Good society maintenance is one of the most important aspects that one should consider while purchasing an apartment.
Unfortunately, It is also one of the most neglected criteria because many people just take the builder’s word for it.
Sure, in the case of a first time builder one can’t do much but in the case where the builder has delivered projects you should, in my view, check out the way the previous society has been maintained.
I for one would choose a company known for its good maintenance any day over a company that is interested only in selling and not maintaining the society.
I believe good society maintenance is a hallmark of a builder who cares about his customers.
Many good builders in the Tricity outsource their maintainence to specialised agency such as JLL etc.
What is society maintainence fees?
The maintenance fees are an annual/quarterly/monthly fee to be paid by the owners/ tenants for the maintenance, repair, operations, and upkeep of the building.
General rate of maintainence in good zirakpur socities is approximately 1.5 Rs to 2 Rs per sq. feet.
It is the duty of the promoter/ developer to provide essential services like parks, gardens, lobbies, stairs, elevators, fire escapes, community centres, common parking areas, power light, etc, the things that are necessary for the existence, maintenance and safety of the society.
There is a cost attached to the day to day operation and upkeep of these and this cost is to be borne by the resident.
Who charges the maintenance fees?
Until the formation of the RWA (residents welfare association) the builder is responsible for the collection of the fees and thus the maintenance of the society.
Once the society is handed over to the RWA, It is the prerogative of the society to decide and collect the maintenance.
The builder can ask for two or three years of maintenance checks in advance depending on the time of the handover to the RWA.
Not all societies have the same structure of charging maintenance but in ZIrakpur or Mohali, most of the times it is calculated on the basis of the area of the flat.
Obviously, good maintainence comes at a price.
As a rule of thumb, maintenance expenses are inversely proportional to the quality of materials used in construction and directly proportional to the age of the building.
What all does the society maintainence cover?
The monthy maintainence fee covers the following things (This may be different for every society)
- Security ( guards, CCTV, Security apps ) etc.
- Electrician services
- Plumber services
- Water bills
- Gardening services
- Common areas cleanliness and upkeep
Benefits of good maintenance
There are multiple benefits of good maintainence.
Apart from the improvement in the quality of life due to good maintenance of the building, parks and lifts etc, there is also a great psychological benefit of a secure and safe society.
A society that is well maintained appreciates higher and faster in value as compared to a society that is not well maintained.
Tenants prefer a well maintained society so if you are looking to rent out your apartment, it will be rented out faster.
If you are looking to resale your flat in a well-maintained society you would be in a comfortable position since such societies are always in demand.
Negatives of society maintainence
There are only a couple of negatives that I can think of at the moment
- The cost of maintaining a society can be a pain for some. While most of us, while buying, discuss the cost of the apartment, it is also important that the recurring cost be kept in mind while purchasing an apartment.
- There could be some friction between society members who are too involved in society matters. I speak from experience because I have seen this happen multiple times.
In the End
Good society maintenance is absolutely essential in my opinion. A buyer should keep this in mind and ask the following questions from the builder while purchasing the flat:
- What is the maintenance rate of society?
- How is it to be paid?
- When would the builder be handing over the society to the RWA?
- What all does the society maintenance cover?
- What are the taxes on maintenance?
I hope this blog has helped you better understand the importance of good society maintenance.
About Me
I am real estate blooger cum Authorised service partner for multpile projects in the Tricity.
You can read about me here: About
