Casagrand Frenchtown

Casagrand Frenchtown is placed simply in Kovilancheri, Chennai, a locality in the city's southern belt. Casagrand has not published a street, a landmark, a pincode or any distances, so we cannot tell you how far the gate is from an office hub, a school or a station.

That makes your own site visit more important than usual. Ask the sales team for a map pin of the entrance and drive there from where you work, at the hour you would normally leave. Repeat the trip in the evening. On a site of 10.76 acres, also ask where your tower is relative to the main gate, because an internal walk can add minutes to every trip out.

With five bedrooms, a household often runs on several daily routines: office runs, school runs and trips for older parents. Map each one. Find the nearest hospital with an emergency ward, the schools your children could attend and the closest grocery and pharmacy. Check whether buses or shared autos pass near the gate for anyone who does not drive.

A large home in an outer locality usually trades space for time on the road. Decide how much commuting your family will accept before the size of the flat wins you over.

Casagrand Frenchtown offered five home types at launch. The compact ones were a 1 BHK of about 857 sq ft, a 2 BHK of about 1,153 sq ft and a 3 BHK of about 1,447 sq ft. Above them came a floor villa with three bedrooms at about 3,249 sq ft and a five-bedroom flat of about 3,756 sq ft. Casagrand lists the first four as fully booked. The sizes are not labelled carpet or saleable, so ask for both.

The 5 BHK is the only fresh stock, and its prices start at Rs. 2.29 Crore. On about 3,756 sq ft, that is roughly Rs. 6,100 per sq ft. Anyone who wants a smaller home here will be negotiating with an existing owner at a resale price.

Because the building is not finished, GST applies to the construction portion. Stamp duty and registration are payable on top in every case, including resale. Ask for a cost sheet showing:

• Base rate and the area it is charged on
• Floor-rise and facing charges for your unit
• Car parking and the number of bays
• Club membership and maintenance deposit
• GST on its own line
• Stamp duty and registration

Casagrand Frenchtown is registered with RERA as TN/35/Building/0337/2024. Search it on the TNRERA website before you pay anything. Check the promoter name, the registered unit count of 639 and the completion date on file, since no possession date is published elsewhere.

If you are buying one of the remaining 5 BHK units from Casagrand, ask for:

• The RERA registration certificate
• The sanctioned plan showing your tower and unit
• Title documents and an encumbrance certificate for the land
• A draft agreement for sale with a handover date and delay penalty
• The stage-linked payment schedule

If you are buying a smaller home from an existing owner, the checks change. Ask for the seller's allotment letter, the registered agreement and every payment receipt. Get a letter from Casagrand confirming that no dues are pending and that it will record the transfer. Have a property lawyer read these papers before you pay a token.

At handover, collect the occupancy certificate for your tower and register the sale deed in your name. Then transfer the property tax and electricity accounts as well.

Casagrand Frenchtown is a community of 639 homes on 10.76 acres, which gives the planners room for a proper sports culture, and the facility list shows it. The tower layout and open-space share have not been published, so ask for the sanctioned site plan. Any pictures you see are renders as planned by the developer.

Mornings could start on the jogging track or at the outdoor gym, with a yoga space for a quieter routine. Racquet players get squash, badminton and tennis courts, and there is a skating rink and a basketball court for the children. A swimming pool and an indoor gym cover the rest of the fitness list.

Families with small children will value the creche and the kids' play area. Dog owners have a pet park. The clubhouse holds a home theatre for film nights, and guest rooms help when relatives visit for a few days.

Daily chores get easier too, since a laundry facility and a convenience store are planned inside the gates. Since construction is still going on, ask Casagrand which of these are finished, which open with the first handover, and how the clubhouse will be run and charged once residents move in.