Godrej Platinum

Godrej Platinum sits off International Airport Road in Hebbal Kempapura, pincode 560024, within the Godrej Woodsman Estate. Hebbal is the northern gateway of Bengaluru, known for its lake and for the flyover that joins Bellary Road to the Outer Ring Road. It is a settled residential and business area rather than a new corridor.

That flyover shapes much of your day. Trips south into the city and east or west along the Outer Ring Road all start there, and it can be slow at peak hours. The airport lies further north along the same road, which makes early flights easier than from most parts of the city. The developer has not published distances to offices, schools or hospitals, so we quote none.

Since the building is finished and lived in, a visit shows you the real picture. Go on a weekday morning and time the drive to your office, then try the return at dusk. Check road noise from the airport road on the side your flat faces, and ask residents how easy it is to turn in and out of the estate at rush hour.

Godrej Platinum has only four-bedroom flats, each measuring close to 3,725 sq ft of built-up area. There are no other plans, so your choice is really about floor, facing and condition. The developer has sold all the homes and publishes no price, so the figure is set between you and the seller.

Ask the owner for the carpet area stated in the original agreement, and for the floor plan of the actual flat, since interiors may have been changed. Look at recent resale deals for the same building to judge a fair price. Specifications on the original list included vitrified and wooden flooring, hardwood doors and full power backup for lifts and common areas.

A completed resale carries no GST, but stamp duty and registration apply on the agreed value. Before you pay an advance, get:

• The seller's registered sale deed and original agreement
• Proof of full payment to the developer
• The car parking allotment for the flat
• A no-dues letter from the owners' association
• A loan closure letter if the flat is mortgaged
• A written list of fittings included in the sale

Godrej Platinum is listed with BBMP and BDA approval. No RERA registration number has been published; if the owner's agreement quotes one, look it up on the Karnataka RERA website (rera.karnataka.gov.in). For a finished home, though, the title papers matter far more than a construction registration.

Ask the seller to hand over copies of:

• The occupancy certificate for the block
• The BBMP or BDA approved building plan
• Khata in the seller's name and the latest tax receipt
• An encumbrance certificate covering at least the last 13 years
• The registered sale deed from the developer to the seller

Check that the name on the khata, the tax receipt and the sale deed is the same. If a bank holds the originals against a home loan, agree how the loan will be closed and the papers released on the day of sale. After you register your sale deed, apply to transfer the khata and the electricity and water connections into your name, and inform the owners' association.

Godrej Platinum is a single 12-floor block on 2 acres, with 135 homes. That is small enough that neighbours get to know one another, while the grounds still find room for a clubhouse, a pool, several courts and gardens. Any brochure images are renders as planned by the developer, so compare them with what stands on site.

A morning could start on the jogging track or in the gymnasium, with a swim to finish. The meditation hall suits a quiet half hour, and the health centre is close at hand. After school, children use the play area and kids' play area, and older ones head to the basketball court or the outdoor courts.

Rainy afternoons can be spent at table tennis, billiards or in the games room and indoor games area, and keen players have a squash court. Birthdays and gatherings go to the party hall, and the retail spaces cover small errands. Solar heaters for water and a system to harvest rain help with running costs. Because the building is several years old, ask about the maintenance charge and the state of the lifts and pool.