Purva Windermere

Purva Windermere stands on Bhavani Amman Koil Street in Pallikaranai, pincode 600100, a residential pocket in the south of Chennai that has filled out in recent years. The developer has not published distances to offices, stations, schools or hospitals, so we do not quote any. Plan your own journeys instead of relying on a brochure.

Drive from the site to your workplace at the time you usually leave, then make the evening return, when traffic in south Chennai is at its heaviest. If you have children, time the school run. Note where the nearest hospital, pharmacy and weekly market are, and whether buses or shared autos run close to the gate.

A 55-acre township with 2,688 homes will send a lot of cars onto the approach roads once it is full. Ask which gates the township will use, and how many parking bays come with each home. Since building is still going on, look at how the approach road is holding up under trucks, and at any diversions. Towers near the boundary may face a road, while those in the middle may face gardens, so ask which one you are being offered.

Purva Windermere offers four sizes, all quoted as built-up area. Carpet areas have not been published, so ask for them:

• 1 BHK, about 611 sq ft: Rs. 50 Lakhs
• 2 BHK, about 1,255 sq ft: Rs. 77 Lakhs
• 3 BHK, about 1,945 sq ft: Rs. 1.02 Crore
• 4 BHK, about 2,712 sq ft: Rs. 1.23 Crore

Per sq ft, that is about Rs. 8,200 for the 1 BHK, Rs. 6,150 for the 2 BHK, Rs. 5,250 for the 3 BHK and Rs. 4,550 for the 4 BHK. Such a wide spread is unusual, so confirm current unit-wise prices before you compare.

The home is under construction, so GST is charged on top of the price. Stamp duty and registration are payable when you register. Payments will be linked to construction, so match each demand to the progress you can see. 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
• Power backup charge, if any
• Maintenance deposit and clubhouse fees
• GST as its own line, plus stamp duty and registration

Purva Windermere has no RERA registration number published by the developer. A project still under construction should be registered, so ask Puravankara for the number. Check it on the Tamil Nadu RERA (TNRERA) portal before you pay a booking amount. In a phased township, each phase may carry its own registration, so match the number to your tower.

At booking, ask for:

• The RERA certificate covering your tower's phase
• The sanctioned layout and building plan for your tower
• Title documents and an encumbrance certificate for the land
• A draft agreement for sale with the handover date and payment schedule
• The name of the bank holding the project account

The agreement for sale is registered after the booking amount is paid, and it should state the penalty if handover slips past December 2029. At handover, ask for the completion certificate for your tower and then register the sale deed. After that, move the property tax and power connection into your name.

Purva Windermere spreads 21 low towers of seven floors across 55 acres, with the clubhouse, courts and gardens laid out between them. The developer has not published the share of land kept open, so ask for the latest master plan and the phasing drawing. Images you see are as planned by the developer, and a township this big can change between launch and handover.

A weekday here could start on the jogging trail or in the gymnasium, followed by laps in the swimming pool. The health centre adds a place for check-ups or recovery. Children have a play area, and older ones can use the outdoor courts after school. The activity area and indoor games room cover wet afternoons.

Evenings are for the landscaped gardens, and the party area takes birthdays and family events off your hands. Retail spaces inside the township are meant to cover small daily needs without a drive. With so many households sharing these spaces, ask when each facility will open compared with your tower's handover. Also ask how the clubhouse will cope with thousands of residents at peak times, and what the monthly maintenance charge will be.