MACJ-ABCHI, Author at Professional Home Inspection, India

July 30, 2019

Home Inspection can save your home’s health

Detect Issues

Significant crack with hollowness at plaster surface noted on external masonry sill.

Describe Issues

Due to this crack on external sill, rainwater and moisture will enter masonry wall surface thereby affecting adjacent/ in-house wall surface and will weaken the integrity of associated elements. Additionally, if Crack not treated at right time, can increase in depth and lead to further deterioration at the affected area. Hence will hassle the residents by adding an extra cost and time factor due to its rectification or repair process.

Direct Solutions

We recommend:
Step 1 – Cracks with hollow plaster surface and loose material to be scrapped off till hard strata.
Step 2 – Re-plastering to be done with repair mortar.
Step 3 – After adequate curing of plastered surface, exterior grade paint finish to be provided as per paint manufacturer specifications.

July 28, 2019

How to Identify Defects in Old Buildings?

A home inspection is necessary before plunging into a property buying decision for it implements modern technology to identify issues. Defects affect the performance of a building during its occupancy stage. Older homes are more prone to be laden with defects as there are higher chances of worn out/ faulty construction, design issues, wear & tear due to efflux of time and lack of maintenance. The defects not only affect the building but also reduce its value. Re-modelling might also turn out to be a costly affair. Therefore it is of utmost importance that a third party property inspection is arranged for so that the issues can be addressed before it is too late.

There are several areas where issues occur in old buildings. Some of them might be right in front of your eyes while some are hidden problems. How to identify them? Here are a few ideas:

Damp, leakage and seepage assessment

Indian weather is varied but most parts of it have a tropical climate which means the buildings are exposed to rain and humidity for a long duration. Water seepage through the roofs and walls, leave behind damp patches on them- both on the exterior as well as interior walls and ceilings. The damp areas become bloated with time and in severe cases, the plaster and paint come off.

In old buildings, continuous seepage cause salt damage. Soluble salts penetrate into the buildings envelope with rainwater and moisture which transports them further inside. This happens mainly because old buildings do not have horizontal waterproofing¹. The salts react chemically with the porous building materials causing severe salt-induced damage. Research says different contaminants and pollutants behave differently on mortar, bricks, stones, and wood (majorly used in old buildings instead of iron and concrete pillars). However, it is difficult to assess the impact in each case by just looking at the damp patches externally. One only gets to realize the extent of damage when elaborate renovation work is undertaken. It is then that the construction workers discover that the inner fabric of the walls and ceilings have been completely worn out.

Therefore, it is important to engage a professional home inspection team to assess the dampness & its source using advanced technology devices so that the detection is precise, and so is the repair job.

Electrical issues

One of the biggest boons of technology and science is electricity without which our daily life would come to a standstill. Older buildings are likely to have old wires, and the electric panels might be out of date too. Electrical problems make their presence felt by flickering lights, blowing up of fuses frequently, overheating of electric appliances, mild to moderate electric shocks, etc. The problems tend to worsen if the building is damp. Dampness means there is moisture or capillary water in the fabric of the building. This co-existence of water and electricity can turn out to be very dangerous. So, even a single issue requires immediate attention and home inspection is necessary to get rid of such issues and ensure the property to be safe

Plumbing System

Old buildings have old piping and plumbing system installed which are not compatible with the modern taps and outlets. In addition to this, waste lines and faulty fixtures installation also contribute to leakage from showers and toilets. Drains are clogged too. Such leakages give rise to damp. Earlier Indian houses had drain pipes made of cast iron which would give way quickly as rust would be formed. These faults should be inspected on a regular basis by experienced inspection officers as that would ensure the safety of the dwellers.

Foundation and walls

That the foundation of the old building² is defective can be understood from many signs, the most important being crack at junction of plinth protection and external walls. Moreover, inadequate draining and cracking concrete are also evident. Cement, bricks, concrete, wood, etc. are the most common raw materials of Indian houses. Older houses have older bricks and mortars exposed to temperature fluctuations and moisture years after years. The frequent shrinkage and expansion cause cracks on walls, which widen as the building gets older. Warping, sloping or sagging wall and floor also speak of aging of the house.

Another cause of deterioration of the health of old buildings is rising damp. The treatment of this problem is complex and mostly, invasive. Before going in for any such an elaborate, cost-intensive procedure it is advisable to assess the damage properly. Inspecting an old building reduces the chances of any adverse aftermath.

Roof and Floor

In old buildings, roofs and floors are invariably made of concrete. The cold, strong concrete floors are almost synonymous with heritage properties. They seem to be so steeped in history and tradition. However, concrete surfaces are often found to have mild undulations, faulty sloping, and poor waterproofing. For roofs, especially, these features turn out to be quite disadvantageous. After a heavy shower, water stands still on them and if the roof is not waterproof, seepage begins. Concrete floors, on the other hand, develop hairline cracks with time. These cracks appear mainly due to an improper foundation (shrinkage cracks), temperature/ curing problems or as an aftermath of seismic vibration, that is, earthquake.

There are two types of concrete shrinkage cracks³: i. Meandering fine crack. ii. Straight crack.

Meandering fine cracks appear in the open floor area while the straight cracks appear at the juncture of the concrete floor and the base of the wall which it meets. While these cracks are usually very fine, prolonged neglect and regular wear can widen them leading to severe dampness, fungal growth, and pest problems. Only visual inspection is enough to reveal these cracks but you have to be very vigilant. Once the cracks begin to widen, they may require costly repair.

Ceilings

The awe-inspiring heights of the rooms of old buildings often make us overlook the signs of aging and disintegration on their ceilings. Designed to beat the expansive heat and damp of most Indian cities, the ceilings keep bearing the brunt of high temperatures and water intrusion for years before finally becoming shabby and leaky. Another common feature of the ceilings of old houses is heavy wooden beams. Due to lack of adequate maintenance, these beams become termite-infested but since termites eat wood from the inside, they continue to look perfect up till many years. Only a professional inspection can bring the state of infestation to light and prevent the building from gradually slipping into ‘sick building syndrome.’

Paint of the building

Indian household paints have been identified to have unacceptable levels of lead in them. Though there is no regulation confirming the lead content, it is wise to use paints sans lead as this will keep lead toxicity at bay. If re-modelling is scheduled in line, paints with nil lead content should be chosen. Also, in older homes peeling paint is a common phenomenon. The interior walls are found to have peeling paint which might be due to moisture seepage. In addition to this, seepage from the roof causes paint from the ceiling to be peeled off. This actually relates to the dampness of the old house as discussed earlier. Damp assessment is likely to do away with this issue. Post damp assessment, re-modelling the house and giving the old one a new coat of damp-proof paint⁴ would be effective.

Windows and Doors

Old buildings in their glorious times boast of beautifully crafted window panes, blinds, door panels, etc. But with age, the buildings lose their shine and aesthetics. Very commonly, the wood windows are found to have become lopsided. The bars made of iron become rusty and fragile. In fact, old wooden structures are often so infested with termites that the panes and panels become completely weak and crumbly. Old windows endure the rain and heat simultaneously and the wood often gives way as they become rotten. Therefore, inspecting the existing structures becomes crucial. Jumping into re-modelling is not a wise option here. Reconstructing may also found to be beneficial. That being said, any corrective action must be preceded by home inspection in order to justify the cost and time investment.

Old is gold, they say. But when it is your property where you plan to live the coming years, you must put the “old” to inspection tests to be assured that it remains “gold.” Regular upgrades are also recommended.

Reference Links
1. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/amse/2016/1280894/
2. https://www.proptiger.com/guide/post/6-ways-to-identify-structural-defects-in-a-house
3. https://inspectapedia.com/structure/Concrete_Shrinkage_Gaps.php
4. https://www.asianpaints.com/products/waterproofing-solutions/all-waterproofing-products.html

July 26, 2019

You have a Beautiful Home, but is it Safe for your dwelling?

You have a Beautiful House! This is what we look as a Compliment for our Homes. But do we Care whether it is Safe for our Dwelling?

July 25, 2019

Appellate tribunal to be functional soon: Bihar RERA Chairman

PATNA

The appellate tribunal of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in state will officially start functioning within the next 15-20 days, RERA (Bihar) chairman Afzal Amanullah said on Tuesday.

Amanullah said the appellate tribunal is headed by Justice (retd) Arun Kumar with two more members. He said the real estate buyers or builders unsatisfied with the RERA judgement can appeal to the tribunal.

Amanullah said all the ongoing registered projects will have to complete their construction work by December 2020. “Of total 654 registered real estate projects, 50% are new,” he said.

“Besides, the accounts and finance team of RERA will now keep a tab on the accounts of builders to ensure that all the money invested by the consumers is being used for that project only. About 70% of the amount realized from the consumers shall be deposited in a separate bank account to be solely used for the particular project,” he said and added: “Builders failing to follow the norms will be penalized.”

Highlighting the achievements of RERA, its member Rajiva Bhushan Sinha said when it came into existence in Bihar in April 2018, only a handful of projects were registered. “Now more than 1,100 builders have applied for registration. Total 438 complaints have been received in the last one year and 322 of them are in the hearing stages while judgement has been delivered in 70 cases,” he said.

RERA member Subodh Kumar Sinha said, “We are not only helping the buyers, but also the builders in getting loan from the banks and meeting other construction-related requirements.”

Source: https://realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/regulatory/appellate-tribunal-to-be-functional-soon-bihar-rera-chairman/70155355

July 23, 2019

Bore packing around Plumbing Pipes can save from seepage

Detect Issues

Bore packing is not provided around plumbing lines insertion at external side.

Describe Issues

If bore packing is not done around plumbing lines insertion at external side, then it will create a pathway for intrusion of external rainwater and moisture from air thereby affecting adjacent area wall surfaces. This will also cause damage in the interior elements due to moisture intrusion which can weaken its integrity. If not rectified at right time, it can further deteriorate the associated areas. Hence can hamper residents in long run by creating unhealthy living condition and adding an extra cost for repair works.

Direct Solutions

We recommend providing adequate bore packing around the plumbing pipe lines .

Meaning of Bore packing

Bore packing is the process of fixing Plumbing pipes in RCC members (Slabs or beams or RCC walls) in their cutouts/ core cuts.

July 21, 2019

NRIs, Are You Relying Too Much on Internet for Home Buying?

Rohit Jain, 35, is an NRI working with a multi-national oil & gas company in France. He was scouting for property in India. Originally from Jaipur, Rohit wanted to buy a house in Vadodara, as most of the companies of the sector he belonged were headquartered there. It was logistically not possible for him to visit the city and look for properties matching his criteria, in person. So, he chose to go online. He looked up for all the properties on sale on India’s leading real estate property sites and finally zeroed in on a duplex in Vadodara.

“I first registered my interest on few of the top home buying sites in India. Then, after researching thoroughly on the internet and making numerous phone calls to developers, property consultants and advisors, and work associates staying in Vadodara, I shortlisted around 7 to 8 properties. I did everything sitting either in my office or at my apartment. It took me two months to finalize a property and make an online transaction,” says Rohit. Didn’t he need an offline help? “I got my father flown in from Jaipur to Vadodara. He oversaw the entire procedure and acted as my agent in completing the sale agreement and other legalities.”

There are many people like Rohit living abroad and looking for properties in India. They don’t have the time or scope for property search. They rely heavily on the internet for home buying. But then some obvious questions arise- to what extent can they or rather, should they rely on online portals for buying a property? By depending too much on online search, do they not run a risk of being let down by the seller/ builder/ developer in the long run? How can they be 100 percent sure about the ‘quality’ of the house they are buying without having someone to see it for them?

There are many more such questions that revolve around online property search and buying and even more number of risks involved in the process. If you are standing with one foot already inside the prospective homebuyer’s court then do think about these questions. After all, buying a property isn’t like buying apparel. Without a proper offline guidance and home inspection, you shouldn’t just go click a link and invest your money in it. There are offline solutions like NRI property management services that take things forward from an online selection of a property. Educate yourself about them and make your investment truly worthwhile.

Online home buying in India: The trend and its advantages

The usage of digitally driven media in home buying has become a huge trend¹ over the last decade. Home buyers are going online every now and then to gather information about their biggest purchase. They’re watching ‘How to’ videos on YouTube, reading online reviews on various sites, and looking up specific real estate sites on the search engines till they’re being able to find their dream homes. The trend has also caught up with the NRIs interested in investing in India’s real estate property market.

Statistics show that they constitute a big percentage of online visitors regularly checking the sites like 99acres.com, magicbricks.com, Regrob.com, proptiger.com. And most of these leads do seem to get converted.

According to Business Today, “There has been a sizeable jump in the number of NRI deals in the Indian property market² in the recent past. In the second half of 2018, Square Yards witnessed over 20 percent growth in NRI transactions as compared to the first half of the year. The total number of deals in 2018 was itself higher by 30 percent over the previous year.”

What are the advantages of Online Property search?

Convenience is the father of all technology innovations, and internet-based property buying³, selling is no exception. Other advantages of the process are:

Map-based search: Online searches offer map-based views of the property to help customers understand the physical and social infrastructure. This map-based search feature also gives the customers an idea of the amenities available in the property.
Time and cost saving: Without wasting time or moving anywhere, one can view n-number of properties on a single platform. Just a few clicks and the best of deals are at your fingertips. The money spent on data is also minimal.
Offers comparisons: As a single search generates plenty of results at a time, the prospective buyer can compare them based on various parameters. They can also cross-check by clicking each link separately if needed.
Virtual tour and sky view: These two advantages are mostly for the NRIs or those who can’t be physically present to see the property. The virtual tour offers views from different angles of the property at different times of the day using the latest visualization software. The sky view, on the other hand, offers aerial views of the property showing the neighborhood.
Augmented Reality: Due to augmented reality, buyers can ‘experience’ the properties. All they need to do is point their mobile cursor on a particular real estate advertisement and the 360-degree view of the property comes to life.

Risks and Disadvantages of online property search

A house being a high-value consumer product, online buying comes with multiple risks.

You don’t get exact details of the unit and tower.
Credibility of the builder/ developer/ seller cannot be verified easily.
Chances of being misguided or cheated by the channel partners (builder/ developer, property advisor, local agent) are present.
You have no idea of the existence of the amenities that are being promised unless verified by a trusted local agent.
Portals do not take responsibility for the third-party interest and liabilities.
Booking amount is non-refundable in many cases.
Inadequate information available on home loan and project approvals/ project development status.

Most importantly, you do not get to know if there is any construction/ quality issues in the building or not. The online portals do not provide any professional home inspection report or certificate based on which you can take your buying decision. It is only after you decide to move in or give the house on rent that you come to face the discrepancies. Then you have to bear the extra cost to get those problems fixed to make the house suitable for safe & happy living.

So, more than just being a risky process, online home buying is an incomplete process, for it ends with short-listing a property. An offline liaison has to then take over to complete home inspection and other property handover formalities.

Can ‘online’ and ‘offline’ tie the knot?

According to Mr. Nikhil Hawelia, Managing Director of Hawelia Group, “For NRI buyers, online leads will get translated into sales, only if there are friends, family or peer groups, to endorse the project and the developer. Online advertising or online reputation management is not enough to freeze the deal. Once they finalize the deal, they also need a local agent for hand-holding.” Mr. Hawelia also included that online exposure is useful only for communicating and connecting with the NRIs but cannot fully suffice the home buying requirements of an NRI.

Now, who these local endorsers are likely to be? Gone are the days when a local channel partner or a friend or relative would come in helpful if you are an NRI. Logistics no longer favour that choice. They can still help you by collecting information about the developer and its track record but only a professional assistant can actually guide you through the home buying process. A professional property manager can make you understand the difference between how the property looks online and in what condition it actually is.

For a better and authentic home buying journey of an NRI or cross city community individual, online media and offline services must tie the knot.

What all property managers do for remotely based home buyers?

There are new-age companies that offer NRI and CCCs with comprehensive property management services. These services cover:

For the ongoing construction supervision

Periodic visits to your property and regular reports via email
Supplementary videos/ photos (live on site pictures) are shared
Coordination with the developer/ seller for immediate rectifications
Periodical MIS/ updates

For ready-to-move-in properties

Pre hand-over inspection
Coordination with the seller/developer for rectification
Post rectification verification
Periodical MIS/updates

Legal assistance and paperwork

Sales deed documentation
Suggesting/ arranging property finance
Complete property handover process including collection of keys, access cards, and documents

These business entities also offer support services by trusted partners and vendors like reputed interior designers, tiling experts and plumbers.

Thousands of miles away from your motherland you can only look for options to find the best home for yourself there. Internet is surely the most important medium today to connect with developers and property owners. You have to keep faith on it for faster communication. But at the same time, you must also take the help of the local property managers. Only a logical blend of online and offline dynamism can make your home buying process free of tension and your buy worth its value.

Reference Links

1. https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/Study-Digital-House-Hunt-2013-01_1.pdf
2. https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/infra/nri-interest-grows-in-real-estate-affordable-mid-market-categories-emerge-favorites/story/313105.html
3. www.thelogicalbuyer.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-purchasing-homes-online/

July 19, 2019

Aap ke Ghar ki Khushiyon mein koi Badha na aaaye!

We all buy a Home. All we want is our Home to be a Living Paradise. To make the dream come true, get your Home Inspected before furnishing.

July 18, 2019

Lt Governor launches Delhi RERA portal

NEW DELHI

Lt Governor Anil Baijal Monday lunched the official portal of RERA Delhi and saying it will promote transparency and accountability in the real estate sector. The Government of India has implemented the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016, RERA, to check malpractices in the sector. The Act came into force on May 1, 2017.

“Launched official portal of RERA, Delhi (www.rera.delhi.gov.in). The website will help promote transparency & accountability in real estate sector. Advised to provide an interactive forum for knowledge sharing with other RERAs… I congratulate the RERA team for the initiative,” the L-G tweeted after the launch.

The RERA Act aims to reform the real estate sector in the country, encouraging greater transparency, citizen centricity, accountability and financial discipline.

Source: www.realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/lt-governor-launches-delhi-rera-portal/69966899

July 16, 2019