five essential things to look for in a community

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While many of us look for options that provide a luxurious lifestyle for our family, we tend to miss some essential amenities that might change the way we stay in a community. I am sure you have a wish list of your own to make and we encourage you to make one today so you are sure of what you need. While we can add many to this list here and it should be like that too, here is a list of the top five.

Title insurance

While title insurance might seem a new concept to residential development, it is very critical to have clarity about the ownership of a property before buying. Having issues with legal rights might come up as expensive legal battles that might run for decades, in worst case situations, even losing the property. Though most property owners ensure the title rights are clear, all due diligence steps are taken before they invest in property, we can never be a hundred percent sure. Having title insurance will give us an advantage that in case of a legal battle, we have enough funds to fight it. Title insurance also shows that the insurance company (a third party) has done its due diligence and is investing its resources, money to make sure the property is clean. As a buyer, I would like to have title insurance from my property and have peace of mind rather than just a couple of legal opinions.

Community life or social hubs

The character of a great community can be understood in the way it designs public life. We might have all the luxuries inside our house / private space, but if you don’t have a good community life outside, that is almost a 50% loss. Let me explain. Every great civilization in the history of man is known for the way community gatherings, public service systems like roads, intersections, water and drainage systems and how people interact with each other in public spaces. So when you are moving into a community, want to spend the rest of your life there, ensure that you have good community interactions, social hubs, city centres/village squares with the modern needs in mind. For example, having access for the differently-abled, elderly and people walking are among the most essential requirements of a well-designed community.

Respecting water

Can we survive without water? Several news reports focus on the lack of proper infrastructure when it comes to water management in most urban cities. Some of the recent articles have mentioned that Bangalore is all set to run out of groundwater by 2020. What would you do to survive if there is no water in your community? How does it matter which location you are staying, when you have run around looking for water with buckets in your hands? Water is one resource that will determine how future communities are evaluated; in terms of livability, health, and resale value. Though we can take precautionary measures as an individual homeowner, like ensuring clean water is available for drinking, probably have bigger tank storage, it boils down to the community as a whole. Unless your community is equipped to handle water as a critical aspect, like ensuring that we have enough storage capacity to save rainwater, recycling, upcycling mechanisms to manage emergencies, assurance of the quality of the water being supplied. You should look for a comprehensive water management plan that ensures that you have enough technology, resources, machinery to manage water as a critical need for the community.

Green cover

Faced with the COVID-19 situation, we were condemned to stay indoors. Some of our communities are locked up for extended periods. This made us release the importance of having green trees around us in our communities and plants indoors. Having ample tree cover in the community will help in many ways. Right from producing oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide, cleaning up our air, providing shade, retaining rainwater, stopping stormwater situations to ensuring good visual comfort, helping better mental health, trees play a vital role in our lives. So instead of going with the percentage of green cover that is available in the glorified brochures, calculate the number of trees that are available per capita in the community. You might plant some trees today with good intentions when you are moving into a community and I am all for it but what is the use of trees that might take 20 years to grow when you are living on practically dry land today? Always look for a community that will provide you with enough green cover today as this will ensure you are living in a healthy environment right now. I strongly recommend looking for a community that has a variety of trees right from blooming decorative ones to fruit-bearing ones which will ensure there are enough birds and life around the trees. You can design a beautiful community around the trees ensuring a comfortable public life.

Potential to survive a lockdown

If there is one thing that COVID-19 station taught us, it is the importance of being prepared for a lockdown. Most of us have identified some aspects like having cash in hand, a space for self-quarantine, access to medical facilities, traditional indoor games that do not require you to step out of the house, and so on. Some of us have learnt inculcating habits of gratitude, living a minimalist life, appreciating access to organic health food that can be grown and controlled by us. While most of us are working from home, we also have realised the importance of having our own space where you can work without disturbance, with the same efficiency that you do at the office. Another realisation is the need to have a bigger living space that allows you to get sunlight, ventilation, and provides exercise is a new need now.

The list is practically endless. So when you are exploring a new place to live, look for a community with these options addressed. If you think ok I missed out on any other options kindly comment and will include them in the next article. If you would like to find about a community that has all these features click here to get a call back from our sales expert.

Wishing you and your family a fulfilled life

Connect@Estate.One