Prestige Deja Vu

Prestige Deja Vu has its address on Saunders Road, Frazer Town, with Pulkeshi Nagar and pincode 560005 on the letters. This is old Bengaluru. The streets, markets, schools and hospitals near you have been there for decades, so you are not waiting on anything to be built.

That also shapes daily life. Roads in this part of the city are narrower and busier than in newer suburbs, and parking on the street is tight. The upside is that you are close to the centre of town rather than on its edge. For many families, that trade is the whole point of living here.

The developer has not published distances to offices, schools, hospitals or the airport. So test the location yourself before you buy. Drive to your workplace at a weekday rush hour and time the trip both ways. Walk to the nearest grocery store and pharmacy. If you have children, try the school run. Because the tower is finished, you can also stand on the balcony of the flat you like and judge the noise from the road below at different times of day.

Prestige Deja Vu still sells only one plan through the developer: a three-bedroom flat of about 2,775 sq ft. The size is the built-up figure, so ask for the carpet area as well. Prices start at Rs. 3.80 Crore, about Rs. 13,700 per sq ft. A higher floor or a better view is likely to cost more than the starting figure.

The two four-bedroom penthouses, of about 4,458 and 4,526 sq ft, are sold out. If you want one, you will be buying resale from an owner. In that case, check the title chain, the society's no-dues letter and the flat's condition.

Because the building is complete, GST does not apply once the occupancy certificate is in place. Stamp duty and registration are payable on every purchase. Ask for a cost sheet for your unit that shows:

• Base price and the built-up and carpet areas
• Floor-rise or view premium, if any
• Car park charge
• Maintenance deposit and the current monthly charge
• Stamp duty and registration
• Confirmation that no GST is charged

Prestige Deja Vu does not show a published RERA number. Ask Prestige Group for it and check the entry on the Karnataka RERA website (rera.karnataka.gov.in). The tower was finished in 2019, so ask the developer to explain its RERA position if no entry turns up.

For a finished home, the papers that matter are the ones that prove the building is complete and legal. Ask to see:

• The occupancy certificate for the tower
• The sanctioned building plan, with your flat marked
• Khata for the flat and the latest property tax receipt
• Title deeds and an encumbrance certificate for the plot
• A no-dues letter for maintenance and utilities
• A draft sale deed

A completed flat is bought on a sale deed, not an agreement for sale, so read the draft with a lawyer. After you register the deed, apply to move the khata into your name and pay the next property tax yourself. Keep every receipt. If you buy a penthouse as a resale, ask for the seller's own sale deed as well.

Prestige Deja Vu is a vertical, quiet place to live. One tower of 21 floors holds only 40 homes on a 0.8-acre plot, so you will know your neighbours by face. The share of the plot left open has not been published, so walk the grounds and see how much green space is left around the building.

A weekday could begin with laps in the swimming pool or a session in the gym. There is a jogging track for a morning run, and courts for tennis and basketball if you prefer a game. Children have a play area of their own, and there is a games room and table tennis for wet afternoons. In the evening, a spa and sauna help you unwind. On weekends the mini theatre and the clubhouse give families somewhere to gather without leaving the building, and the landscaped gardens are there for a slow walk.

Since the tower is complete, you do not need to trust a brochure. Visit and use the facilities if you can. Check how well each one is kept, and ask how the maintenance charge pays for them. Any images you have seen were as planned by the developer, so compare them with what is there.