KNS Athena

KNS Athena stands at Mathahalli, just off Tumkur Main Road and close to the local post office, pincode 562162. Tumkur Main Road is the long arterial route leaving Bengaluru to the north-west, and Mathahalli lies along it. The developer has not published distances to stations, schools, hospitals or offices, so none are given here.

Your daily journeys will depend on Tumkur Main Road. It is the route into the city and the route out towards the north-west, so drive it at your usual office hour before you commit. Try the return trip in the evening too, because traffic on an arterial road can differ sharply by direction.

Do not mix this address up with Marathahalli on the east side of Bengaluru, which sounds similar but is far away. If your work or your children's schools are in the east, this is a long daily trip. On a site visit, check the access road from the main road to the layout gate, and ask where the nearest schools, clinics and shops are today. Since you will build your own house, a short drive for the architect and contractor matters too.

KNS Athena sells land, not houses. There are three sizes: 30 by 40 feet, which is 1,200 sq ft; 30 by 50 feet, which is 1,500 sq ft; and 40 by 60 feet, which is 2,400 sq ft. The largest is double the smallest, which gives room for a bigger house or a garden.

Only the entry price of Rs. 66 Lakhs is published. On the 1,200 sq ft plot that comes to about Rs. 5,500 per sq ft. Ask for the prices of the larger plots in writing, and ask whether corner, east-facing or park-side plots carry a premium. Budget separately for the design and construction of your house.

The land itself does not attract the GST charged on an under-construction flat, though you should ask whether clubhouse or development charges carry GST. Stamp duty and registration are payable on the sale value. Your cost sheet should list:

• Rate per sq ft and plot area
• Any premium for position or facing
• Clubhouse membership
• Development and infrastructure charges
• Maintenance deposit
• Stamp duty and registration

KNS Athena is registered with Karnataka RERA in two phases. Phase 1 carries PRM/KA/RERA/1251/309/PR/200526/003424 and Phase 2 carries PRM/KA/RERA/1251/309/PR/010723/006029. Search both on rera.karnataka.gov.in, find out which phase your plot belongs to, and read that phase's declared completion date.

For land, the title and the permitted use are what you are buying. Before paying a booking amount, ask for:

• The conversion order for residential use of the land
• The approved layout plan with your plot marked
• The release order covering your plot
• An encumbrance certificate for the land
• Parent title deeds tracing ownership
• The draft agreement for sale, with handover date and delay penalty

Link each payment to a stage the developer has committed to on paper, not to a date promised over the phone. At registration, the sale deed should state your plot number, size and boundaries as in the approved layout. After that, apply for the khata in your name, which you will need for a building plan sanction and a construction loan.

KNS Athena spreads 260 plots across 17 acres, with a 1.5-acre clubhouse at the heart of the shared area. The developer has not published the share of land left open. Images of the site are renders as planned by the developer, so ask for the approved layout plan and see where your plot falls against the clubhouse and the main internal roads.

Picture a morning in the yoga studio or the gym, or a few laps in the swimming pool. Racket players can choose between the squash court, the badminton court and the tennis court. After school, children have their own play area, and teenagers can take over the basketball court.

For those who like to exercise outside, there is an outdoor gym. The amphitheatre can host residents' events. The restaurant and cafe inside the clubhouse is the easy option for a weekend meal or a meeting with neighbours. Houses in a plotted layout go up over several years, so expect building work around you for a while. Ask who will run the clubhouse, what the membership costs and when it will open.