Golden Homes III

Golden Homes III stands where Bangalore gives way to open country on its south-eastern side, at Attibele on the Sarjapur–Attibele Road. Life here moves at a slower pace than in the city proper. Mornings are quieter, plots are larger, and the traffic you meet is lighter until you join the main corridors.

Working days will mostly mean a drive. Whitefield, Electronic City and Koramangala can all be reached by road, as can Marathahalli and the Outer Ring Road. The developer does not publish travel times or distances, so drive the route to your own office at the hour you would really leave home, and then do the return trip in the evening.

For daily needs you will lean on the wider Sarjapur belt, which has schools, colleges, hospitals, banks and supermarkets. Check which of these your children would actually attend and how long the school run takes. A family with two working parents should also test the second commute, since a villa suburb rarely suits two long drives in opposite directions.

Weekends, on the other hand, are where this address pays off. You come home to a garden, a clubhouse and room to breathe.

Golden Homes III has two villa types to choose from. The three-bedroom villa starts at about 1,688 sq ft, and the listing shows a range up to about 2,236 sq ft. The four-bedroom villa starts at about 2,968 sq ft, with a range up to about 3,960 sq ft. The ranges are not explained, so ask whether they describe built-up area, plot area or different corner and middle villas.

Prices are on request only, and the developer has not published a per-sq-ft rate, so we cannot work one out here. Since the homes are complete, no GST is due on a villa that holds its occupancy certificate. Stamp duty and registration are payable on every purchase. Detailed specifications have not been published either, so inspect finishes in person.

When you get a quote, ask for a cost sheet that lists:

• The base price and whether it covers land and building together
• Plot area and built-up area of the exact villa
• Clubhouse membership and any transfer fee charged by the association
• Maintenance deposit and the monthly charge
• Stamp duty and registration on the full sale value

For an owner sale, also compare against recent registrations within the community.

Golden Homes III shows an approval from BBMP/BDA. No RERA registration number has been published. Search the project name on the Karnataka RERA website (rera.karnataka.gov.in) anyway, and ask Golden Gate Properties to confirm in writing whether a registration exists.

Because the villas are finished and handed over, you are buying a completed home, often a resale one. Collect these papers before you pay any advance:

• Sanctioned layout and building plan, with your villa marked
• Occupancy certificate for the villa
• Mother deed and the chain of title for the 17-acre land
• Encumbrance certificate covering at least the last 15 years
• Khata in the seller's name and the latest property tax receipt
• Society or association dues clearance, if one runs the estate

Have a property lawyer read the set, since approvals on the city's outer edge can come from more than one authority. At handover, register the sale deed at the sub-registrar's office and then move the khata into your own name. Keep copies of the electricity and water connection papers, as you will need them to transfer those accounts.

Golden Homes III gives 17 acres over to villas, with the shared facilities grouped around a clubhouse. The developer has not published the number of homes or the share of land left open, so ask for the layout plan and walk it on site. Any renders you are shown are as planned by the developer; here the real thing is already built, so compare the two.

An early start might mean a few laps of the swimming pool or a session in the gymnasium, followed by a walk on the jogging track while the lanes are still quiet. Tennis players get a court of their own. Grandparents have a senior citizen park, and younger children have a play area close to home.

When the family has something to celebrate, the community hall and party area take the crowd that a living room cannot. The clubhouse is also the place where residents meet, which counts for a lot on the edge of the city. Power backup runs round the clock, rainwater harvesting is part of the site, and a lift is listed among the facilities. Ask which villas or buildings it serves, and check the state of each facility on your visit, because upkeep after several years tells you more than the amenity list does.