Tips To Check ‘Construction Quality’ Of An Apartment In A ‘Standalone Building’ In Hyderabad!

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Things often become difficult if you are planning on buying a ‘Standalone building’ 3BHK apartment. While you may have checked on GHMC or RERA approval for the apartment being offered, one always remains doubtful of small builders who operate in the 400 square yard plot to 2000 square yard plot segment in Hyderabad.

These small builders cater to broadly the range of two segments of home buyers- (i) middle-class, cost-sensitive, and (ii) luxury-seeking affluent home buyers, who want more for the money they pay.

The small builders offering ‘economy’ class apartments have to make sure they offer their homes at a competitive price. Clearly, the home buyers in this segment are looking for ‘more out of less’ in the middle-class segment, with 2 or 3 bhk homes ranging from 1000 sft to 1600 sft in area. For this segment of home-buyer, ‘price’ sometimes becomes more blinding than the more important aspect of ‘quality-consciousness’.

The ‘affluent’ segment of home buyers want more exclusive quality and are willing to pay more for a higher lifestyle and luxury. This segment of home buyers could opt for ‘spacious one apartment per floor’ residences upwards of 2000 sft.

Either way, as a home buyer, you need to be aware of effective ways to check on the construction quality of your ‘standalone building’ apartment.

6 worthwhile checks on the ‘quality’ of a standalone building apartment

1. Check on the soil type

• The type of soil varies, and the construction must be undertaken based on the soil-testing results
• The iron, the cement, and the structural decisions need to be guided by the soil-testing results. For example, if the soil is highly iron-corrosive, the builder should use anti-rust iron TMT bars
• The type of soil and the construction quality as per that quality determines the sturdiness of the building
• Unstable soil weakens the foundation of the building
• The builders of a standalone building must be professionals who are committed to the rigour of pre-construction checks, as well as construction done as per Bureau of Indian Standards

2. Check the basic structural design and sturdiness

• The structural design of a building means that civil engineering rigour must be applied to put up the required wall, beams, columns, and roof
• The stability and strength of a building depend on the design, and this alone ensures maximum safety and sturdiness of the building
• Earthquake-resistant measures must be undertaken by the builder
• The builder you are buying your home from must have a qualified architect or construction engineer involved in securing the quality of the building structure

3. Check for measures like the thickness of the wall

• One of the checks you can conduct is to check if the thickness of walls matches with the measurements given in the legal documents
• A critical and evaluative visit to the construction site reveals this, and you can even have your own architect to help you check this
• Thick and strong will ensure the long life of the building, and it will not bearing a run-down look over a period of time

4. Inspect on the quality of plastering

• Construction Quality of plastering must be checked, and watch-out for cracks on wall plastering
• The wall cracks may indicate poor quality of plastering or water leakage
• Choose a reliable builder with a reputation of using high-quality materials for construction, even if they are more costly compared to others

5. Check on the specifications and the fitting & fixtures 

• The specifications, the use of good branded fittings and fixtures, the flooring, the doors & windows etc. are some measures of a good quality
• The type of electrical and plumbing fittings must be high on quality
• Similarly, the elevator (lift) and power back-up gen-set must be branded
• You should not go for a cheap per square foot price if these elements are not convincing
• It is better to pay Rs 200 to Rs 300 per sft more to a reliable builder who demonstrates evidence of high quality specifications, rather than those builders who dole-out lucrative low-price deals without any regard for ‘quality’. A home with a focus on ‘Quality’ will go a long way to give you a better living experience, and even fetch a higher re-sale price in future

6. Check on the quality of cement, and processes used for cement mixing

• The construction quality of cement determines the building’s strength
• Similarly, the builder should be knowledgeable to use concrete mixing on the location, and ready-mix depending on the construction stage
• Concrete mixing on the location is more reliable for laying roof, and heavy beams and pillars
• The builder must know how to optimize the load bearing capacity by balancing the use of ‘on-site’ mixing and using ‘ready-mix’ concrete that comes in a truck

Overall, with these basics, you can choose a builder who understands and values being ‘quality conscious’!

Never compromise on quality by compromising and settling down for low quality, which usually comes at a lower price i.e. Rs 200 to 300 lesser than good quality specifications. Such a hasty decision to sacrifice quality over a lower price is a decision that home buyers regret about, especially, while buying a 2 or 3 BHK ‘standalone building’ apartment in Hyderabad!

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

-Benjamin Franklin

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To know more about “5 simple joys of living in a spacious ‘independent floor’3BHK luxury residence!“.Click here!