What Should be on Your Checklist when Looking for a new Home for Yourself?
Intro
Every other person in Pakistan either lower class or middle class has one wish in common. Own a house of their own. It is a dream for everybody. Due to the weak law and order situation in the country, people feel helpless and remain afraid to invest in a real estate project at an early stage, at its launch, when they can afford it. After years, near its completion, when the project turns out to be legitimate the prices go so high that it becomes unaffordable for the majority.
Even it has happened sometimes that a project was issued a stay order from court due to some legal issues or the investors of the project are left with no money to fund the project furthermore. There are so many reasons for no reason that can stop a project, some may be legal or some may be illegal.
So, what should a normal consumer do? How can he be safe and still can invest in a real estate property at an early age? Following are some basic things you need to check before buying a house/land or property.
NOC (No Objection Certificate)
As the name states everything itself. NOC is a “No Objection Certificate”, a legal document issued by the government as proof that the property is authorized by the government and covers all the legal aspects. Every builder/developer is required to have NOC before starting a project.
It is especially important that you ask for a copy of NOC from the developer and verifies it from SBCA (in Karachi) or your local regulatory body.
If the builders have NOC and you have verified it means investing in that real estate property is a GO Signal! A project with NOC means you’ll be given possession on time (depends on other factors as well), basic utilities will be provided at the time of possession and you will never face any legal issues from the respective authorities.
COST OF LAND CLEARED
The two common ways a project is funded are:
- Investors invest first and get ROI after the project is successfully completed.
- Investors invest in the upfront price to start the project and then continue paying the land and its development cost with the consumer’s investment.
If you are looking to invest in a project always investigate if COST OF LAND is cleared. Sometimes what happens is investors would start a project with some amount, later the cost of land or development cost is covered by the consumer’s investment. So, if the response on the project doesn’t go as expected the end consumer might have to face issues regarding delays and another sort of stuff. Make sure to invest in a project that is completely self-financed by the builder/investor or the cost of land is cleared.
SINGLE OWNERSHIP AND SELF FINANCED
Most of the big projects usually have multiple investors. In a case where ownership is a partnership sometimes it happens that investors get into a conflict in between which results in delays in development and possession. In this case, a normal consumer suffers a lot more than an investor. You might not want to face this so always look for a project that is financed under one ownership or go for a reputable builder which is covered in the next point.
TRACK RECORD OF DEVELOPERS
This is a common thing we see in our daily lives as well. We all trust someone for a job who has prior proven experience in the field. The same is the case here, see the builder’s previous record and talk to someone if u can who has experienced making an investment in their project. This will give you faith and security to make a better investment decision.
CONSTRUCTION STATUS
The right time is always to invest in a project at an early age. But it is the riskiest time as well. As we speak, the higher the risk, the higher the return. But if you do not want to take a huge risk then you should invest in a project when its GREY structure is 90% complete. It is still the best time for investment at low risk and high return.
We hope all this information will help you to make a better decision about your hard-earned money. If you still don’t want to take any other risk, then we are here to help you. Come see us at our office and we shall find you the home of your dream.