Friday, May 9, 2008

Realty Bites

Every year as I move to another city, I end up with my two week struggle to find the perfect place..am i finicky ? well a little, am i a worrier ? well a little and yes i find hotels mildly depressing..Well its right in the middle of a new job(position) and then to find a place to stay..and communicate to the hungry shark like estate agents on my budget, which is just never enough for these agents..am always having to stretch..when my budget as a trainee was inr 2500 i had to stretch..or even when it was 10,000 i had to stretch, and u get the drift right ?

So yes, here i am looking for apartments in chennai...preferably not in an independent house, with the landlord staying below, who needs a nosy parker finding out your every move..and i certainly dont intend to make mild chit chat with anyone's wife, or aunt so thats out!

An apartment with good ventilation, and windows that dont open into the neighbours house would be great!..i tried www.99acres.com, or www.magicbricks.com where most of the advts were given by owners themselves, but the flip side the advts are atleast a month old so most places have been let out already..

I remember looking for a place when i was in Bangalore..the realty agent said the place was for 10000 negotiable so i was under the impression it would be available for inr 9000 + maintenance. Guess what, another agent comes in with an IT sector Boy. IT boy is getting married and needs to zero in on an apt soon. The landlord, greedily smacks his lips when he hears IT boy is from a well know IT firm in Bangalore. He says the apartment is for INR 15,000 but for you i will give it for 14,000, IT boy takes his offer. I am left a speechless spectator at what transpired. What was quoted as INR 10,000 negotiable was just sold at 14,000.wow! realty bites indeed..the good part of the story was that i went and found another place in Tippasandra which was a penthouse and an almost private terrace..was really lovely as an apartment..its so important to find a comfortable place to live in...

Then was Kolkata..where i was looking for a place just like my Bangalore one..and then i found it..when i walk in i just know this is my apartment..huge old windows, abundant greenery around, breeze which blows your curtains out, its was a lovely place in Alipore..Yes., i am lucky when it comes to getting the apartment of my choice..but the path to it can be a little annoying at times :)

So yes, i am now on the look out for a good apartment in chennai...thankfully my friend has been looking at places for me(bless him) this is just what i needed as i am really stressed out thinking i havent made much headway yet..in my first 3 days in the new position..

Am sure i will find the place of my choice as i usually do...

4 comments:

B.Srinivasa Rajkumar said...

Yeah some story here.. Moved to chennai last year when instructed to report to HO in chennai took time to search for the house over net....

Tried all 99 to 1000 acres.com. But most of the postings are done by agents in name of owners trying to milk money from guys like us who are literally at the mercy of these agents unless you have someone at the city to search for us... (you are blessed to have one in chennai).

Somehow got one apartment through free ads and signed the agreement in middle of the night because i need to shift the house next day...

My houseowner is a nice gentleman who wanted not to claim HRA because he is claiming the house as self occupied and if his IT company comes to know he will be fired.

Immediately after 3 months of moving in i had to start looking out again...

No other go other than to depend on agents. And this time got into a mess with a lady mafia gang in thiruvanmiyur. These agents donot do any bargaining they just simply escalate the rent... That too if you go to see a house with your ID card and a neat dress.... kalas!!! you will be paying double than what it is really worth for.

Because of their slogging, had to drop the idea of shifting and now am again in look out for apartment. But this time no agents, but started searching through friends. Hope to find an apartment in vadapalani area of chennai soon....

These guys make cool money... All in the area are agents/brokers right from the doodhwala to the paper boy... And they have started taking service charges. If you see 3-4 apartments/houses in a day and do not decide. They have started demanding hourly charges.

Think its the time for government to look into this

Vivekanand said...

Hey, any success with the house hunt or what?


PS: Nice blog. It's amazing that you're able to take time off to blog so regularly! Hats off to you.

Deepa said...

Hey Srinivas, and VIv, further to emails, i think i am close to finding the apartment of my choice. Will keep you posted. Cheers, D

Unknown said...

So dear.. hv u found the apartmnt u wanted at Chennai... Am sure u wud hv by now..