Embassy Residency

Embassy Residency has its front gate on Saraswathi Rajasekar Salai (door number 439) in the Cheran Nagar part of Perumbakkam, pincode 600100, on the southern side of Chennai. The developer has not published distances to offices, stations, schools or hospitals, so none are quoted here.

The advantage of a project finished in 2017 is that the area around it has had years to fill in. Shops, clinics and bus routes that serve the residents are already running, and you can see them for yourself. Walk from the gate to the nearest grocery store, pharmacy and bus stop and time each trip.

For the commute, leave at your usual hour on a weekday and drive the whole route to work, then make the trip home in the evening. Ask residents where the traffic backs up and how long the school run really takes. Look at the road outside after heavy rain too, since that tells you more about the monsoon than any brochure. With five blocks emptying out each morning, check how quickly cars clear the gate.

Embassy Residency has one plan for every home: a 3 BHK of about 1,443 sq ft of built-up area. The developer has sold out, so there is no builder price list any more. What you pay is whatever you agree with the owner.

With size fixed, compare listings on the block, the floor, the facing and the condition of the flat. A well-kept home on a good floor will ask more than a tired one lower down. Check recent registered sales in the project to see what buyers have actually paid, not just what sellers are asking.

A resale of a completed home carries no GST. Stamp duty and registration are due on the agreed value. Before you settle on a price, ask the seller for:

• The agreed price, with any furniture or fittings listed separately
• Car parking allotted to the flat
• Maintenance dues cleared to date
• Any transfer fee charged by the association
• Property tax paid to date
• A loan closure letter, if the flat is mortgaged

Embassy Residency has no RERA registration number published by the developer, and handovers began in March 2017. Ask the seller whether the project was ever registered and check the Tamil Nadu RERA (TNRERA) website. Either way, the building's own approvals are what your lawyer should read.

In a resale, you are checking the seller's title as well as the building. Ask for:

• The seller's registered sale deed and the earlier chain of deeds
• Occupancy or completion certificate for the block
• Approved building plan showing the flat
• An encumbrance certificate covering at least the last 13 years
• Property tax receipts in the seller's name
• A no-dues letter from the residents' association
• The bank's release letter if a loan is being closed

Make sure the block and flat number match on every document. After registration, move the property tax assessment and electricity connection into your name, and register as the new owner with the association.

Embassy Residency has five blocks of nine floors on grounds recorded as 25 acres, which leaves a lot of open land for the size of the buildings. Because everything has been built and used since 2017, you can walk the whole layout and see which block is nearest the clubhouse, the pool and the gardens.

A day here could begin with a swim or a session in the gymnasium, followed by a run on the jogging trail. After school, children spread out between the kids' play area, the outdoor courts and the activity area, and on hot afternoons the indoor games room takes the overflow.

The landscaped gardens are where neighbours meet in the evening, and the party area handles birthdays and small functions. Retail spaces inside the project cover everyday purchases, so a missing packet of milk does not mean taking out the car. Since the facilities have been in use for years, ask the residents' association about their condition and recent repairs. Ask too about the monthly maintenance charge, and whether any large spend on the pool or lifts is planned.