Valmark Apas

Valmark Apas sits in Hulimavu, a residential pocket just off Bannerghatta Road in south Bengaluru, pincode 560076. The neighbourhood has been built up over many years, so shops, services and bus routes are already in place around you rather than promised for later.

Bannerghatta Road is the spine for most of your trips. It links Hulimavu with the rest of south Bengaluru, and it is also one of the busier roads in this part of the city at office hours. No distances to offices, metro stations, schools or hospitals have been published, so we do not quote any.

Test the drive to your workplace at the time you would really leave, then come back the same way in the evening. Being off the main road rather than on it can help with noise, so walk the approach lane from the junction and note how the traffic sounds. In a 19-floor block, ask which side of the building the unit faces as well.

Valmark Apas has two plans, both large, both quoted as built-up area:

• 3 BHK, about 3,170 sq ft: Rs. 3.25 Crore onwards (about Rs. 10,250 per sq ft)
• 4 BHK, about 3,560 sq ft: Rs. 3.85 Crore onwards (about Rs. 10,800 per sq ft)

Carpet areas are not published, so ask for them. The two plans are only about 390 sq ft apart, so the fourth bedroom costs roughly Rs. 60 Lakhs more at starting prices. Decide whether you need that room or just more space in the rooms you have.

A finished home with an occupancy certificate carries no GST, while stamp duty and registration apply to every purchase. Ask for a cost sheet that shows:

• Price for the exact unit, with floor and facing
• Car parking and the number of bays
• Clubhouse fee and maintenance deposit
• Any association transfer charges
• Stamp duty and registration on the full value

Valmark Apas has no RERA registration number published. Handovers began in 2016, before RERA registration took effect in the state, which may explain why. Ask Valmark Group or the seller, and search the Karnataka RERA website, rera.karnataka.gov.in, to be certain.

For a ready home, the documents to see are:

• Occupancy certificate for the block
• Sanctioned building plan showing the unit
• Title deeds and an encumbrance certificate for the land or the unit
• Khata and the latest property tax receipt
• For a resale, the owner's registered sale deed and a no-dues letter from the association

Let a property lawyer go through the set before you pay an advance. On completion, you register the sale deed in your name and then apply for your own khata. Move the BESCOM account and the association membership to yourself too, so bills and notices reach you.

Valmark Apas has two tall blocks on 2.1 acres, and with only 112 homes the shared spaces serve a small group of families. The share of open ground has not been published, so ask for the site plan and see how the gardens, courts and clubhouse fit around the blocks. What you see on a visit is built, not a render.

A morning here might start with a walk along the green walkway, a session in the gym or laps in the pool. The health centre gives you a place to unwind after exercise. Children use the play area and the activity area after school, and older ones can take over the outdoor courts.

On weekends, the landscaped gardens are the place to slow down, and the party area handles birthdays and family get-togethers. The games room covers wet evenings, and shops inside the project save small trips. Since the facilities have run since 2016, ask what the monthly maintenance covers and what upgrades are planned.