Purva Somerset House

Purva Somerset House has its gate on Five Furlong Road, Guindy (pincode 600032), in the south of central Chennai. Guindy is a long-settled locality with an industrial estate and plenty of green space, so the roads, shops and services around you already exist rather than being promised for later.

Getting across the city is the main advantage of an address like this. Guindy has both road and rail links, and you can reach Anna Salai or the stretch around Mount Poonamallee Road with little effort. A daily commute to offices in the city centre is likely to be shorter here than from the southern suburbs. The developer has not published distances to named offices, stations, schools or hospitals, so we do not quote any.

Schooling, medical care and shops are spread across Guindy and the localities around it. Test the trips that matter to you: drive to your workplace at your normal hour, make the evening return, and try the school run if you have children. Central addresses carry more traffic, so also check how easily cars enter and leave the gate at peak times. Ask how many parking bays come with each home, since larger households often run more than one car.

Purva Somerset House offers four home types, all quoted as built-up area:

• 3 BHK, about 1,894 sq ft: Rs. 3.4 Crore
• 4 BHK, about 2,475 sq ft: Rs. 4.4 Crore
• Penthouse with private terrace, about 3,525 sq ft: Rs. 5.8 Crore
• 5 BHK, about 3,765 sq ft: Rs. 6.9 Crore

That works out to about Rs. 16,500 to Rs. 18,300 per sq ft, with the penthouse lowest per foot and the 5 BHK highest. These are starting figures, and floor and facing may change them. Carpet areas have not been published, so ask for them.

The project is completed, so a home with its completion certificate carries no GST. Stamp duty and registration are payable on every purchase, and at these prices they add a large sum. Ask for a cost sheet that shows:

• Base rate and the area it is charged on
• Floor-rise and facing premiums
• Car parking and the number of bays
• Private terrace area and how it is priced, for the penthouse
• Maintenance deposit and clubhouse fees
• Stamp duty and registration on the full value

Purva Somerset House has no RERA registration number published by the developer. Ask Puravankara for it and check the entry on the Tamil Nadu RERA (TNRERA) portal. On a completed building, the completion certificate and the title matter more, because they show the project was built as sanctioned.

Before you pay a booking amount, ask for:

• The completion or occupancy certificate for the building
• The sanctioned plan showing your home
• Title deeds for the land (Survey No. 58/1) and an encumbrance certificate
• A draft sale deed stating your share of the land
• The parking allotment letter

Because the home is finished, the purchase registers directly on a sale deed. After registration, move the property tax assessment and the power connection into your name. If you are buying from an owner rather than the developer, add a no-dues letter from the residents' association and the seller's own registered deed. At these values, have a lawyer check the title chain before you sign.

Purva Somerset House is compact: 1.92 acres, with 181 homes stacked no higher than 12 floors. That keeps the community small and puts the shared spaces a short walk from every door. The developer has not published the share of land left open, so ask for the site plan and see how the buildings and gardens are arranged. Images you have seen may be renders as planned by the developer, so check the finished spaces on your visit.

A day here could begin on the jogging track or in the gymnasium, followed by laps in the swimming pool. The spa and sauna are there for slower mornings or weekend recovery. Children have their own play area, and the indoor games room covers the monsoon months.

In the evening, the clubhouse's sky lounge gives you a place to meet friends with a view over Guindy. Birthdays and family gatherings can move to the party area instead of your living room. With only 181 households, you are likely to know your neighbours by name. Since the project is finished, ask the residents' association which facilities are running and what the monthly maintenance charge is.