Sobha Arbor

Sobha Arbor has the postal address Masilamani Nagar, Chennai 600077, in the Sennerkuppam area of west Chennai. Sennerkuppam lies near Poonamallee, in a belt where homes have grown up along the main roads. The developer has not published distances to offices, stations or hospitals, so none are quoted here.

Porur and Iyyappanthangal are the nearby localities you will lean on for larger shopping, schools and clinics, and both are reached by road. The best test is to live one ordinary day in advance. Drive from the gate to your office at your usual hour, and make the trip home in the evening peak.

Try the school run once too, and see how long the nearest market and pharmacy take on foot or by auto. Because the campus is small, with 163 homes, traffic at the gate should be light. The main road outside is another matter, so time the turn onto it at rush hour.

Sobha Arbor has one plan for every home: a three-bedroom Premium of about 1,539 sq ft, quoted as built-up area. The carpet area has not been published, so ask for it and for the room-by-room sizes. With one layout, your real choices are block, floor and which way the flat faces.

Prices open at Rs. 1.65 Crore, which is about Rs. 10,700 per sq ft. No other figures are published. Ask for a unit-wise list, because a top-floor flat facing the arboretum may be priced differently from one on the first floor near the gate.

A finished home with an occupancy certificate carries no GST. Stamp duty and registration are payable on every purchase. Ask for a cost sheet showing:

• The base price and the area it is charged on
• Floor or facing premium for your unit
• Car parking and bays included
• Clubhouse membership and maintenance deposit
• Stamp duty and registration on the full value

Sobha Arbor has no RERA number published by the developer. Ask Sobha Limited for it and look it up on the Tamil Nadu RERA (TNRERA) portal before you pay anything. The entry confirms the promoter, the approved plan and the declared completion date.

As the blocks are complete, you are buying a ready home. Ask to see:

• Occupancy certificate for your block
• Approved building plan showing your flat
• Title documents and an encumbrance certificate for the 3.38 acres
• Latest property tax receipt and the khata or tax assessment
• A draft sale deed to read before registration

If you are buying from an earlier owner, add that owner's registered sale deed and a no-dues letter from the residents' association. A seller with a home loan must have the bank release the original documents before the sale. At handover, register the sale deed in your name and move the tax record across.

Sobha Arbor has seven blocks of up to five floors set on 3.38 acres, with shared green space between them. The developer has not published an open-space share, so ask for the site plan and walk the grounds. Brochure images are renders as planned by the developer; since the project is complete, compare them with what was built.

The arboretum is the centre of the campus, a planted grove for a morning walk or a quiet coffee. Next to it, the organic farm gives residents beds to grow vegetables and herbs, which children tend to love. The jogging track loops through the landscaped gardens, and the outdoor gymnasium is there for a quick workout.

Later in the day the clubhouse and games room come into their own. The multipurpose sports court suits a game of badminton or basketball with neighbours, and the kids' play area keeps younger children busy. For a birthday or a small gathering, the party area and the alfresco deck are ready. Ask what the maintenance charge is and what it covers.