DRA Urbania

DRA Urbania is at Paleripattu, Ashok Nagar, pincode 600071, in the Avadi area on the north-west side of Chennai. The developer has not published distances to offices, stations, schools or hospitals, so none are quoted here. Plan to learn the area on the ground.

Begin with your commute. Leave the gate at the hour you usually head to work, drive the whole route and note where it slows. Then do the return trip in the evening. If anyone in the family uses buses or trains, find the nearest stop or station and time the walk and the wait.

Because the blocks are lived in, the approach road and the shops near the gate are there to see now. Walk to the nearest grocery store, pharmacy and clinic, and ask residents how long the school run takes. Look at the lanes after a heavy shower, since drainage varies a lot street to street. Also check how cars get in and out when all four blocks leave at once in the morning.

DRA Urbania has three plans on offer, all quoted as built-up area. The 2 BHK is about 915 sq ft from Rs. 51 Lakhs, about Rs. 5,570 per sq ft. The 3 BHK with two toilets is about 1,001 sq ft from Rs. 56 Lakhs, about Rs. 5,590 per sq ft. The 3 BHK with three toilets is about 1,248 sq ft from Rs. 69 Lakhs, about Rs. 5,530 per sq ft.

Carpet areas are not published, so ask for them, especially on the smaller 3 BHK. A finished home with its certificate carries no GST. Stamp duty and registration are due on every purchase. Ask for a cost sheet that lists:

• Base price and the area it is charged on
• Facing or floor charges, if any
• Car parking
• Maintenance deposit and the monthly rate
• Electricity and water connection charges
• Stamp duty and registration on the full value

If you buy from an owner instead of the developer, ask for proof that no maintenance or tax dues are pending on the flat.

DRA Urbania has no RERA registration number published yet. Ask DRA Homes for it and check it on the Tamil Nadu RERA (TNRERA) website. If you are told the project did not need registration, ask for that in writing and have a lawyer confirm it.

You are buying a finished flat, so the file should prove completion and a clear title. Ask for:

• Completion or occupancy certificate for your block
• Approved building plan showing your flat
• Parent title deeds and an encumbrance certificate for the 1.5 acres
• Latest property tax receipt
• A draft sale deed with your undivided share of land

A home loan brings a legal check by the bank, which is a useful second review. Once you register the sale deed, transfer the property tax assessment and electricity connection into your name. Ask the residents' association for a written statement that no dues are pending before you pay the final amount.

DRA Urbania has four low blocks of four floors on 1.5 acres, with 160 households spread between them. Each building is small, so you get fewer neighbours on each landing and short lift rides. Ask which block is closest to the clubhouse and gardens, and which blocks face one another, since that affects light and privacy on the lower floors.

An ordinary morning could start with laps of the jogging track or a workout in the gymnasium at the clubhouse. Younger children have a play area outside, and the indoor games room takes over when it is too hot or too wet to be out.

The landscaped gardens are the place for an evening walk or a chat with neighbours. The multipurpose area can host a birthday, a residents' meeting or a small festival gathering. The list covers daily needs without extras, and there is no pool. As the project is finished, you can see each facility working and ask the residents' association what the monthly maintenance charge is and what it pays for.