Category: real estate

Let’s talk palettes. The colours of 2018

Let’s talk palettes. The colours of 2018.

Apart from the shell of concrete, stone and steel that is your, it is a reflection of your identity. The patterns, textures and designs create a resonance with who you are and what you aspire to be. Which is why the rich and fabulous go to heightened extents of elaborate undertakings with designers to create interiors that they would feel proud to bring friends home to. So today we are going to take a look into one of the defining aspects of your interiors – the colour palette.

Colour is more than the stereotypical blue for boys and pink for girls, it sets a tone and tenor for each aspect of your home. Dark shades can be inspiring or contemplative while lighter blends invoke a sense of calm and space. But how do you go about choosing your colors, well for starters forget color, think about what you want the room to reflect. Is it a study where you will spend a lot of time? Or perhaps a lounge room where you would entertain guests? Once you have the purpose of the room in the place, let’s dig deeper. If it’s a study, do you want inspiring colours or less distracting ones? Sure most study rooms, have mahogany, teak or some wooden and blends of green and brown, maybe with a splash of dull red but you don’t have to follow that norm. As a creative myself, it’d love to have some bold red, maybe even ultra-violet mixed with white. Try and check out different shades and colours to expand your understanding of how colours compliment or highlight one another.

Take inspiration from designers like Phillipe Starck, who created a fabulous palette for yoopune in our recent addition to luxury residential properties by Panchshil. You’ll notice that several of the palettes reflect a certain style as well as persona and that’s another unique aspect about colour. It can have immense psychological impact on our perspectives, which you’ll want to leverage in your interior design. Are you a jovial person who has a light hearted spirit or would you rather imbue a dominating and bold appearance? Be sure to have discussion on these lines with your interior designers to give them an idea of what you are likely to appreciate.

Oftentimes the most we tell our interior designers and decorators are which colours we dislike and prefer but you might actually be limiting yourself from finding something that you would truly enjoy. Feel free to mention the colours you aren’t fond of but don’t use that as an excuse to reject every shade of yellow or purple.

3 Reasons Why Luxury Housing is Achieving High Demand In India

3 Reasons Why Luxury Housing is Achieving High Demand In India.

The luxury housing segment is an important, vast part of the market. It is not only drawing interest from local buyers, but also from foreign investors, especially the NRI homeowners.

A large part of this demand generation can be attributed to large HNI communities, growing awareness in international design & aesthetics, and lifestyles directed heavily by global cultural influences. Not the least, is the influence of location. Locations chosen for luxury developments see a spur of growth in infrastructure and urbanization.

There is great diversity within the luxury segment as well. From high-rises to duplexes and independent construction or even gated communities; developers across the country are now offering high-end features and specifications not just in design and interiors, but also in construction methods, and amenities.

Here 3 prime reasons why Luxury Housing is Achieving High Demand In India.

A. Problem of Plenty

The real estate market is flooded today with choices even in the luxury segment. Developers, to attract gentry clientele, are now developing several luxury projects at the same time. A typical developer’s portfolio will see at least 2-3 luxury or high-end projects. With elegant facilities like concierge, home automation, smart interiors, outdoor decks, temperature-controlled pools, and even Olympic-grade sporting facilities, developers are trying to outdo each other. This problem of plenty bodes well for aspiring homeowners and investors.

B. Index of Cost

Pricing continues to be the single largest front where the war for consumers is being fought. Pricing across the luxury segment is subject to variables such as location, amenities offered, brand value, and also, in few cases, availability. As trend, Delhi NCR continues to command more attention, but newer luxury residential capitals like Pune are also serious locations to consider. Pune, in particular, has seen the luxury real estate segment boom. With Panchshil’s first Trump-branded residences – Trump Towers Pune, and also Philippe Starck’s (of yoo studio) entry with the lavish yoopune property, Pune real estate remains to be more desirable simply because the value offered outweighs the cost.

C. A Matter of Class

Ultimately, luxury residences are about the standard of living. With growing consumer expectation, developers are offering more and more world-class amenities and international standards in construction. Panchshil, for example, is building brand equity by offering the ultimate in luxury living by tying up with international luxury brands to bring the same range of living to India. Associations with Trump brand, Philippe Starck, Jon Hitchcox, Kelly Hoppen and other luxury living giants means that homeowners get to experience a global standard hitherto not available in India.

When looked at carefully this triad of reasons, in its various permutations and combinations, adds to the growth of the luxury living segment in India. The most important factor, of course, is the ability and willingness of Indian consumers to demand and pay for world-class luxury living standards. And when supply can meet demand, it is invariably beneficial to all parties.

ABCs of CRE Investment

ABCs of CRE Investment

But every investment in real estate does not fetch good returns: residential and commercial real estate respond differently to situations.

Increasingly, Commercial real estate (CRE) is becoming the favourite for investors – Institutional and private. This is largely because of CRE’s predictable returns and the fact that it allows the investment portfolio to be diversified and hence safeguard from the volatility of the market.

Institutional investors, in particular, are more drawn to CRE investments. Armed with decisions made by asset managers and investor analysts, CRE portfolios are faring better. This is also true since this practice now eliminates ad-hoc pricing by local property managers out of the equation.

CRE investment in such a case is seen as a cold, calculated affair with metrics firmly entrenched in revenue and cost centres. This is in turn has a ripple effect specially with standardisation practices setting in which to an extent make negotiations with smaller tenants less desirable and easier.

However, investing in CRE isn’t quite a cakewalk. There are several thumb rules to consider before venturing into a CRE portfolio investment. Few of these include elementary basics like Location, the Demand- Supply curve, the problems of rent and its variations, fitouts and management, and of course, Diversification.

In this article in the Economic Times, Kunal Moktan discusses in detail on the ten rules of commercial real estate investing

Architecture Trends in 2018

Make your home Insta-perfect!

Make your home Insta-perfect!

We have all heard the idiom, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and for those of you who are well-versed with the trends of Instagram; you know that a good picture is the only words that really matter. So how are you showcasing your interiors to your social media followers?

Taking attractive photos of your homes can be challenging, but it’s a skill that can be developed. Interior design is best conveyed through a strong visual language like photography so it makes sense for Instagram to be your go-to app. If you’re enthusiastic about photography, especially the art of home photography, then we have your back!

What does it mean really to take pictures of interiors? Especially of your home? Here are a few things you need to know to make every shot an Insta-worthy shot!

1. Include People

Surely, there are some interiors that look best, left untouched but seeing how people are interacting within these environments can also provide an air of creativity to your photographs.

2. Be Low light-ready!

Low light is a frequent problem with interior photograph. Shooting interiors means low light is going to be a problem which can be solved using a tripod. Experiment with textures and colours to bring the bright effect. Also keep an eye out for black and white; sometimes, spaces will look vastly different and special if given the black and white effect.

3. Tell a story

Your picture is only as good as the story it tells. Photographs of walls and ceilings can certainly be pretty though you can make them purposeful by adding character and dynamism. Explore angles and elements in your picture. An open book left upside down or a jacket lying on the sofa’s hand rest add conspicuous elements to the story which can sometimes make all the difference.

This article gave us a lot of inspiration on how we capture our interiors and might give you some more take home advice.

http://www.idealhome.co.uk/all-rooms-ideas/make-home-insta-perfect-5-secrets-take-amazing-interiors-photos-185745

RERA setting new precedents for Real Estate in India; A buyer’s outlook

RERA setting new precedents for Real Estate in India; A buyer’s outlook

RERA sets the groundwork to clean the real estate practices in India

As we usher in a new day and age for India, the last decade provided the seeds of growth for India on a path to becoming a superpower. Our brightest minds are pioneering and treading new ways across industries. Be it steering multi-million dollar organisations as the CEO or CFO to building bright new start-ups, there’s much to be proud about, for the unique amalgamation of communities, that is India.

Like the strides in several industries, the real estate space has woken up to a new age of compliance and accountability with the establishment of RERA (The Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act, 2016) which came into effect on 1st May, 2017, to help standardise several practices in the real estate world and thereby also provide you, the buyer with some credible backing to stand against any errant realtors.

Not so long ago were the days when builders and realtors made false promises and lent a deaf year to the complaints of their buyers. With the establishment of RERA and its Regulatory Authorities (RAs) across states in India, realtors now need to follow through in strict adherence to the policies of the act, which have been compiled keeping the buyer in mind.

While the pre-RERA days of buying a new home might still haunt many of you, like challenges of getting possession of your homes in time to navigating through layers of misinformation or to get your requests heard. With RERA, you can certainly breathe an air of relief.

Let’s look at some of the aspects of this Act and how they benefit you, the buyer:

Information and Transparency – Often times, you would have heard your friends and relatives harrow on about having been promised something and then dumped when they got the delivery of their homes; stories of realtors promising wonderlands, who failed to satisfy even the mediocre basics. RERA has taken charge to ensure that realtors keep to their word. This means no false advertising, no hidden costs and unexpected changes in timelines or project plans. It means clarity on development layouts, schedules and timely updates to keep you abreast with the building of your home.

Allocation, Misappropriation of Funds and Charges: While construction and development of residential and commercial projects is a mammoth task, a good builder is expected to be conscious in their allocation of resources and funds to ensure they meet the expectations of their buyers. Although, all too often we have heard of builders allocating funds from one project to another which in fact is incorrect as it causes delays or resource shortages on the projects for which the funds were allocated in the first place. Under RERA, Authorities have come up with a simple way to tackle these cases of misappropriation that have affected so many projects and home owners, some who have had to wait more than 7years to get the keys to their homes, due to construction delays on their projects. From now on, all builders and promoters have to deposit funds into escrow accounts and can only utilize those funds for the project they are intended for. RERA having registered information of the builders and their projects will maintain stringent checks to ensure these rules are followed. What’s more, realtors can no longer levy exorbitant booking charges from potential buyers. RERA has restricted the same to a maximum of 10% on the property cost unless and until a registered sale agreement between both parties is signed.

Quality and Promise: Any real estate project since the establishment of the act and also on-going projects started prior to the act coming into effect, have to be registered under RERA and builders have to submit all plans, resource estimations and other particulars before commencing on the project. RERA then reserves the rights to scrutinize any changes proposed by certified architects, planner and chartered accountants to ensure there is no foul play. If found, Regulatory Authorities, can impose significant penalties on the builders and promoters and in some cases even compensatory payments to the buyers for inconveniences. Furthermore when a project is completed, RERA will conduct an inspection to make sure the builder has abided by the proposed plan and promised level of quality. As a buyer, you also have a 5 year window to raise any quality complaints on the development to RERA authorities who will then conduct an investigation to determine the appropriate actions.

A Governing Authority: Being one of the first acts registered in the real-estate space, RERA aims at providing a veil of protection for real estate buyers. The authority requires all realtors, builders, agents and consultants operating in the real estate space to register themselves with their respective state regulatory body and thereby agree to abide by the prescribed rules and regulations of the act. This establishes authenticity of promoters, real-estate owners and agents.

RERA dawns an age of accountability for Real Estate businesses and safeguards the rights of buyers, thereby levelling the playing field. We look forward to more developments in the space of real estate policies and will be sure to keep sharing new updates with you, our readers.

If you would like to dive deeper into the clauses and provision of the act along with its benefits, we recommend checking the following article:

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/real-estate/rera-sets-the-ground-rules-to-clean-up-the-real-estate/articleshow/58453059.cms

‘Make in India’ and its impact on Indian Real Estate

‘Make in India’ and its impact on Indian Real Estate

The largest democratic nations with so many diverse communities comes with its own set of challenges towards development. Although in the past few years we are seeing a needle movement in the direction of growth. Several policies and reforms have shaken the foundation and left people clinging to find a way out but as the rubble settles, we seem to be emerging stronger. The true extent of all these political and economic changes can only be revealed over time but there are some that we would like to talk about. ‘Make in India’ was a movement more than a reform initiated towards helping India position itself as a prime options for large conglomerates. It was a way of us telling the world that we want to help you make your business successful and what better way to do things than to bring your offices to our shores. For this reason PM Narendra Modi went to great lengths to establish relationships with foreign nations and large organizations. The approach of bringing new work, new jobs and an influx of investment into the country for a population that is growing in size and economic tiers, was surely a bold move in the right direction. The impact of which has led of various corporations agreeing to set up operations in the country and developing strategies to leverage the Indian workforce and exercise the willingness of political policies to welcome foreign influence. The FDI caps were revisited for several industries and this promoted foreign agencies to bring in their technology, expertise and money into India. And these aspects played a significant role with respect to commercial Real Estate. New companies setting shop in India meant more office spaces, larger built-to-suit technology centres and Special Economic Zones.

The building and push towards smart cities also heralded the opportunity for infrastructure development, which included, roads, railways, commercial centres and so much more. And with the government easing the transaction and compensation process around land acquisition also helped developers overcome challenges and hurdles in development projects. Another aspect that helped ensure quality and fair practice in the real estate sphere was the inclusion of the RERA policies that provide a safety net for consumers. With inclusions of policies that fast track development and measures that ensure quality and governance, real estate is seeing a strong upward movement. Over time, it seems likely that we will be at more development in the real estate industry and promotion of bigger projects that will catapult India’s

New trends in office designs and layouts

New trends in office designs and layouts

While technology is changing our lifestyles, it’s also impacting the way we look at the design. You can see that shift when you compare a 2005 personal computer to the 2018 counterparts which look like they have been pulled out from a science fiction novel. The age of minimalistic functional designs has taken the world by storm over the past decade and we are noticing the same shift in architecture as well. Homes are no longer designed as blocks of rooms put together but rather single units designed with the slightest of partitions to keep them from bleeding into each other. Back in the day, a dining room and living room rarely ever met each other except for in the corridors that may have connected the two. Today, they practically enjoy the company of each other in unrestricted open space. These kinds of changes can be attributed to the way in which the technology has connected the world eliminating walls which probably stood for centuries dividing one province from another. Is this a good thing? Well, it’s hard to say for sure. New age designs express a sense of freedom and transparency but may not apply to all situations. I don’t think the architects at the white house decided to follow this trend but not all of us live in spaces that require tight closed-door conversations, so a little bit of openness might be something to consider.

When it comes to office space, most of us remember ambitions of moving up the ranks and getting into that corner office which was coveted by each and every aspiring assistant manager but those days are a thing of the past. Today, most senior managers seem to share a common desk with their teams in collaborative offices spaces and probably have a common set of stationery too. While that may seem to take away from the glamour attached with corner offices, modern age companies have a new dynamics to deal with. Departments no longer work in isolation or as decentralized units with their own quarterly agendas; they need to interact with one another constantly. Also, since so many companies have gone global with diversified units operating around the world, the need for open communication channels has grown.

Not to mention, a large number of modern companies employ millennials, fresh out of university and they are used to living in a world of freedom to think, act and do. Something the pre-millennial counterparts aren’t too familiar with. I mean when was the last time you gave your piece of mind to your boss in a meeting and expected anything less than being pulled from the project, being moved to a different department or worse being shown the door. I’m not saying that you’d want to do that even today but there is a clear psychological shift and good managers are asking their teams to give their opinions on projects. And with a shift like that, you can’t operate in matrices of cubicles. Like a colleague of mine mentioned recently, she enjoys sharing her sales table with the marketing team which helps gather more insights on how she could approach her clients. And when she needs some quiet time, she simply jumps into one of the countless pods, which are like 4-seater dinner rooms, for some quiet time or short discussions with colleagues.

Modern offices are exploring the dynamics of open collaborative spaces and seeing the impact on their processes as well as employee satisfaction levels. As is the human resource norm today, happy employees mean happier customers and simple design improvements in your office can lend a hand to this cause. It’s time larger organization take a cue from smaller start-ups and build more inclusive and collaborative spaces that promote transparency as well as motivate employees to enjoy their work-life.

Designer Profile: Kelly Hoppen MBE

YOO Villas: Taking Luxury Living To Another Level

YOO Villas: Taking Luxury Living To Another Level

Lush green gardens, ample space, endless views and fresh air to breathe – welcome to the Villa-lifestyle. Pune is known for its hustle-bustle, crazy nightlife, tech companies and luxurious apartments, but most of all the city is all heart for a gorgeous villa. The exclusivity, the peace, the natural surrounding is what attracts everyone to a luxury villa. And there is plenty to talk about when your space is as premium and luxurious as some of the villas in Pune.

Each home tells a distinguished story but not every story is a distinguished one. And there is no denying the fact that luxury and embellished details narrate a story like nothing else. Long back, Plato and Socrates recognized that luxury would not only be an inevitable element of civilized society but a defining one.

For some, luxury is the sound of the engine of an expensive car, whizzing away. For others, it is celebrating life at the pinnacle of a swanky skyscraper. And, for yet some others, it is flying high in the sky, reclined and choosing from the most expensive champagne. But, along with the propinquity to all the comforts of life, something that sits at the core of all leisurely pursuits, is the existence of a place that you can call home with all your heart; a place that tells a story of grace, of perfection. The ultra-luxurious project YOO Villas by Kelly Hoppen truly embodies the charm of regal finesse and the sentiment of home.

Known for its pleasant weather, Pune positions high in the list of cities best suitable for residential living in India. Over the years, the outlook towards Pune city has changed and how! From being seen as a home after retirement, it has now turned into an established entrepreneur’s investment project. There are several upcoming and new residential projects in Pune that provide international standard of architecture, designer interiors and world-class amenities. YOO Villas is the answer to the demand of such residential needs. Created at the scenic riverside location, YOO Villas is exactly what dreams are made of.