Habitat Eden Heights

Habitat Eden Heights stands in Whitefield in east Bengaluru, the district that grew up around ITPL, the city's oldest big IT campus. TCS, GE, Xerox and IBM all have offices in that park. If your job is there, your daily commute could be one of the shortest in the city.

Next door lie Hoodi and Mahadevapura, while Doddanekundi and Chinnapanahalli are nearby residential areas. That gives you a choice of shops, eateries and services on the same side of town. Exact distances to schools, hospitals or stations have not been published, so none are quoted here.

Whitefield traffic is the thing to test. Drive from the gate to your office, your children's school and your usual market at the hours you would travel, and time the return in the evening. Because the building is finished, you can also stand at the entrance during rush hour. Watch how quickly cars get out onto the main road before you decide.

Habitat Eden Heights lists three layouts, with sizes quoted as built-up or super built-up area rather than carpet. For a 2.5 BHK of about 1,398 to 1,447 sq ft, the range is Rs. 90.2 Lakhs to about Rs. 95.7 Lakhs. The 3 BHK runs from about 1,768 to 1,958 sq ft, at about Rs. 94.5 Lakhs up to Rs. 1.26 Crore. The 3.5 BHK, around 2,021 sq ft, is listed at Rs. 1.30 Crore.

Per sq ft, the 3 BHK entry price works out to about Rs. 5,350, while the 2.5 BHK entry comes to about Rs. 6,450. Ask for carpet areas. The finishes include vitrified tiles in most rooms, a wooden-laminate floor in the main bedroom and an AC point there.

No GST is due on a finished flat with an occupancy certificate. Stamp duty and registration always apply. Ask for a cost sheet that shows:

• The final price and the area it is based on
• Car parking and the number of bays included
• Pending maintenance and the association corpus
• Any transfer or society fee
• Stamp duty and registration on the full value

Habitat Eden Heights has no RERA number published by the developer, though it was handed over from October 2019. You can still search the Karnataka RERA website (rera.karnataka.gov.in) by project or promoter name. If an entry exists, it will show the approved plan and completion filings. The project is described as holding BBMP/BDA approval; ask to see those papers rather than taking the label on trust.

For a finished home, the file you should ask for is different from a new launch. Before paying an advance, get copies of:

• The occupancy certificate for the building
• The sanctioned building plan showing your flat
• Title deeds and an encumbrance certificate for at least 15 years
• The khata extract and the latest property tax receipt
• A no-dues letter from the owners' association
• For a resale, the seller's registered sale deed and any loan closure letter

Have a lawyer check that the flat number and area in the sale deed match the approved plan. At registration you receive the sale deed. Then apply to move the khata and the electricity account into your name.

Habitat Eden Heights occupies a 4.5-acre site. The developer has not published the number of homes, the tower count or the share of open space. Ask the owners' association or the seller for the approved site plan, and walk the grounds yourself, since everything is already built.

Daily life here is simple rather than resort-like. A morning workout happens at the gym in the clubhouse, and children use the play area after school. Lifts, power backup and a manned security team at the gates handle the basics. CCTV covers key points, and there is a boom barrier at the entry.

What you will not find on the list is a pool, sports courts or a large landscaped garden. If those matter to your family, factor in the cost and travel time of using facilities outside. Because the project has been occupied since 2019, you can judge the upkeep with your own eyes. Check the lifts, the backup and the clubhouse on a site visit, and ask what the monthly maintenance charge is.