Century Infinity

Century Infinity lies on Sarjapur Road, on the stretch that runs out towards Wipro in the south-east of Bengaluru, a part of the city that has grown into one of its IT hubs. The developer has not published a street address, a pincode or any distances, so ask for the exact gate before you plan a visit and time the drives yourself rather than trusting a map.

The daily commute would run along Sarjapur Road in one direction or the other. Koramangala and Silk Board are reached by road towards the city, and Marathahalli and the Outer Ring Road towards the north-east. Electronic City and Whitefield, the two big office clusters, are within reach. Drive to your workplace at the hour you would leave and back at the evening peak, because this road carries a heavy load at both ends of the day.

Life off Sarjapur Road has filled in around the offices, so shops, clinics and schools are close at hand even though the developer names none. On the visit, walk the approach road from Sarjapur Road to the gate and note its width and condition, and ask where visitors park. Ask the owners' association whether the water supply depends on borewells or tankers, as it often does in this belt.

Century Infinity was built in three home types, quoted as built-up area. The two-bedroom flats measure roughly 1,198 to 1,298 sq ft, the three-bedroom flats roughly 1,797 to 1,892 sq ft, and the four-bedroom flats roughly 2,478 to 2,626 sq ft. Carpet areas have not been published, so ask for the plan of the specific flat and measure it.

The published bands are Rs. 56.9 up to 61.65 Lakhs for a 2 BHK, Rs. 85.35 up to 89.87 Lakhs for a 3 BHK, and Rs. 1.17 up to 1.24 Crore for a 4 BHK. On the smallest flat that is about Rs. 4,750 per sq ft. For a home completed in 2017 that reads like the launch rate, so ask whether the developer still holds stock at these figures or whether a seller will price from the market.

Because the flat is finished and holds its occupancy certificate, no GST is payable. Stamp duty and registration in Karnataka apply on the full sale value. Ask for a cost sheet that shows:

• Base price and the area it is charged on
• Floor and facing premium for the unit you want
• Car parking bays included
• Clubhouse membership and the maintenance deposit
• Confirmation that GST is not charged, with the occupancy certificate as the reason
• On a resale, the association transfer fee and any pending dues
• Stamp duty and registration on the full consideration

Century Infinity has no RERA registration number published, and the developer describes the project as BBMP/BDA approved. Possession from December 2017 falls after registration became compulsory, so ask Century Real Estate for the number, or for the reason there is none. Check the Karnataka RERA website, rera.karnataka.gov.in, before you pay a booking amount.

Because the project is finished, the first document is the occupancy certificate. If you are buying from the developer, ask for:

• The occupancy certificate for your block
• The sanctioned building plan showing your flat
• Title documents and the mother deed for the 3-acre site
• An encumbrance certificate for the property
• The khata and the latest property tax receipt
• A draft sale deed, since a completed home registers on a sale deed rather than an agreement to sell

If you are buying from an owner, add the seller's registered sale deed and the chain of title before it. Add an encumbrance certificate for the years the seller has owned the flat, and a no-dues letter from the owners' association. Have a lawyer read the title chain before you pay an advance. At registration the sale deed goes into your name, and the khata transfer follows.

Century Infinity sits on a 3-acre site on Sarjapur Road, with the blocks arranged around a clubhouse, a pool and a garden. The developer has not published the number of blocks or floors or the open-space share, so ask for the sanctioned site plan and walk the ground. Because the project has been finished since 2017, you are looking at what exists, not at a render.

A morning could start in the gym and end in the pool, or on the tennis and basketball courts if you would rather play than train. Children have a play area and the garden to run in. The community hall is where residents meet and where family functions happen, and the indoor games room covers a rainy evening. A bank ATM inside the compound is a small thing that saves a trip out.

What is not here matters too. There is no jogging track or large sports campus on the list, so if that is what you want, weigh it against the price and the address. Ask the owners' association how many households share the pool and clubhouse and what the monthly maintenance comes to. Ask how the facilities have been kept since handover, because in a community this age the upkeep is on show.