Check for the signs of moisture seep in

Detect Issues

Signs of seasonal rainwater seep in from window sill.

Describe Issues

As seen by infrared images water flow noted from side of window sill & side reveal. The moisture is originated due to Water pocket & gap in external sill stone. Two separate stones have been used in external sill. If not rectified, moisture will spread in adjacent areas and cause further damage.

Direct Solutions

We recommend:
1. Slope to be repaired at window sill to avoid water stagnancy.
2. Sealing the gap in external sill with UV resistant exterior grade silicone sealant as per manufacturer specification.

A Final Walk-through Checklist for Home Buyers

After a long tug of war among choices, you might have just finally settled on a particular house (or a new flat). What took you so long? Well, you were judging the location, communication facilities, build, age of the house, and of course, pocket pinch. Now that you are just a few inches away from making the full payment, pause for a while and have a final walk-through.

We present you here 9 points for which you should keep your eyes open while you close a real estate property deal. Consider this as the final hurdle which would do away with a lot of troubles that may arise later. Better late than sorry! Check out what we have in store for you:

1. Ensure everything promised is present

This is especially important if you are buying a furnished house or a resale flat. Both the entities, that is, the seller or the agent and you – the buyer, must have had a purchase agreement. It is supposed to have a list of all the items that would come with the purchase in it. Check and recheck that agreement and match with the checklist whether everything you are paying for is present inside the house.

2. Make sure all the Repairings are done

Prior to selling the house, a thorough home inspection would identify a number of areas in need of repair. The seller might tell you assuring words about taking care of all the home repair works yourself. But if you are not on the watch, you have a high chance of finding them incomplete or completely unattended. And if you find them done, make sure you have the invoices or warranty cards1 with you before the dwellers leave so that you can deal with it in case a problem arises later.

3. Inspect Electrical system

While you perform a final walk-through, this is one crucial thing you need to make sure of. It is always advisable to take the help of professional home inspectors as they check the electrical wiring system. During the elaborate electrical inspection, they not only check the circuit of the flat/ building but also other small accessories like wires, switches, plug points, and doorbell. If any issue is found, they suggest a solution. You must follow these solutions to get a safe home which you can accentuate further with modern electrical fittings and home appliances.

4. Check the Plumbing and fixtures

You would not want a running tap, trickling water or non-functional faucet to bother you every now and then, when you move into your new house, would you? For that, you have to check the plumbing and fixtures of the property thoroughly. Make sure showers and taps are functioning properly, the cistern is perfectly functional, toilet flush is working fine and there is no leakage or crack in the pipeline.

5. Look out for Damp spots

Your home inspection during the final walk-through must include looking out for damp spots on both the inside and outside walls. India’s tropical weather paired with low-quality building materials/ finishing is likely to lower the life of the house. Besides, look behind the cistern in the bathroom, behind each door and big furniture pieces, on the walls/ floor, and of course, the roof/ ceiling for damp. Satisfactory outcome of the inspection will enable you to have a peaceful night’s sleep in the damp-free, airy house.

6. Check for Pests

If there is anything equally irritating and disgusting as damp, it is pests. Cockroaches, lizards, ants infest any house whenever people begin dwelling. Termites, small though it might be, can bring a disastrous nightmare for you. Bigger pests like mice or rats will make your life hell. Look out for pests as they leave behind signs of their existence. Ask your agent or sellers to call for pest control and take immediate action before you finally close the deal. Get rid of any rotten wood or likewise items that would invite these unwanted guests.

7. Check the wet areas – Bathrooms and the Kitchen

If you are buying an old property, chances are that the kitchen and bathrooms have long been not in use and kept closed. Leakage/ seepage, damp, standing water – anything can welcome you when you enter. So, while buying an old property, check these two places with extra attention. Bathrooms, especially, turn out to be a real menace in old buildings with cracked basin and leaking taps. In the kitchen, damp spots on the wall where the refrigerator used to be or below the kitchen sink are common. Pay attention to these things during your walk-through. Make home repair your first priority.

Even new properties may have these problems.

8. Security and Safety measures

This is by far the most crucial point in the final walk-through checklist. You must start with the door at the main entrance and then proceed to check other doors and windows of the property. Are the windows and doors closing properly? Are the tower bolts, locks, and hinges operating smoothly? Are the latches tight enough? Do you notice any damage or decay in the doors and windows? Are there noticeable gaps between the window/ door frames and the walls? – Check every single thing and get them repaired as no compromise should be made with the safety and security of your home. If your previous dwellers installed burglar alarms, check for its functionality as well.

9. Don’t forget the Outside

If you are more concerned about everything that you get to see inside the house, we have a few words for you. Your agreement would also cover the outside area around. Check that if it is left as it has been agreed upon. Who knows, there are cracks on the exterior walls and moisture intrusion is a major problem? Then you are bound to have penetrating damp in your interior walls too. If you hire a professional home inspection service, they will check the gates, boundary wall, driveway, etc and point out any deviation from the agreement immediately.

So, there we have you covered on your final walk-through. Discuss with the seller or the agent if you find anything problematic or you feel future hassles can be avoided once immediate measures are taken. Do not hesitate to demand a home inspection and make them understand its importance. Remember it is your hard-earned money that you are investing in. We certainly hope that everything falls in place and you can happily move into your new abode without worrying about any of the issues.

Still in two minds whether or not to go for a property inspection? Here’s why a homeowner/ buyer should go for a home inspection.

Reference links used:
1. https://www.thebalance.com/after-home-closing-which-documents-should-i-keep-1798245

Learn why Home inspection is needed before interior work

MACJ – A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections conducted pre-interior home inspection for one of its client who has just taken possession of his newly bought property . Watch the video to learn why it is needed to have home inspection before interiors. Home Inspection is an aid in Interior Design for ensuring proper functionality, beauty, good health, safety & longevity of a home / property.

Home inspection goes a long way in making the interior designers evaluate and understand the conditions of the structure / components / elements of homes e.g., presence of invisible dampness / moisture can be located with thermal imaging technology during the inspection which will help interior designers design the furnishing of home better and ensure longevity of the furniture installed in the home.

Home inspection is a necessary step before interior works to save time and unwanted expenses.

Big relief to home buyers! RERA moots policy to complete stalled projects

The authority recommended that such a policy can be formulated on the lines of Section 8 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, under which it can allow completion of pending developmental work in a stalled project.

In a bid to provide relief to homebuyers in cases of stuck projects, Uttar Pradesh (UP) RERA has suggested to the state government to formulate a policy where the authority can direct homebuyers to form an association, which will then work on completing the stalled housing units. Else the authority, with participation of homebuyers, can go to the open market to hire a co-developer.

The authority recommended that such a policy can be formulated on the lines of Section 8 of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, under which it can allow completion of pending developmental work in a stalled project.

A senior state government official said UP RERA, in a letter to the state government, has suggested forming a policy on lines of Section 8. “The authority said progress of projects and timely completion is dependent on utilisation of money collected from homebuyers. To ensure this, it got around 210 projects audited and took necessary action based on the audit. It de-registered some projects and made a reference to the state government for deciding a policy about proceeding under Section 8 of the Act in such matters,” he added.

If this Section can be further utilised in a “more legalised institutional setting”, then RERA would be able to provide relief to around 25,000-30,000 home buyers. The state government is reviewing the proposal, the official said.

Section 8 provides that upon lapse of registration or revocation of registration under RERA, the authority may consult the government to take such action as it may deem fit, including carrying out the remaining development works by a competent authority or an association of allottees or in any other manner, as may be determined by it.

When contacted, UP RERA member Balwinder Kumar told FE, “We have written to the state government that first we can invite the homebuyers’ association to work with us for completing the remaining development work. If that is not possible, we will go to the open market and select a co-developer in a transparent procedure to complete pending work. It is important that we search within our own official spheres to find solutions for stalled projects.”

Another UP RERA official said top priority is providing relief through prompt hearing and complaint redressal. UP RERA’s track record proves this, he said, adding, “Before RERA, only 2,014 complaints were disposed by officials in the state of the total 5,139 registered complaints. However, this changed with formation of RERA. Around 12,780 complaints were filed and 8,506 complaints decided till August 2019.”

“Number of registered complaints in UP and their disposal by RERA is highest in the country,” the official noted. He added that there are a couple of cases in UP and Madhya Pradesh where the authority took action under Sections 7 and 8.

“The authority is also getting stressed projects inspected and has developed a mobile application for preparation and submission of reports online. These are uploaded on the web page of the project concerned. It has also issued show-cause notices to 21 projects in NCR and 17 non-NCR projects, where promoter has either not obtained completion or occupancy certificate nor applied for extension of project registration, but work is either going on or is stalled,” he explained.

UP RERA has also set up a panel of auditing firms for financial and forensic audit of projects and will soon embark upon the verification of escrow accounts of projects through the auditing firms on the panel of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

At present, more than 17,900 complaints have been registered with UP RERA, which is the highest in the country. Of this, over 10,500 complaints have already been decided.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/big-relief-to-home-buyers-rera-moots-policy-to-complete-stalled-projects/1766794/

Electrical Tapes do not last

Detect Issues

Electrical tape used for wire joints & deteriorated.

Describe Issues

Due to use of electrical tape, wire joints do not have longetivity. They will get loose with time and cause loss of current. This can lead to increase in electricity bill and create problem for residents in longer run by adding expenditure due to loss of energy.

Direct Solutions

We recommend replacing with wire joint connector & heat shrink tube.

Detecting Leakage / Seepage Source | Residential Building | IR Technology

Damp / Seepage / Leakage problem is really a Curse for any Building. It not only deteriorates the building structurally but also had a severe effects on the health of its occupants.

MahaRERA to soon have 27 conciliation panels for timely project completion

Pune

The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) will soon have 27 conciliation panels across the state to help address issues between aggrieved consumers and developers and ensure completion of projects on time.

MahaRERA also wants to ensure through the panels that the buyers get what they pay for. Currently, 15 conciliation panels are in operation — 10 in Mumbai and 5 in Pune.

The panels have so far resolved nearly 400 cases of the 541 it received, MahaRERA officials said. The additional 12 panels will be for Pune (1), Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik and Nagpur.

These panels comprise a consumer representative and a developer representative, who interact with banks, homebuyers and builders for timely completion of the projects. A recent meeting of the housing ministry had appreciated the formation of the conciliation forums in Maharashtra and urged all other states to replicate the model.

Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) chairperson Shirish Deshpande, who had taken the lead in forming such forums, said citizens have been registering for conciliation as they believed it would be a quicker process (if both the parties were willing) rather than waiting for a long-drawn case.

“The response towards the forums has been encouraging, both from the consumers and the developers. Keeping this in mind, it was decided to increase the number of such forums,” he said.

The conciliation panels help interact home buyers, builders and banks to maintain the stipulated time declared by the developer on its website.

Earlier last month, MahaRERA ordered seizure and auction of 253 properties of builders across the state to refund flat buyers, who were yet to receive possession because the developers had no funds to complete the projects.

All of these were cases where the buyers saw the real estate value of their flats plummeting and wanted to take advantage of the RERA provisions that allowed them to exit the projects with their investment, along with the interest amounts.

The MahaRERA officials said buyers trying to exit the projects would derail the entire process and told the allottees to get together and “combat the situation”.

Source: https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/maharera-to-soon-have-27-conciliation-panels-for-timely-project-completion/70812946

Your external pipelines also need attention

Detect Issues

Worn out CI pipe for waste water & soil pipe.

Describe Issues

Service life of current CI pipe is expired. It has deteriorated due to leakage in pipe. After a point of time, when iron comes in contact with water and air, it starts rusting. If not rectified in time, it can deteriorate further resulting in broken pipes which can create unhygienic conditions at exterior side.

Direct Solutions

We recommend replacing it with good quality CI pipe.

Another Happy & Satisfied Customer | Mr. Ashok Sen

Mr. Ashok Sen is a Dean of a reputed University. He was facing damp/ seepage issues in his Flat. He Came to know about us online and contacted immediately. We then conducted Damp/ Seepage/ Leakage Inspection at his Apartment and provided a detailed report along with relevant solutions.

Thank you, Ashok jee for giving us the opportunity to inspect your Home. These Testimonials keep motivating us to strive for the better and to do the best.

UP-RERA issues notice to Ghaziabad development body in housing scheme case

Ghaziabad

The Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP-Rera) has issued a notice to the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) over its failure to appear before the regulator in a case related to the Indirapuram housing scheme for the economically weaker section.

The GDA, however, says the scheme doesn’t come under Rera’s purview.

The case was filed at the Greater Noida bench of UP-Rera by 60-year-old Ghaziabad resident Raj Prakash Tyagi, who has not yet got the possession of his EWS house that he was allotted 30 years ago by the GDA. The Rera bench issued five notices to GDA between February and June this year, asking its representative to appear before the regulator.

The bench has now threatened to pass ex-parte order on the basis of available documents and facts, in case GDA officials do not appear and clarify their stand, sources told TOI.

As per RERA rules, all development agencies and private builders are required to update their projects so that they can be accessed easily by the buyers and the status of the projects are in the public domain.

However, GDA chief engineer VN Singh said the EWS Indirapuram scheme was launched in 1990 and completed by 2001. “So, it does not come under Rera. The agency cannot expect the department to register the project that was completed 18 years ago. We have already submitted this reply, but despite that, the notice has been issued.”

Source: https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/regulatory/up-rera-issues-notice-to-ghaziabad-development-body-in-housing-scheme-case/70763231