Construction of flats has become costly and out of the reach of general public. This resulted a new breed of investors in flats. In most of the cities old and dilapidated housing stock is on rental basis. And rents in cities like Mumbai are frozen to the year 1940 levels. This was and is the main reason that the repair of the buildings is not possible with the petty rents. The land lords of such rental buildings can not afford to the repairs and maintenance of such buildings. But now with the grant of FSI and high property rates there is option to reconstruct them. But the basic question remains to be answered is that as to where the common man will live. In entire south Mumbai a lot of construction is going on but they are all high rise high cost buildings and have no place for common man. The remedy is to create social housing compulsory at least on 40 to 50 % of the old property to be redeveloped in the metro cities. In all major cities in the country, slums are spreading because the common man cannot find affordable housing and hence are forced to live in miserable conditions. In 1999 the draft of National Slum Policy (DNSP) was circulated by the government of India. Since then it has undergone to numerous revisions, but it is yet to be finalised. In major cities, slums are occupying large tracts of valuable land. The aspect has to be addressed first if we want to rebuild our cities. Among the deficiencies in our national well being, is the accelerated rate of physical deterioration in our cities. The city planners and policy makers must concentrate on these issues and find out ways and means to rebuild the cities, where there is place for common man as well as for the affluent class. Various slum redevelopment schemes floated from time to time by various state governments have so far failed to achive the objective. So if we want to rebuild our cities, we have to prepare plans to fulfill it, as the rebuilding of cities cannot be carried out with piecemeal approach.


Monday 28 November 2016

Remodeling of Kitchen


                                     Remodeling of Kitchen




Kitchen remodeling needs good planning and patience. Designing and remodeling a kitchen includes taking a few decisions that will help one to get a better deal where one can be comfortable while cooking.

If one is this type of a person, who actually use their kitchen fully, then they will need a scheme which includes larger cabinets for groceries, cutlery and crockery and all the kitchen tools, and better traffic for maneuvering around the kitchen and doing the actual eating.

One’s kitchen shape will determine how much seating and working space you can fit in, without crowding the kitchen. L-shaped kitchens provide more workspace and storage area, walking distance is minimized and corners of the kitchen can serve as the dining area. U-shaped kitchens, on the other hand, have the most workspace and storage area, and have less floor area. If one is having good, sturdy and spacious kitchen cabinets, then they could simply freshen-up their look with a new coat of paint or maybe with new cabinet doors. However, if they feel the need to change all their cabinets, then do so but they should make sure to choose a design that is functional but still fulfills their needs for good aesthetics.

They should start by choosing the right colour for their kitchen cabinets. The key is to stick to one colour story. A predominantly neutral kitchen would also have a few splashes of colours in the form of new cabinets or new modern appliances.

Since, they do spend more time in kitchen it won't hurt them if they also do a little remodeling to their flooring. They can opt wooden flooring for a homier and warmer feel, or they can completely get custom ceramic tiles for practical and functional kitchen flooring and countertop.

Sunday 27 November 2016

Fire Proof Buildings

                                            Fire Proof Buildings


                             



Every building should be constructed, equipped, maintained and operated to avoid undue danger to life and safety of the occupants from fire, smoke, fumes or panic during the survival time available for escape. 

Building Codes advocate the traditional evacuation by stairs in fire affected buildings upto three or four storey. All buildings which are 15 m in height or above, and all buildings used as educational, institutional, industrial, and buildings having an area more than 500 sq. m on each floor shall have a minimum of two staircases. They shall be of enclosed type : at least one of them shall be on external wall of the building and shall open directly to the place of safety. In taller buildings, fire lifts should be provided with emergency power supplies. In case of power failure, lifts and escalators tend to suddenly stop in between floors, trapping the occupants in the lift. Hence, lifts and escalators should not be considered as exits. 

Safe exit for the occupants in a building on fire requires a safe path of escape from the fire in the shortest possible time. This path, which should be as short as possible should be ready for use in case of emergency. Provision of two separate means of exits for every floor, including basement, is a fundamental requirement. 


Although builders and owners often establish their own requirements, the minimum Code requirements must be met. Features covered in these codes include structural design, fire protection, and means of egress, light, sanitation, and interior finish. A Building Code is recommendation that sets forth minimum requirements for design and construction of buildings and structures. These minimum requirements are established to protect the health and safety of society, and generally represent a compromise between optimum safety and economic feasibility.

The design of any buildings and the type of materials used in its construction are important factors in making the building fire resistant. A structure or structural element should be designed to possess an appropriate degree of resistance to flame penetration; heat transmission and failure. The fire resistance of a structural element is expressed in terms of time in hours it can withstand a fire of specified temperature. The reinforcement detailing should reflect the changing pattern of the structural section and ensure that both individual elements and the structure as a whole contain adequate support, ties, bonds and anchorages for the required fire resistance. Additional measures such as application of fire resistant false ceilings in tensile zone, should be adopted in case the nominal cover required exceeds 40 mm for beams and 35 mm for slabs.

FOR MORE

Friday 25 November 2016



                               AGRICULTURAL LAND RECORDS





What are RTC and Mutation Extracts?

RTC means Record of right, tenancy and inspection of crops. This is a primary record issued by village accountant. It contains the details of survey number, total extent of the land, names of the persons who are the owners and their extent of holding, persons in possession and details of crops grown and land revenue for any particular period. It also contains the details of conversion of land from agriculture to non - agricultural purpose.

Mutation extract is an extract from the mutation register maintained by the village account. It records the transfer of land and the mode of such transfer, recommendations of the enquiry officer for such transfer, date of entry of transfer, in the record of rights.

Explain the terms like village map Genealogical Tree?

Village map is a sketch, which gives the complete details of lands, houses, including the gramathana sites, survey numbers, and house numbers, road falling within the jurisdiction of the village. The survey department issues this. 

Genealogical tree is also called the family tree of any given person. It gives the details of the family, like names of the wife/wives, of any given person, details of his children, grand children and so on. It would help to trace the flow of the property and succession. The village accountant issues this.

What is Tippani, Akarband?

Both the documents are issued by survey department Tippani shows the sketch of the land as in the records of survey department.Akarband establishes the survey number and to whom the particular survey number was originally allotted, and land revenue assessment details.

Define 79 A&B of Land Reforms act endorsements?

These endorsements are issued by Tahsildar. These endorsements certify that there are no cases against the person owning the agricultural land, and whether he or she is an agriculturist or not, conforming to the prescriptions of selection 79 A&B of Karnataka Land Reforms Act 1961, since only agriculturists, agricultural labourers are entitled to own the agricultural lands, in Karnataka.

What is form No.7 endorsement?

The endorsement is issued by the Tahsildar. This endorsement certifies that there are no tenancy cases pending in respect of property in question as per Karnataka Land Reforms Act. 1961.

What is Saguvali Chit?

The Saguvali Chit is also called the certificate of grant. This is issued in form No. VII as per rule 29 of Karnataka Land Grant Rules, in case of grant of government land to eligible persons for cultivation.This establishes the title of the person named in the Saguvali Chit to the land granted. A sketch of the land granted will be annexed to the Saguvali Chit.The grant of the land is subject to the conditions detailed in the Saguvali Chit.

What are Survey, Survey number, Survey mark?

Survey means the process to determine the measurement, and record of boundary or boundaries of part of boundary.

Survey number means a portion of land of which the area and assessment are separately entered under an indicative number in land records. Subdivision of survey number means a portion of survey number of which the area and assessment are separately entered in land records under an indicative number subordinate to the survey number of which it is a portion. This is also called as “Hissa” number.

Survey mark means any mark or object, erected, made, employed to indicate in determining the boundaries position, level of the property.

What is Patta Book?

This is a record supplied to the holder of agricultural land including tenant if he is primarily liable to pay land revenue, which contain a copy of record of rights of such land.

The book also contains information regarding the payment of land revenue and other government dues and information of cultivation.

Thursday 24 November 2016




                                     Administration Apartment



This is a fresh out of the box new origination in India however the western nations have as of now invited it. A few organization who trip elective states or nations notice it intense to control to the new culture and setting. For some short sum the structure administration is welcome however not for long stretches of keep. 5 star lodgings brought this style for lodging in your own manner to customers who might keep for an extended sum. They fulfilled inside of the beginning cases, favored the extravagant administration however when a month they yearned for his or her home. In this manner administration hotel would supply a large portion of the parts of your home. Making you is feeling great, similar to you were gathering. 

An administration flat may be a kind of fitted out independent condo which offer enhancements for day by day use. in commission habitations you'll cook and eat and experience the configuration you might want. You're even given a house keeper/man's worker who can get you basic needs or alternate necessities. Making it essentially the way it'd be gathering. The administration cabin is shaped to see and feel particularly kind of a home. An administration holding up commonly furnishes you with an A.C. outfitted level, prepared room, T.V. Cooler, washer, land line net force make a duplicate, hearth wellbeing and security and a couple even offer you with a locker. In addition, a few lodgings furthermore offer you with magazine and shoe racks. Cleanup is done day by day. 

The tax charges relies on upon however long is that the keep. It's less expensive if the individual contains a delayed keep. It might be bartered on the off chance that they keep is for a month or maybe for a year. Be that as it may, before booking the hotel never-endingly affirms what's comprehensive and what's selective. As an illustration, it's important to comprehend on charge all through this period, which can pay the power, support. Thus affirm what are you paying for. Presently a-days Asian country settlers returning to India to chill off take this sort of living arrangements.

Wednesday 23 November 2016



                            A BALCONY IS A SPACE APART OF HOME

         
         


Having a valuable overhang in your home can be exceptionally helpful on the off chance that you require some additional space to grow the spot. This space can be utilized for family get-together and for investing energy with the relatives. 

On the off chance that the gallery lies by a room it would serve as a private spot for developing distractions, for example, craftwork, origami and painting. Then again it could be a relaxation space to go through the weekend with a decent book. Another use is to be a spot to converse with a companion in disengagement. 

Some settled seats or stools would be great here with the goal that you could taste some tea at night times. On the off chance that your gallery overhangs a patio nursery or tree woods you will have the capacity to get a whiff of open air inside. A more extensive overhang or two galleries joined together would give a spot to host a wonderful patio nursery get-together with a couple of visitors. 

There ought to be something to separate your overhang and at the same time to be a piece of the remaining rooms in stylistic theme and utilization. French windows ought to be utilized to unite the lounge and overhang so that there is a sentiment roominess in the region. To get a natural advance, statuettes, puppets, toys and dolls of terracotta ought to be put here. Finish the dividers to spare floor space. Blossoming pots can be held tight iron snares from the dividers. Pretty ringers and knickknacks can be on the flame broil and a decent chajja ought to be above to keep downpour water from entering. 

Whatever movement the gallery is intended for, the stylistic layout ought to be picked. It ought to supplement the general subject of the home. For a touch of allure, sparkling mosaic tiles can be utilized with blue hues for a tropical touch and green decorative plants organized in succession. This will give the impression of a little woods. Herbs can likewise be planted to spread a scent. 

An overhang fitted with barbecues like a different room yet utilized as an open space now and then must have a movable stylistic layout. Both faint and brilliant lighting ought to be orchestrated. Attractive lampshades and pendants lights for a calm supper or brilliant ones for a youngsters' gathering can be suited. Flickering lights are not prudent. Your gallery can be utilized for different purposes.

Tuesday 22 November 2016



                            NUTS AND BOLTS OF HOME LOANS 




When you consider purchasing yourself a house and go searching for that impeccable dream house,only to discover that you can't fund your new house right now. What's more, you understand that you truly need that new house. You may as of right now consider the alternative of taking an extension loan.A scaffold credit is the situation wherein in vent that you have value in your present home, the scaffold advance will permit you to benefit of an advance with the goal that you can make an initial installment and purchase your new house. The main catch here is that the financing costs on the scaffold credit are much higher than those on the home advances. Something else to consider is that it is transient credit, and there are additionally expenses and charges included. Thusly you may improve for yourself, on the off chance that you consider applying for a home advance. The methodology is straightforward and obviously you need to meet a sure qualification criteria. 

In spite of the fact that applying for a home credit may appear like an exceptionally troublesome undertaking, it unquestionably need not be that way. Given beneath is some Home Loan Basic that you have to know before you apply. The initial step to getting a home advance includes topping off the application type of picked money related foundation alongside the required archives. Do recollect that you should pay an one time handling charge at this stage. You will likewise require some critical reports to get past with the advance handling stage. On the off chance that you are an utilized individual, you will require check of your job shape, your most recent compensation slip/pay testament which plots all reasonings for in any event the most recent 6 months. Structure 16 from your manager throughout the previous 3 years. In the event that you are an independently employed individual, you will require a Balance Sheet and benefit and misfortune record of the business/calling alongside duplicates of individual salary expense forms for as far back as 3 years as guaranteed by a CA. 

You will likewise require a note, which gives the data on the way of the business, year of foundation, present brokers, type of association, customers, suppliers and so on. Also, obviously you will require an announcement demonstrating your total assets as a candidate. When you are past this stage you should present the property archives. Subsequent to getting the endorsement from the monetary establishment where you plan to obtain, the credit will be dispensed to you. 

Advantages of Home Loans: You can without much of a stretch benefit home advance from different organizations which offer home change credits to fund the expense of tiling, pipes, electrical work, barbecues, woodwork, painting, compound dividers and all upgrades for your home. Truth be told it must be a smart thought to profit of these home credits, on the grounds that they offer various included points of interest also. A standout amongst the most essential advantages of taking a home credit is the financing cost that is permitted on the home advance. Settled and variable financing cost alternatives are likewise accessible for home credits. 

Numerous lenders likewise offer home change credits at the same financing cost as they offer the home advances. The greater part of the overall loan costs fall in the scope of 7.75% to 8.75%.There is generally handling charge of 1.00% to 2.00% likewise that is included. The other advantage of taking a home credit is the security that is to be at present being developed as the security for the home advances. Obviously, most banks and fund organizations don't back more than 85% of the expense of the property sold. Maybe the advantage that is most utilized is that of the tax cut. The interest that is paid on home credits are deductible from the yearly esteem bringing about a lower assessable pay. For self possessed property, enthusiasm to the degree of Rs.30,000/ - is deductible from assessable salary. The most extreme measure of asset that can be gotten through the home credits shifts between half 100% of the aggregate expense. 

Obviously the advance sum is likewise subject to the reimbursement limit of the borrower. The standard principle expresses that the whole of all the regularly scheduled payments a borrower needs to pay ought not surpass 40%-half of his gross month to month salary. Aside from the pay and edge criteria, the candidate should be a salaried or independently employed person. What's more, it is imperative that the credit is reimbursed before the retirement stage or before the individual turns 65 years on the off chance that he/she is independently employed. On a normal the reimbursement term of the home credits can be stretched out up to 15 years. 

Home Loan Agreement: With the continuous whirlwind of action and celebration pervasive in home advance section of India as of late, a substantial number of individuals, in the rapture to procure that fantasy house, tend to disregard the absolute most imperative conditions in the home advance understanding. In any case, what they don't understand is that these statements have a huge bearing on wide number of zones running from financing costs to reimbursement plans. 

A portion of the straightforward conditions of the home advance assention with respect to basic matters, for example, how regularly the lodging money organization resets financing costs in a year can have an extensive effect on the drifting rate home advances. The standards in the business practices propose that financing costs for home advance customers are reset just when the bank's prime loaning rate is changed. In this manner it is the recurrence of these resets that is truly imperative. A percentage of the money organizations offer home credit assentions wherein the financing costs are reset in every quarter. On the other hand, there are different organizations who do the update just once every year. This lack of awareness can bring about the clients unintended misfortunes in the event of amendment of the settled rate home credit rates. A large portion of the clients don't know that this specific settled rate statement in the home advance understanding allows the budgetary foundations to change the credit's reimbursement calendar and terms and conditions.

Monday 21 November 2016



                           ASPECTS CONCERNING HOME LOANS



When you decide to take the services of a Home Loan Financial Institution to fulfils particular need, some parameters have to be borne in mind at the time of selection. It is very hard to obtain the ideal financier in each of the parameters. You are most likely to make a compromise according to your priorities.

Some of most significant parameters are as follows:

1.You may have to decide on the type of product the financier has to offer, whether it is a loan product to meet your needs, such as for buying land and so on.

2.You have to see if the financier offers the tenure of loan, you want.

3.Whether the rate of interest type is the type you want, i.e., fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest.

4.It is important to know the quantum of maximum loan amount offered by a financier so as to know whether the financier can finance the amount you require.

5.It is also important for you to decide the actual rate of interest value. You should always compare the effective interest rate after considering all upfront fees etc. You should also consider the manner of interest calculation i.e., monthly reducing, annual reducing etc. 

6.Home Loan Financial Institutions may have some schemes that suit customers of certain professions. You have to check whether you fall into any of those schemes, if so, whether the said scheme suit your requirements.

7.Home Loan Financial Institutions also may have separate schemes for some projects also.

8.Most of the Home Loan Financial Institutions have an upper limit on the amount they are willing to finance. If you want a very large amount, you have to consider such factor.

9.You will have to take into account the factor of minimum age of customer to know, if you are suited to the age standards laid down by the Home Loan Financial Institutions.

10.The maximum loan that you would get as regards the value of your house has to be considered.

11.The income norms of the Home Loan Financial Institutions or minimum income will be a parameter to influence your decision.

12.Certain Home Loan Financial Institutions insist on a personal guarantor and you should check this out if you have any doubts regarding providing a guarantor.

13.If you want to buy a house with a co-owner you have to find out whether the Home Loan Financial Institutions accepts the relationship between you and the co-owner.

14.The Home Loan Financial Institutions may insist on only some relationships when joining your application as a co-applicant and you need to check this out.

15.Certain Home Loan Financial Institutions charges some prepayment charges, when you decide to prepay your loan either in par or in full.

16.Home Loan Financial Institutions charge some fees as processing fees which h you needs to pay when you submit your loan application.

17.Home Loan Financial Institutions also charge administrative fees/charges, documentation fee etc., according to the loan amount approved by them and this is different from one Home Loan Financial Institutions to another.

18.Different types of documents are insisted upon by different Home Loan Financial Institutions before approving your loan application, and this would vary from one Home Loan Financial Institutions to another.

19.Should you be purchasing a property on resale, the parameter of maximum age of property at the time of application would be important, as Home Loan Financial Institutions may have a limit on the age of the property when they sanction and disburse the loan.

20.Majority of Home Loan Financial Institutions have a pre-approved list of properties available for which there would be simpler documentation.

21.Home Loan Financial Institutions may have a special rate for the employee of one of its preferred list of employers.

22.Above all and apart from all these, there may also be some other different norms or documentation procedure, for the Home Loan Financial Institutions if you are purchasing a property from any of their builders who are already on their pre-approved list.

The above aspects are only some of the parameters, and you will have to look into prior to your decision on finalizing the Home Loan Financial Institutions from where to avail the Home loan finance. 

Sunday 20 November 2016


                              AFTERMATH OF IT ON REAL ESTATE 



The surge of the IT companies in the past decade has resulted in the demand of prime and suitable space in the cities where there is more concentration of IT companies. In cities like Bangalore and other leading IT cities, there is a phenomenal growth of the industry and with that there is also great demand for office space in the city as well as outskirts. 

The sudden spurt in the IT/ITES organizations resulted in a huge influx of people relocating to these cities from all over the country and also from some parts of the world causing some grave infrastructure problems inside the city resulting in severe dearth of proper commercial and residential accommodation apart from traffic snarls. As the demand for commercial units rose steadily, scores of Developers came into the picture to cater to the diverse needs of the companies. Only a handful of them could remain in the reckoning while the rest faded into oblivion. Those who could face the stiff challenges and remained in the fray were very reputed builders having a great track record and also adhered to the principles of sheer eminence, work culture, strict adherence to the time schedules and customer oriented service. 

Some of the reputed builders who are continuously serving the needs of these companies viz. Ascendas (India) Pvt Ltd., L&T, Salarpuria, Divyashree Developers (P) Ltd., RMZ Corp, SJR Group, Hiranandani, Kolte-Patil Developers, Raheja Builders, and Sigma Group. They could be rated as the high performers as far as IT Parks are concerned. They are active in almost all IT cities throughout India viz. Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Hyderabad and other second rung cities. 

IT work place here means not a mundane office but an office which would have adaptable work-live-play shop environment, Hi-fi building management system, dedicated power plant, safety and security, vehicle parking facility, Water storage and also lot of modern amenities and to top it all, an aesthetically designed structure which not only acts as a visual treat but also pumps the adrenaline levels of the employees to an all time high. 

It is to be noted here that though India boasts of the state of the art Hi-tech parks, some of them were not completely designed keeping with the specific industries in mind. But looking at the present trend, one may find a multitude of service based companies like Software, R&D, ITES and others inhabit these parks which are tailor made structures. 

The main parameters that are considered to declare a Hi-tech park as the best is always based on the technology infrastructure, superior location advantages and natural conditions, proximity to the down town city/CBD, complete associate service, suitable transportation, assembled talents and sylvan environment. The list may also add up other points like eco-friendliness, part of the modern new Sci-tech town, closeness to the High education area, specifically for companies focused on R&D, accommodating enterprise incubation and technology innovation, urban featured industries, software exemplary base, Sci-tech commercial business, Sci-tech housing areas, 

Out of the many Hi-tech parks that are currently in the offing all over India, some of the parks offer only space with the ready infrastructure while some offer space solutions in addition to selling the space. The customers always get a better deal when they go for space solution providers. 

Factors like brand image, International alliance, Quality benchmarks, technology infrastructure standards, innovative space solution also plays a big role while putting a park and the builder on a higher pedestal. 

At present, there are umpteen numbers of Hi-tech parks catering to the diverse needs of the clients. But not all of them could be ranked as high performing parks owing to the non-compliance of the above said parameters. It is indeed a very formidable task to adhere to all the norms and those who have climbed to that level are the market leaders and are in great demand by the clients. It has been estimated that from the present $3.5 billion, the industry may see an upward trend to around $13 billion by the year 2007. 

On the commercial front, the demand has come from information technology (IT), Business Process Outsourcing companies (BPO) and information technology enabled services (ITES) companies looking for large space. With the IT industry in India predicted to grow steadily and Bangalore as usual leading the way, the demand for good quality office space near the existing IT locations is likely to continue. About 250 ancillary industries such as cement, steel, brick, timber, building material, etc are dependent on the real estate sector. 

The maximum contribution being from IT and ITES companies, according to the year-end report by real estate consultants, Cushman and Wakefield.

Friday 18 November 2016



                       AFFORDABLE HOUSES-NEED OF THE DAY


 


At every conference, every seminar, every meeting, eminent speakers from the Real Estate Industry and Housing Finance Industry have been speaking about the affordable housing. It is a known fact that the demand for residential housing is ever increasing, particularly in the higher and lower income groups. Housing for the poor classes is always an issue, which remains unsolved, since no one is interested in taking up the housing projects for these people. Apart from the affluent class, middle class (higher as well as lower) and poor class, there is one class that is people below poverty line (BPL) which, it seems, has never been addressed. The demand for houses for middle and poor class is said to be quite high, but the property developers seem to be not very much interested in taking up any projects as the profit margin will be comparatively low.

Affordability is a relative term. It varies from people to people, even person to person. There are people who can afford to have housel flat costing Rs.75crore and there are people who cannot purchase a house/flat even costing Rs.5lakh without raising a loan. They cannot pay even the interest on such loans. Now-a-days the loan facilities are available easily and people do try to have their own houses flats by raising loans. Of course, people in the urban areas, particularly in major cities and Metros, put themselves in 'search' mode and try to purchase a dwelling accommodation affordable for them. 

The property developers organize, through their associations, periodically exhibitions, property Melas etc. in the major cities for promoting their properties. To attract the NRIs, exhibitions and melas are organized by the property developers in other countries, especially in the middle east.

As we are talking about affordability, who can afford is a matter that is perhaps decided by the financial institutions who come forward to offer loans. The affordability is determined on the basis of monthly income of the person, the job security of the applicant, collateral securities available, number of years the applicant will be in service before retirement, etc. Accordingly, the financial institutions work out the amount that the applicant can afford to pay monthly and the period for repayment of loan and interest here on.

The developers take up the housing projects in various parts of the city. The projects are generally designed to suit various classes of people. The higher class people have no problem of affordability. Number of developed flats/houses/sites will be available in the property market at the prices which may suit them. In most of the cases of this category, the affordability is not a problem at all as they can buy the property outright or through the financial institutions as they can raise loans without any problem. They buy the property which they can afford easily without any fuss about the EMIs. 

Property developers are also more interested in this class of buyers as the deals are finalized quickly. The affordable housing, about which we are talking, is applicable to the lower middle class and poor people as they are the main buyers. These people will be planning to purchase houses, flats with the help of financial assistance from the banks and other financial institutions. In view of the high cost of construction, the minimum cost of flats, as we see from the offers made by the developers through the media, is above 15- 20lakhs.This minimum cost is affordable only by the middle class people.


Thursday 17 November 2016

A NEW LOOK FOR YOUR HOUSE


                                  A NEW LOOK FOR YOUR HOUSE


                    


When you decide on a makeover for your home, you should have a plan for it. You need to decide what to remove or move around, what to paint, change or refresh. Perhaps, you may require fresh plants, fabrics or flowers for the purpose. Make a long list of all you have to do or purchase and plan a budget for decorating your home.

For a start remove the crowded things in your home and have an atmosphere of spaciousness and airiness. Floor mats, rugs, quilts, heavy wool blankets and woolen carpets etc should all be put away. Buy some jute mats that are easy to find in various colors to suit your interiors.

You can really welcome the summer in along with its warmth and color!Let your home be a lovely place this summer to fight against the rising temperature.

During the winter it is good to have heavy drapes for insulation but in the summer they would only serve to trap the air and heat up the rooms.To cool down your home go for light, translucent cotton drapes that would allow light and air to enter the room. Plain or light fabrics in solid colors with simple symmetrical designs can be the focus.Textured cotton, striped linen, silks in a combinations of whites, pastels, citrus and earthy hues will all do very well.

You could get light, cotton bedding after removing the heavy blankets and quilts. Your table cloth and napkins could be round an Indian theme or other theme.For a feel of the garden choose floral chintz along with floral prints for cushion covers in contrast to the sofa or natural shades of the couch.

You could select the soothing white color as the shade for the season.In the bedroom and dining area white linen with some blue or yellow prints would be suitable. Through color you can bring about a transformation in your home. 

The color of the linen, walls and accessories will make the rooms fresh. In color families such as blues, oranges, yellows and reds you can vary the shades. When you pick a theme for the particular part of the house you can also decide its color. A theme of flowers, fruits or nautical will look snappy and will bring in a focus.

If you place candles in colored glass or upon a flat platter of porcelain with a few colored pebbles scattered around it will surely brighten the home. Fruit such as green apples, pears and oranges kept in a glass bowl look delectable as a center-piece.Sweet limes or plain lemons will do just as well.When there is a sale of home accessories in the market it would be a good idea to check it out.

Accessories are good for effecting quick changes in the living space.Fresh flowers such as stems of orchids or carnations in pink, red or peach colors will refresh the ambience.Long-stemmed flowers can be kept in tall vases on the center table. An indoor plant or some fragrant pot pouri in a bowl will give a feel of summer to the bathrooms too.Another idea is to frame a set of botanical prints and hang it.

If you really desire to enjoy this summer, make these easy alterations to usher a refreshing look into your home.

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Wind Energy in India


                                        Wind Energy in India




For socio-economic growth of any State, energy is one of the chief inputs. In the coming two decades, economic development of a majority of the world’s population is expected to be fuelled through usage of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are expected to attain their maximum potential sometime in 2020-2050. They will become more costly than other renewable energy options because of constraint in production and availability. In the second half of the next century renewable energy will play a major role in accelerating development and sustainable growth.

In the renewable energy sector one of the most successful programmes has been power generation from wind and it is making significant contributions to the power needs of some States. When a separate Ministry was created in 1992, emphasis was laid in the eighth plan to generation of grid quality power from renewable.

As the trend of cost is declining and the scale of wind turbine manufacturing is increasing, wind promises to become a chief power source worldwide during the first few decades of the new millennium. A report from the World Watch Institute, The State of the World 1998, on progress towards a sustainable Society notes that renewable energy production in the World is growing very fast. The fastest growing source of energy in this decade is wind generation and it is growing year by year. India has been recognised as the new ‘Wind Super Power’.

So far, in many States survey work is being carried on. Wind potential has discovered in many States. Earlier, specific viable and potential sites are now being identified through intensified scientific surveys. A good base of local production for wind turbines is now there in the Country and 8 or more than 8 Manufacturing Companies are involved in this Sector.

A package of incentives such as tax concessions like 80% accelerated depreciation, tax holidays for Power Generation Projects, soft loans, customs and excise duty reliefs, liberalised foreign investment procedures etc., has been introduced by the Government. Private Sector Financial Institutes and IREDA are contributing in a significant way to promote Renewable Energy Projects is general. Wind Energy Projects are being particularly emphasized.

Tuesday 15 November 2016

SPACE MANAGMENT



                           Managing Retail Space par Excellence


  


The Indian Retail Industry no longer consists of irregular family run efforts but has evolved into an Organised Well Managed Business off-late. It is of critical importance that this beginning should be properly channeled in a coordinated way, so that it grows. This sector has much potential for growth as only 4% of India’s Retail Industry consists of the organised sector unlike Malaysia, where it is 55%, Thailand, where it is 40% and 20% in China. Consumers, however, have now shown tastes and preferences for an enjoyable shopping experience along with this growth. Now, there is more than 40 million sq.ft. of retail space operating over 130 malls in this country. Within the next 3 years, the development would be more than 100 millions sq.ft. in the fast growing organised retail and within next 5 years, it may reach an average of 200 million. The success of the development now depends on the factors of differentiation and convenience as there is such a large scale of mall supply.

The condition of development of malls in this day is well summed up in the words of the famous General George S. Patton-‘If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn’t thinking’. Rather than the planning, the speed of construction and marketing are what are typical of the sudden spate in the growth of malls of 4,000,000 sq.ft. from those of 150,000 sq.ft. make up this retail space. There would be a peculiar set of challenges in the operation of each development incumbent upon size, location, ownership patterns and positioning. There would be sharp competition among these malls and the ability of a mall to adjust to the needs of the consumer and provide the needed experience and merchandise to its customers would decide its survival.

The management of the business is what decides the success of malls. Just as Airline Passengers choose which Airline to fly According to the Services provided, Developing a Mall is also akin to establish a business unit. There are many aspects to the management of retail space beginning with the planning, design, infrastructure, trade mix, and tenant mix, operations, planning peak emergencies and marketing. The success and sustenance of the mall depends on each of these.

First of all, the development has to be rightly positioned and it is necessary to pinpoint the Personality of the Development and specify the Target Audience with their requirements. Retailers should be given an outstanding shopping experience. The customers should be given enough reason to make them walk through the mall and Each Zone in it should be Exciting and Enjoyable for them. This would keep the cycle of retailer attraction and customer satisfaction continuing. A mall of an average size would produce Indian Rupee (INR) 6 billion annually and give employment to 800-1000 people. The activity behind the scenes should be well-planned so that it does not interfere with the experience of the customer. Chaos can be avoided by planning services and back end infrastructure in advance. Time spent by the consumer in parking should also be reduced to the minimum by careful planning on the part of the retailer.

A mall should be well-planned so that it can take care of the hardware of the mall development and should carefully choose the trade and tenant mix because it helps in the day to day aspects of the shopping experience. A very patient approach is needed while keeping retailers in the mall. The time factor must always be kept in mind by the Developer and the best retail formats should be brought in. Economic Activity in the Catchment Area must be foreseen and leases planned with different Retailers in a way that will be flexible for repositioning the mall in days to come.

The whole purpose of the mall operating efficiently is to meet the needs of the Shoppers and make way for the success of the Retailers who are the Business Partners. The peak and non-peak business hours or days have to be planned and the malls need Special Staff for meeting the needs of the Shoppers during peak hours, sale time and the festive season for convenience. The benefit of the Retailers lies in the maximum amount of time spent in the mall by the Customer. There should be an effective plan for any emergencies in this business centre to ensure the safety of the Customers. There should be regular safety drills and the mall and Retailers Staffs have to be trained to Assist Shoppers at such times.

All mall operations should be efficient, effective and transparent. Provisions for the Common Area Maintenance (CAM) must be made by the Retailers who run their shops in different malls or they should pay the service charge as it applies to them. The CAM charge should not be made different each month and a budget for the service charge should be made for major repairs well in advance by the Operator of the mall and a yearly budget should also be prepared for the operations. This will bring in discipline to the functioning and give improved control.

The time, when the Shopper decides to enter the shop, and not when he enters, it will be largely influenced by the Retailer’s Treatment of Space. Factors in a high street shop such as the signage, neat footpath, parking ease and entrance into the shop are the initial steps the Customer takes in relation to the Retailer. While selecting and designing the store, it is necessary to consider these points. The Retailers must make sure that there is good signage and clear corridors in the shop what is important is the interaction with the Customer, the easy possibility of looking through the goods and the appearance, display and feel of the store. The layout of the store is the first introduction of the brand to the Customer. The brand’s image can be made or broken through this and therefore needs to be carefully planned. Buying on impulsive is likely to be more frequent in a warm and organised atmosphere.

This kind of organised retail in shopping malls is still a novel idea in India. Few Professionals are available with experience in the field to manage it. There is lack of exposure to the finer aspects of retailing and managing retail realty. It is hard to employ retail Professionals with experience for both Retailers and Developers. To help us to learn, we need to import the knowledge, processes and procedures and for a long term solution, invest in training and making professional courses in order to obtain a suitable pool of talent.

There are innumerable opportunities for Retailers and Consumers given the size of the Indian Retail Market and the increased consumption expenditures and retail sales. The choice of a mall to shop in might become the problematic decision for the Consumer. As there are raising incomes and induction of Western lifestyles, quality and experience matter the most. High Quality and Standards of Services will create a Lasting Impression on the Consumers.

Monday 14 November 2016

Elegant crockery display add charm to your house








Displaying your crockery in the right way will add to the charm of your home. Getting a crockery unit will not only enable you to show off your collection but also to protect it from dust. Having one made to suit your particular requirements is also affordable if you utilize the right material. You need not have to stretch your budget to procure a good-looking as well as useful unit for your crockery. A visit to second-hand shops may be able to get you a cheaper crockery unit which is in good condition if you so desire. You can also have glass shutters and mirror-backed shelves. 

Using quality wood for making the crockery unit will be expensive. Therefore, use of Laminated plywood provides a good finish to your crockery unit and it is not expensive. Particle board is another material which is reasonabley priced with outstanding features. It lasts long so long as it is utilized indoors and in places which are free of dampness. A unit made of this material can be painted to get elegance. Imported particle board units with better finish also are available in the market. Famous companies often use particle board of graded density to make high-quality units which combine good look with usefulness. 

If you go in for a built-in unit you can have it in the kitchen for the best advantage. The right kind of lighting is the next requisite for an affordable crockery unit. You need more caution and better lighting while handling fragile crockery, so it is better to include a few lights in it. You can have battery-operated ones and install them yourself. It will become more pleasant looking with built-in lighting as well. 

A sideboard can be used in place of a crockery cupboard. Dining room is the best place for placing a sideboard. This will serve for storage as well as space for serving food. Keeping serving dishes on the top along with some knick-knacks and a lamp would be a practical idea. The same choices in material can be used in this too as you used for the crockery unit. To add a touch of elegance, add glass fronted shutters. Drawers too will make it more functional for keeping cutlery, table mats and other items. If you have a concrete built-in unit you can clothe it with polished stone for a smooth finish.