Prestige Edwardian

Prestige Edwardian sits on Edward Road, Vasanth Nagar, pincode 560051, a short turn off Cunningham Road. This is the old centre of Bengaluru. Offices, hotels, hospitals, clubs and schools have been part of this area for decades, so you are not waiting for anything to be built around you.

Living here means short trips rather than long commutes, if your work and your children's schools are in the city centre. It also means central-city traffic and tight street parking. Plan to use the building's own parking and check how many car spaces come with the flat.

The developer has not published distances to offices, schools, hospitals or the airport. So test the location against your own routine. Drive to your office at a weekday rush hour and time the trip both ways. Try the school run if you have children. Walk up and down Edward Road in the morning, at midday and after dark to hear how busy and loud it gets. Since the building is finished, you can also stand in the flat you like and judge the street noise from each side.

Prestige Edwardian has one plan in the building: a four-bedroom home of about 4,750 sq ft, quoted as built-up area. Ask for the carpet area as well. Prices start at Rs. 10.55 Crore, which is about Rs. 22,200 per sq ft. A higher floor or a better view is likely to cost more than the starting price.

Since the building is complete and has been occupied since 2016, GST does not apply to a flat with an occupancy certificate. Stamp duty and registration are payable on the full sale value. On a home of this price, that alone is a large sum, so include it in your budget from the start.

Ask for a cost sheet, from the developer or the seller, that shows:

• Base price, with built-up and carpet areas
• Car parking, and how many spaces come with the flat
• Clubhouse and amenity charges, if billed apart
• Maintenance deposit and the monthly charge
• Stamp duty and registration
• Confirmation that no GST is charged

If you buy from an owner, add the association's transfer fee.

Prestige Edwardian carries no published RERA number. The building was handed over in August 2016, before the RERA law came into force in 2017. You can still search the Karnataka RERA website (rera.karnataka.gov.in), but expect the building's own approvals to carry the weight.

For a finished home in an old part of the city, the papers that prove the title and the building are what matter. Ask to see:

• The occupancy certificate
• 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

If you buy from an owner, also ask for their registered sale deed and check it against the khata. Make sure the name on the tax receipt matches the seller's. Have a lawyer read everything before you sign.

After registration, move the khata into your name and pay the next property tax yourself.

Prestige Edwardian is a private address. One building of 14 floors on 1 acre holds only 26 households, so the lift is often yours alone and the corridors stay quiet. The share of land left open has not been published, so walk the grounds to see how the space around the building is used.

A day could start with a swim or a session in the gym. The squash court suits a fast game before work, and the spa and sauna help you unwind after it. Children have a play area and a games room for rainy afternoons. When you host, the party area and the clubhouse give you room beyond your own home. A few shops within the complex can cover small daily needs.

Inside, the home automation system can run your lights, light sensors and curtains. Each flat has a 10 kVA power supply, and the bathrooms come with shower cubicles and geysers.

The building has been lived in since 2016, so do not rely on renders, which showed it as planned by the developer. Use the pool and gym if you can, check the upkeep of the lobby and lifts, and ask what the maintenance charge pays for.