Hiranandani Cypress

Hiranandani Cypress stands in Devanahalli, on the northern side of Bengaluru, the direction the city has grown towards since the international airport opened there. Your address here puts the airport within easy reach by road, and the same road network ties the area back to the rest of the city. The developer has not published distances to named offices, stations or schools, so none are quoted here.

Daily needs are covered locally. The area has established schools and hospitals, a set of planned residential townships, and a growing mix of supermarkets, branded stores and restaurants. For a family, that means the weekly shop and a visit to the doctor need not mean a long trip into the city.

The trade-off is the commute. If you work in the north, around the airport or in the townships nearby, the drive can be easy. If your office is in the south or the centre, the distance adds up. Drive from the building to your workplace on a weekday morning, then make the return trip in the evening, before you decide.

Hiranandani Cypress offers two layouts to choose between, both quoted as built-up area. The three-bedroom plan is about 1,835 sq ft, though the published range for that type stretches to about 2,133 sq ft, which points to more than one variant. The four-bedroom plan is about 2,734 sq ft and suits a larger or multi-generation household. Carpet areas have not been published.

No price or rate per sq ft is published; quotes come on request only, so a per-sq-ft figure cannot be worked out here. Because the building is complete, a home that holds an occupancy certificate attracts no GST. Stamp duty and registration are payable on every purchase, new or resale. Ask for a written cost sheet that lists:

• The base price and the area it is charged on
• Car parking and the number of bays included
• Clubhouse or association charges and the maintenance deposit
• Any pending dues the seller must clear before transfer
• Stamp duty and registration on the full sale value

Hiranandani Cypress has no RERA registration number on record yet. Ask House of Hiranandani whether one exists and look it up on the Karnataka RERA website (rera.karnataka.gov.in). The approval named for the project is BBMP/BDA; ask to see the sanctioned plan itself and confirm which authority signed it.

With possession given from December 2017, you are buying a finished home, so the documents are those of a completed sale. Ask for:

• The occupancy certificate for the building
• The sanctioned building plan showing your flat
• The title chain and a recent encumbrance certificate
• Khata in the seller's name and the latest tax receipt
• A no-dues letter from the owners' association, if the flat is a resale
• Release of the original papers by any bank holding a loan on the flat

At registration you sign a sale deed, not an agreement to sell, because the home is already built. After that, apply for the khata transfer into your name and move the electricity account. Have a lawyer read the title chain before you pay any advance.

Hiranandani Cypress has no land area, tower count or open-space figure released by the developer, so ask for the site plan to see how the building relates to its gardens and courts. Any layout image or render you are shown is as planned by the developer; here you can check it against what was actually built.

A weekday could begin on the jogging track or in the gymnasium, with an aerobics session for those who prefer a class. After school, children head to the play area while parents take a turn on the badminton court. Summer evenings belong to the swimming pool.

The practical features matter as much. Lifts serve the floors, power backup runs round the clock, and an ATM on the premises saves a trip for cash. The developer describes the structure as earthquake resistant and the plans as following Vaastu and Feng Shui. Since the building has been lived in for years, walk the common areas and ask the owners' association about upkeep and the monthly maintenance charge.