Do you know unfilled gaps can create severe damage?

Detect Issues

Gap around and between air conditioner drain pipe & sink outlet pipe inside floor drain outlet.

Describe Issues

Unfilled gaps will lead to water intrusion through it, thereby affecting the floors below. This will lead to further deterioration of wall and ceiling surfaces in associated areas below. Thereby will hamper residents in long run by adding an extra cost and time factor due to repair.

Direct Solutions

We recommend adequate grouting, using non shrinkable grout.

NRIs: Are You Losing Sleep over Your Home Back in India?

“A home is where the heart is,” goes the famous saying. If you are an expat then you are probably living with two hearts for one heart lies where you are based presently with your family and the other one is at a place which is thousands of miles away. It is perhaps the place where you were born and spent your precious growing-up years. For the NRIs, ‘the place’ is India. If you still have a home here, then in most likelihood, you must have arranged for a supervising system too to for it. But does that make you feel totally relaxed? If it isn’t your parents who are shouldering the duty of property care then who are you relying on? Is your property in the right hands? Let us find out the answers and try to see if NRI property care and management services (www.macj-abuyerschoice.com/complete-property-care-for-nris-cccs) can be the right antidote for your sleeplessness.

How does it feel to be a remote landlord?

‘Challenging’ is the word, for sure! Let’s face it, a home- occupied or vacant but certainly not lived by the owner, is a constant source of tension. As an NRI, you are always struggling to find out the next best solution to ensure its proper care and safety. There are problems galore to handle and none of them can be simply done away in a single swipe of a magic wand.

Professional end-to-end property care and management services have come up as a good solution to these problems. The companies providing such services make sure that the homeowners sitting at remote locations only have to check their inboxes and bank accounts to monitor their property managers’ reports and rental incomes respectively. The need to regularly check on their property is no longer necessary.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, ‘’Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” Keeping this in mind, NRIs are now seeking the services of professional home care management companies.

But what are the issues that have been bothering you, the NRIs, about your homes in India so far? What is it that led you to consider NRI property care and management services as a feasible solution to deal with the problems? Here’s an overview:

Property management issues related to vacant homes

Vacant properties bear the brunt of neglect and often fall into despair, reducing the chances of someone actually buying or renting it. No matter how sincerely you try to take care of it by deploying a friend or an associate, the lack of professionalism in property care turns your efforts into sheer waste. Then it is again like being back to square one. You lose sleep over your property planning your fastest possible visit to India in the next few months to fix things to the best of your capacity. Following are a few common problems that can occur in an unoccupied house:

  • Aesthetics gone for a toss: Overgrown shrubs in un-mowed lawns, shabby exterior paint with watermarks and moss growing on them, clear signs of damp on the interior walls, popping paint, leaky ceilings, broken window and door parts, pest nests, blocked gutters, and dust all over will rob the property of its appeal. You may have to hire many people to clear the mess and make the place habitable once again.
  • Theft and vandalism: There can be incidents of break-ins. Thieves may lift valuable items from your home and vandalise the property.
  • Threats of encroachment: Unscrupulous developers, local clubs, and other miscreants tend to eye vacant properties. After observing for long that no one is keeping a proper watch on it they may try to encroach forcefully.
  • Plumbing disasters and other accidents: Due to lack of regular maintenance, the pipes may get damaged. Or a fault in the electrical wiring system may lead to short circuit and fire accidents.

Taking the necessary steps to combat these problems is essential. Otherwise, your house gradually loses its resale value. Employing a broker or asking a close relative or a friend to do that hardly helps you in this case.

Property management issues related to homes given on rent

We all know that renting out a property is a smart idea. It not only saves the property from damage and miscreants but also helps the owner to monetize it. But even renting out does not promise you complete peace of mind. There can be problems like:

  • Tenants not abiding by the rent payment cycle
  • Breaking of rules and common policies
  • Non-payment of common household bills
  • Damage to the property
  • Disputes with neighbours
  • Illegal claiming of ownership by the occupant

Besides, there are duties like rental agreement (www.indiafilings.com/docs/rental-agreement-format) renewal. You either have to do it yourself after every 11 months or hire a company to that for you. Vacating the tenants after their tenure is over, also sometimes turns out to be a problematic affair. If you are not present in person to handle this situation then it can seriously hamper your peace of mind.

A complete set of NRI/ CCC property care & management services is the way forward

An offering gains a foothold in the market only when there is a latent demand for it- this is a proven fact. The way the property care &management services for NRIs and CCCs (Cross city communities) (www.macj-abuyerschoice.com/5-reasons-an-nri-must-opt-for-a-360-degree-property-care-service) are becoming popular it is clear that people have been waiting for something like this. As said earlier, a home is the most valuable of all investments. Any solution that ensures its proper management and care is sure to find acceptance on a large scale.

360-degree Benefits of Choosing NRI/CCC Property Care Management Services

Property inspection at regular intervals
  • Interior: Walls, ceilings, roof, floor, doors & windows, woodwork
  • Plumbing, electrical, appliances etc.
  • Exterior: Walkways, driveways, etc.
Safeguarding of the property from encroachers
  • Monitoring
  • Erecting boundary if required
  • Handling legal issues
Time-to-time reporting
  • Findings along with scanned images
  • Corrective advice
  • Video clippings
  • Virtual tours
  • Reference of the associated third party service providers
Tenant Management
  • Finding new tenants
  • Rent collection & depositing
  • On-spot complaint redressal
  • Liaising with the landlord
Assistance in legal work & related documentation
  • Rent agreement documentation & renewal

Property care services for vacant homes

As part of the complete property care and management service for NRIs and CCCs, reputable home inspection companies conduct a thorough inspection of a property from time to time. With the help of advanced scanning devices, their team of professionals scan each and every part of the building or an apartment and come up with detailed reports showing areas of damp, leakage/seepage, or electrical wiring faults, etc. They send periodic reports to the landlord via email along with relevant images and/or video clippings. Besides, they also arrange for remedial plumbing, waterproofing, repainting and other repair jobs- everything keeping the landlord in loop.

Safeguarding the property from any kind of miscreant and encroachment are also included in their service.

Property care services for homes given on rent

From finding you the right tenant and helping you with the rent agreement documentation to collecting timely rent on your behalf and resolving everyday tenancy issues- property care companies do everything for NRI and CCC homeowners. Yes, it’s true that you have to shell out a percentage of your rental income to pay your property managers but the benefits that you get from the service more than balance out that cost.

Managed properties always stand a better chance to attract ‘good’ tenants. So, instead of leaving a property vacant, you must consider renting it out while assigning the duty of managing the property and the tenants to a professional home care company at the same time.

Need help to sell your old property? Trust on your property manager.

At a certain point in your career, you may decide never to return to India or settle in a different city other than your hometown after returning. Then, you have to look for an agent to sell off your old property. However, if you already have a dedicated property care manager you don’t have to look further. You just need to communicate to him your decision to sell your house and other specification about the prospective buyer, if any, and he and his team takes care of the rest of the things. Right from giving an add on ‘NRI Property Sale’ (www.indiainfoline.com/article/news-personal-finance/simple-tips-for-nris-selling-property-in-india-116110800925_1.html) in newspapers to assisting you in preparing the sale deed, the company does everything for you making the process absolutely hassle-free. It even conducts a pre-handover home inspection (www.macj-abuyerschoice.com/home-inspection-area/why-home-inspection) so that you can do the necessary renovation and quote a better price for the property.

Donning the hat of an NRI homeowner may sound ‘elitist’ but managing the property remotely can be a real hard task. At times, it can even give you sleepless nights. So, why bother when you have the right solution at your disposal?

Property care services to find more takers among NRIs & CCCs

The process of investing in real estate may start as a long-term, post-retirement plan among NRIs and CCCs but that doesn’t mean it has to lie idle until then. With a professional property management service under contract, they can turn their well-managed, vacant property into a useful source of income. This and other benefits discussed above are sure to make hiring a complete property care service provider the order of the day among NRIs and CCCs.

For NRI’s especially, the most magical thing about their home in India is that it feels good to leave but it feels even better to come back, whether on holidays or after retirement. At the end of your working career or when you are coming home for a visit, the last thing you would want is being greeted with a headache called a poorly managed home. So, start taking the matter of property care seriously from now so that when you come back permanently, it is the same haven of love and security for you as you left it like many years ago.

How to Control Humidity in Your Home Using a Dehumidifier?

  • What is a dehumidifier?
  • Signs that you need a dehumidifier
  • Advantages of using a Dehumidifier
  • How do dehumidifiers work?
  • 10 Features to look for in a Dehumidifier
  • Tips to use a dehumidifier
  • Types of Dehumidifiers

Is your home consistently sultry & warm inside despite your best efforts to keep it cool? Are you finding a mushy smell from everywhere inside the house? Well, before you blame the air conditioning system of your home or the room freshener you are using, check for the indoor humidity once. India being a predominantly warm country reports an excessive amount of humidity every year. High humidity causes plenty of damages at the macro level (www.macj-abuyerschoice.com/why-excess-moisture-is-a-threat-to-your-home). In households, humidity or high indoor moisture content leads to multi-dimensional damages that may need costly fixes. So, preventing humidity at the very initial stage is necessary for your home as well as human health. And using a dehumidifier makes this job easier.

What is a dehumidifier?

A dehumidifier is an electrical appliance that reduces and controls the level of humidity in the air in a closed space. By doing so, it prevents the growth of dust mites and other similar moisture-feeding micro-organisms inside the space and eliminates any musty smell resulting from them.

Signs that you need a dehumidifier

Any visible sign of dampness is an indication that the humidity level of your home is high and requires immediate attention. Few such signs of dampness are:

  • Damp patches on the walls and ceilings
  • Seepage/ leakage
  • Peeling paint and wallpapers
  • Bulging wall/ floor tiles
  • A persistent musty smell
  • Frequent incidence of allergy and skin problems within the family

Advantages of using a Dehumidifier

Dehumidifiers are effective units that come with several advantages for your space and most importantly, for your family. Following are some of the benefits:

1. Humidity reduction & improvement of indoor air quality

The quality of air inside a home is measured not only by the number and amount of toxins that one may or may not be breathing in but also by the humidity level of the air itself. A dehumidifier plays an important role in improving indoor air quality by reducing humidity (www.macj-abuyerschoice.com/indoor-air-pollution-one-of-the-top-10-disease-risk-factors-in-india). It makes a home less hospitable for allergens like dust mites. As a result, the home feels fresh and musty odour, if any, vanishes automatically. Allergens being a serious health threat, the incidence of allergy also becomes much less with time.

The aesthetics of the building is also protected and the property is able to retain its value for a longer period of time.

2. Prevention of structural deterioration of a building

High levels of humidity can harm the structural integrity of a home. It can affect the woodwork, walls, ceilings, and metal fittings. A dehumidifier prevents a home from slow deterioration by controlling humidity that may originate due to a number of causes (www.macj-abuyerschoice.com/damp-seepage-assessment-with-solutions-through-thermal-imaging-technology).

3. Time and energy saving

Designed to further cut down on energy costs, dehumidifiers with an auto shut-off feature use intelligent software to actively monitor the climate of the space where the dehumidifier is applied. It shuts down the moment the desired humidity level is reached.

A dehumidifier with a higher star rating operates in an energy-conscious manner. That way, it saves energy and helps you to cut down on your unwanted expenses significantly.

4. Easy and quick maintenance

Portable dehumidifiers can be easily moved from one place to another, and they allow quick maintenance. They do not disrupt daily life and run quietly in the background without causing any harm to anyone.

How do dehumidifiers work?

Dehumidifiers control humidity (www.explainthatstuff.com/dehumidifier.html) by removing excess moisture from the air creating inhospitable living conditions for dust mites and other allergens. A dehumidifier is much like a vacuum cleaner. It sucks in air from the room at one end, takes the moisture out of it, and then blows it back out into the room again. The moisture drips through a pipe into a collection tank that has to be emptied from time to time.

Dehumidifiers work in one of the two ways: by refrigeration or by absorption/ adsorption.

a. Refrigeration

In this process warm, moist air is sucked in through a grille on one side of the dehumidifier. An electric fan draws the air inward. The warm air passes over freezing cold pipes through which a coolant is circulated by a pump and compressor. As soon as the air cools, the contained moisture goes back in the form of liquid water and drips down off the pipes. Now, the moisture-free air passes over a heating element and warms back up to its original temperature.

Another grille blows back the dry and humid air into the room. There is a collecting tray or bucket at the bottom of the machine where the moisture that was there in the air originally drips down into. A ‘float’rises upward as the collecting tray fills up. When the tray is full, the float trips an electric switch that turns off the fan and switches on an indicator light telling you the machine needs emptying.

b. Absorption/ Adsorption

Some dehumidifiers work by mopping the water out of the air with a water-holding material and then “squeezing” the water away to remove it. The mopping action involves either absorption (where the water soaks right into something) or adsorption (where the water is picked upon the surface of something).

In this process, moist air is drawn in from the room through a duct. The air moves past a large rotating wheel made of water-absorbing material, which removes the humidity. The air is drawn by a fan operated by an electric motor. Dry air is blown back out into the room. An air duct underneath is kept hot by an electric heating element (yellow). The moisture-absorbing wheel rotates through the heated air space and has hot air blown past it to dry it out. The air is sucked past by a fan and electric motor once again. The hot, wet air is blown out through an exhaust duct.

As per content by Corroventa on Adsorption Dehumidifiers (www.corroventa.com/products/adsorption-dehumidifiers). The picture shows the functioning principle for an adsorption dehumidifier. The air to be processed is sucked in through the inlet with the help of air fan, the air passes through the rotor whereupon the dehumidified air exists through a dry air outlet. The moisture that is adsorbed in the rotor is driven out through a small part of the air that being heated up in a heater. whereupon it passes through a smaller part of the rotor which is regenerated in this way. The damp air is then removed via the outlet to the environment.

10 Features to look for in a Dehumidifier

Investing in a dehumidifier is obviously a wise decision if you are residing in one of the warmer cities in India. Here are a few simple considerations that you must heed to while buying a dehumidifier (www.dengarden.com/appliances/Choose-a-Domestic-Dehumidifier).

1. Tank size

Dehumidifiers have a tank to collect water. It ranges from a minimum of 2 litres to a maximum of 8 litres capacity. Make sure you opt for the bigger tank so that you do not have to empty it too frequently.

2. Drain tube

Some machines with drain tubes enable the water to drain away rather than collecting in a tank. Remember that with a portable device it will not always be possible for it to drain externally. For example, if you are placing your dehumidifier inside a room, temporarily, then the drain tube will be rendered useless. In that case, you can insert the drain tube into the waste pipe already made for washing machine.

3. Energy usage

The electrical power consumption of dehumidifier and the relative running cost of it can be high. Generally, the desiccant machines use more power than refrigeration machines. So, investing in refrigerant dehumidifiers would be a wise decision.

4. Weight & size

Factors such as weight and size of the appliance are worth considering while deciding to buy a dehumidifier. It is better if it comes with a decent carrying handle.

5. Extraction Rate

Find out how many litres of water a day the dehumidifier can extract. Consider models with more extraction capacity and less power consumption feature.

6. Laundry Mode

Wet clothes drying up indoors during monsoon are an obvious source of excess moisture in households. Dehumidifiers are great for drying clothes. Some dehumidifiers offer a ‘laundry mode’ designed specifically for drying clothes. Such machines repeatedly extract moisture from the air without measuring the relative humidity of the room.

7. Auto start/off

If you want to run your dehumidifier using a time switch then make sure the model you use has an ‘auto on’ and ‘auto off’ feature to ease out manual intervention. It ensures: Power on, moisture extraction on.

8. Slower speed

A dehumidifier typically has more than one fan speed. Slower-speed machines are more economical and quieter but obviously, higher speed will result in more rapid extraction of moisture.

9. Less noisy machine

It is also worth checking if the dehumidifier is generating too much noise. If you want to have it running at night in the bedroom then make sure it runs quietly.

10. Operating temperature

You must check the operating temperature required to extract moisture at the desired rate. If you want to extract moisture from an unheated area then the desiccant models will give lower operating temperatures.

Tips to use a dehumidifier

  • To get the best from a dehumidifier, vacuum it beforehand to make it sure the irritating dust particles are not spreading around or the air filter is not getting clogged up (if the dehumidifier has one).
  • Set the machines away from the walls, furniture, and curtains.
  • Keep the doors and windows closed while the dehumidifier is running.
  • Empty the collected water out of the dehumidifier after every use and before moving it to another room.
  • Instead of repeatedly turning your dehumidifier on and off, you can let the dehumidifier do it itself to maintain your desired humidity level. Try to keep a room’s humidity somewhere in between 50-60 percent.

Types of Dehumidifiers

Whole Home Dehumidifier

The whole-home humidification system is the easiest and the most convenient method for adding or removing humidity from home. It checks the home for proper moisture content and then turns on the humidifier or dehumidifier as needed to bring the entire home atmosphere to the ideal humidity level. However, these dehumidifiers are more expensive and require regular maintenance.

Desiccant Dehumidifier

These dehumidifiers operate by passing the air through a rotor which contains moisture adsorbing desiccant material. Once water is removed from the air, there is a huge chance of drying as the dry air can be blown back into the building. Water collected within the desiccant wheel is removed by adding heat so the vaporized moisture can then be ducted out of the building.

The desiccant material is actually silica gel, which is a porous form of granular silica. The internal structure of the gel comprises a network of microscopic interconnected pores. This gel can adsorb moisture by attracting it within each granule. Due to added heat, this moisture can then be released from the desiccant by evaporation. Finally, it is pushed out of the building, leaving the desiccant wheel ready again to collect further moisture.

Refrigerant Dehumidifier

Damp air from within the building is drawn into the dehumidifier and passed over a cold evaporator coil which cools the air below its dew point temperature. This results in condensation. The water droplets formed on the cold coils then collect in a pan which has to be removed manually. Some dehumidifiers have a hose attached to them that automatically purge the water. The dry air then passes over warm condensing coils, which heat it up again before releasing out to the room.

Heat Pump Dehumidifier

Heat pump dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air with the help of a fan, heat pump, and heat exchange coils. By using a fan, the air is sent past the heat exchange coils that are extremely cold. These dehumidifiers provide excellent energy savings and comfort. By installing a heat pump dehumidifier, one can expect to save around 10 to 30 percent of energy cost.

Conclusion

If you do not want to welcome and host excess humidity in your home and other recurring problems associated with it, get a dehumidifier as soon as possible. However, before that, to make your buy worthwhile, get a damp/seepage assessment (www.macj-abuyerschoice.com/damp-seepage-assessment-with-solutions-through-thermal-imaging-technology) of your home done. There are reliable home inspection service providers who scientifically assess the moisture content of your home using advanced technology like thermal imaging. Based on their report, try to find the source and a permanent remedy for the humidity and damp problem. Alongside, invest in a dehumidifier. It will keep your home dry, fresh, and healthy for years to come.

MACJ, ABCHI inspects a New Residential Flat having Multiple Discrepancies!

Professional Home Inspection Services saves you lacs of rupees and lots of Hustle & Bustle while buying your new Home/ Property. MACJ – A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections identifies all the hidden issues & discrepancies at the preliminary stage before it becomes a monster and costs you fortune to get it rectified. It allows you with an opportunity to rectify it at the right time and with minimal possible cost.

Mr. Ashish Kaushik made the right decision and got his newly bought Home Inspected by MACJ – A Buyer’s Choice. Witness what the inspection revealed.

UP-RERA to issue show-cause notice to builders with stuck projects

New Delhi

Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP-RERA) has decided that if there is no progress in completion of the residential projects, the authority will issue show cause notice to deregister their projects.

It further said that the notice will also be issued if the builder fails to deliver projects, fails to show his keenness to deliver flats, if the builder does not resume construction and is absconding or in jail.

The authority in the last few days has issued deregistration notices under Section 7 of the RERA Act to seven builders for failing to meet their commitments to buyers covering 14 projects and approx. 4800 residential units.

Their matter is still under active consideration at various stages.

UP-RERA has also sent notices to many developers over bad construction quality and project delays.

Under RERA Act 2016, Section 8 provides an indication that the Authority can provide a platform to take up stressed projects and bring them to completion.

Source: www.realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/regulatory/up-rera-to-issue-show-cause-notice-to-builders-with-stuck-projects/69485164

Safety concern – Socket close to geyser valve

Detect Issues

Geyser socket is close to geyser valve.

Describe Issues

Due to this position of geyser socket, during leakage of the geyser pipe or while maintenance water may spill over the socket board and cause short circuit. This can create safety & electrical hazard for residents in future. So its rectification is needed to be done early to be keep you and your home safe.

Direct Solutions

We recommend client to review and raise the height of the geyser socket.

How Home Inspection Can Save You Time & Money

Modern-day lifestyle leaves us with little time to supervise the construction works of our dream home. Thanks to faster relocation needs, we are now becoming more interested in buying or renting ready-to-move-in residential properties. Nonetheless, we need an expert to guide us through this home buying process. This is the same as the way we seek expert guidance while making small investments in a financial scheme. A home inspection service acts as that guide to today’s home buyers.

What does a home inspection service include?

A home inspection (www.macj-abuyerschoice.com/so-what-exactly-is-home-inspection) is a third-party property inspection a service that home buyers opt for to make a complete analysis of the condition a residential property. The analysis covers health, security, safety and other quality aspects of the property one is about to rent or buy.

People mainly focus on financing schemes, location, transport convenience, and other associated factors while buying a house. They rarely consider confirming if the concerned property is healthy, safe and well-built enough to justify its asked price and life. An experienced home inspection company does this job for them. It makes a complete assessment of the property by considering factors such as:

  • Construction accuracy in terms of architecture/ layout.
  • Construction quality in terms of used materials, the strength of the walls, floor and roof, the possibility of water leakage, quality of paint, quality of doors and windows, electrical issues, etc.
  • Functionality of the associated systems. For example, plumbing, cooling, drainage, electricity, etc.
  • Quality of the furniture and appliances provided with fully-furnished apartments.

The home inspectors use advanced technology scanning devices to carry out such elaborate yet non-invasive home inspections. Based on their reports, homeowners can get their preventive repair or actual damage repair jobs done and safely walk into their new home.

Sounds like a time-taking affair? But actually……

Home inspection saves you a considerable amount of time!

There are various ways in which a home inspection service can save a valid amount of time for a home buyer. First of all, it can take a lot of time for you to check the fitness of your home as per your own requirements. You will have to hire individual experts- a mason for doing the construction works, a plumber, an electrician, and carpenters to do each type of work. If you do not want to do that you have to believe what your builder/realtor or seller has to say about the property without probing further. Hiring an expert or a reliable home inspection service provider can fulfill all these inspection needs under a single umbrella.

Secondly, an inspection report produced by a home inspector can provide you with an accurate assessment of a property. Based on it, you can do price negotiations and make your buy decision without wasting time.

In the case of renting a property, a home inspection report can provide a complete overview of the maintenance needs. You get to know about the immediate as well as future repair needs of the associated systems. Thus, it can reduce your wait time to access the property.

A home inspection report can also make you aware of the necessary repair and construction needs that the builder skipped. So, you can ask the builder to make the necessary improvements in the infrastructure and systems without any delay.

Home inspection also saves you money

Contrary to the belief that you have to shell out an extra amount of money, home inspection offers significant cost benefits. First of all, an inspection report by an expert home inspector can show the property’s actual condition. Thus, it can provide you with concrete grounds for making a justified level of negotiation with the real estate agent or seller to buy the property at the most reasonable price.

Secondly, sellers and construction agencies often skip many necessary construction and repair requirements in a residential property to meet their own cost-cutting objectives. The home inspection services can identify these skipped responsibilities and save you from bearing huge costs in the future by asking needful actions from the seller.

The inspection report can also send out warnings about major repair and construction needs that could get worse in the future and cost a huge amount of fund for getting fixed. By paying heed to the warnings and doing needful you can avoid these expenses. Thus, it can save money for you by reducing the overall maintenance cost.

Why home inspection services are gaining popularity in India?

There is another push factor working behind this trend. According to the last available NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) data, a total of 4,914 people lost their lives between 2010 and 2014 because of the collapse of residential buildings. The toll accounted for about 37.3% of the total deaths. This intimidating figure is somewhat making people think in favour of home inspection prior to buying a house. They think the price they pay for hiring a home inspector completely justifies its worth through ensuring safety for themselves and their loved ones.

A home is a lifetime investment and home inspection services help us to make an informed decision regarding that. That being said, the effectiveness of a home inspection depends on the expertise of the hired inspecting company. So, you must choose your home inspection service provider carefully to ensure better utilization of the associated benefits.

To learn more about home inspection, click here.

You can also read a content by Forbes to know the reasons why you should not skip a home inspection, www.forbes.com/sites/investopedia/2011/05/31/10-reasons-you-shouldnt-skip-a-home-inspection

MACJ – A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections, Recollecting – 2018

2018 was a wonderful year for MACJ. It was full of Fun, Luck & Hard Work. We had sown a seed of a newly launched Service of Professional Home Inspections for the first time in India in 2016, and witnessed it budding in 2018. Till the end of the year the Company already had PAN India presence and inspected all types of properties including Flats, Bunglows, Warehouses, Heritage Properties, Retail, Offices, etc. The Company also took the lead and brought together all the existing Home Inspection Companies in India by forming Home Inspection Association of India (HIA) and presented Mr. Gautam Chatterjee, (Chairman MahaRERA) to be an Honorary Member of the Association. Altogether it was a fruitful year for MACJ- A Buyer’s Choice.

MahaRERA: No advertisement expenses in construction costs

Amendments made to the Maharashtra RERA rules stipulate that real estate developers can no longer claim expenses made on advertisements and promotions, as well as brokerage commissions as part of their construction costs.

According to RERA regulations, developers are required to deposit 70 per cent of the funds collected from home buyers in a separate RERA account. These funds can only be withdrawn for construction with appropriate certification from the architect and the chartered account. This was done to check the practice by developers to collect booking amounts and flat sales from home buyers and moving them to another project, often stalling the first project.

“The development cost or cost of construction of the project shall not include marketing and brokerage expenses towards sale of apartments. Such expenses though part of the project cost should not be borne from the amount that is required to be deposited in the designated separate account,’ said a notification issued by the state housing department on June 6.

‘Developers often show expenses for full-page ads also in this account. Now, those marketing expenses have to be shown in the remaining 30 per cent. For home buyers, it means that more money will available for completion of housing projects,’ said Gautam Chatterjee, chairperson, MahaRERA.

The notification has also reduced the minimum fee that developers need to deposit with MahaRERA at the time of registration of a project from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10,000 for plotted developments. Earlier, developers had to pay between Rs 50,000 and Rs 10 lakh as per the area of the land proposed to be developed at the rate of Rs 10 per sqm. Now, for plotted development, the registration fee will be calculated at the rate of Rs 5 per sqm.

The notification also gives brokers and real estate agents an opportunity to lodge complaints with MahaRERA against developers if their commission or fee was unpaid. “If there is a broker or real estate agent involved in the transaction between the developer and a home buyer, then his commission or brokerage from developer’s side or the buyer’s side should be paid to him as per agreed terms of payment. We have now included this in the RERA’s model form of agreement and brokers can lodge a complaint with MahaRERA and the authority will give them a hearing,’ Chatterjee said.

The new rules received mixed responses from the construction industry. While it was agreed that the amendments were consumer-friendly, questions were raised on the impact they have on incomplete projects.

Reacting to the amendments, Rohit Poddar, Managing Director, Poddar Housing and Development Ltd said, ‘The decision to eliminate the marketing and brokerage expenses from the cost of development is a good move from a consumer’s point of view. However, it should be subject to scrutiny whether it will have any direct impact on the prices for end consumers. Advertising, marketing, and brokerage costs are a part and parcel of the project cost, and it is recommended that they are included in the project cost, especially for the affordable segment.’

Rajan Bandelkar, President of National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), Maharashtra said, “The amendment is likely to impact the unsold inventory. How does the developer sell these without including the marketing costs in the construction cost?”

Ameya Tandulkar, Chief Operating Officer at Paradigm Realty said, ‘The RERA Act clearly mentions that marketing costs should not be included in the 70 per cent funds meant for construction. This account was always meant to pay for land cost, construction cost, premiums for fungible FSI, and administrative costs incurred by the developer. I think the amended rule only reiterates that developers should not include marketing costs.”

Amit Wadhwani, Co-Founder, Sai Estate Consultants Chembur Private Limited (SECCPL) said, “RERA is definitely paving the way for a transparent sector.”

Source: www.realty.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/maharera-no-advertisement-expenses-in-construction-costs/69781792

Maharashtra Real Estate Rules 06.06.2019

Don’t wait for big expenditure – Replace leaking pipe

Detect Issues

Peeling off paint noted on front wall.

Visual Image

Thermal Image

Describe Issues


As seen by infrared images of both internal side & external side of affected area, flow of moisture noted from roof level. The moisture damage observed is mainly originated due to leak in pipe from Roof. As observed, moisture flow is in walls from roof level and hence damaged the surface. If not rectified soon, moisture will flow and damage the associated/ attached areas. This will hamper occupants by creating unhealthy living conditions and also create high cost of repair.

Direct Solutions

We recommend defective pipe to be replaced by plumber.