Shriram Mangalam

Shriram Mangalam has the postal address 903, Shriram City Rd, Sri Pandian Nagar, Mangadu, Chennai 600122. Mangadu is an established residential suburb on the western side of Chennai. The developer has not published distances to stations, offices, schools or hospitals, so none are quoted here.

A good part of your weekly routine can stay on campus. There is a shopping area for daily needs and a pharmacy and health centre for minor medical visits. A creche and kids' play area help parents who work, and the library gives children a quiet place to read after school.

For everything else, Mangadu's own markets and roads come into play. Before you shortlist a flat, drive to your workplace at the hour you normally leave, then drive back in the evening peak. Do the same for the school run if you have children. With 936 homes on one campus, watch how traffic moves at the main gate in the morning, because that first stretch sets the tone for your day.

Shriram Mangalam was built by the developer in three layouts, all quoted as built-up area. The compact 2 BHK is about 817 sq ft, the larger 2 BHK about 1,157 sq ft, and the 3 BHK about 1,281 sq ft. Carpet areas were not published, so measure the rooms or ask the seller for the carpet figure on the sale deed.

All three are sold out with the developer, and there is no current price list. What you pay is agreed with the owner. Compare asking prices for the same size in the same tower, and adjust for floor, facing and interiors the owner has added.

A finished home with an occupancy certificate carries no GST. Stamp duty and registration apply to every sale. Before you agree a figure, check:

• The built-up area written in the owner's sale deed
• Which tower and floor the flat is on
• Whether a parking bay is allotted and in whose name
• Any unpaid maintenance or property tax
• Society transfer charges payable by the buyer

Shriram Mangalam does not yet show a published RERA number. Ask the seller or Shriram Properties for it and look it up on the Tamil Nadu RERA (TNRERA) portal. The entry confirms the promoter and the approved plan, which helps you check that the flat on sale matches what was sanctioned.

On a resale purchase, the seller's paperwork is what protects you. Ask to see:

• The seller's registered sale deed, and the earlier deed if the flat has changed hands before
• Occupancy certificate for the tower
• Approved building plan showing the unit
• An encumbrance certificate covering recent years
• Latest property tax receipt and the khata or tax assessment
• A no-dues letter from the residents' association

If the seller still has a home loan on the flat, the bank must release the original documents before registration. At handover, register the sale deed in your name and have the tax record and the association membership transferred to you.

Shriram Mangalam has three 19-floor towers sharing the grounds, and the facilities are common to all of them. The developer has not published an open-space share, so walk the campus and see how much of it is garden, courts and roads. Brochure images were renders as planned by the developer; the finished site is what you are buying into.

Picture a weekday. You might start with a run on the jogging track or a session in the gymnasium, and finish with a swim in the rooftop pool. The 20,000 sq ft clubhouse holds a games room and a library with a reading room, which suits a quiet hour after work. Children have a play area, and the creche covers working hours.

At weekends the outdoor sports courts fill up, and the landscaped gardens are the place for a slow evening walk. Family functions can go to the multipurpose party area. Since the campus is occupied, ask residents how well the pool and clubhouse are kept and how the maintenance charge has changed since handover.