Pune Property: The Power of Location
What are the factors that make a residential project popular? Speaking in contemporary real estate terms, there are some fundamentals:
1. The builder’s brand equity
2. Attractive elevation, with tempting amenities
3. Competitive property rates
4. Location
One could argue that a builder’s brand, driven by reputation and prestige, shouldn’t be a major consideration. However, the fact is that a well-known developer’s banner sells project simply because it is a trusted name on the market. Such a builder is known for quality construction, clean titles, decent property rates and overall transparency.
Of course, elevation and amenities count for a lot, too. After all, a property is basically defined by its physical characteristics. Attractive rates certainly matter, but one should not have to forgo basic quality, aesthetics and proper amenities just for lower rates. However, since Pune is a city of passionate bargain-hunters, this is what often happened in the past – buyers overlooked the fact that a cheaply-priced property does not really appeal.
Fortunately, these days Pune property buyers have become aware that neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad offers residential projects that are vastly superior to anything that Pune has to offer – at much lower rates, and in far more pleasant surroundings.
Which brings me to location – the last but certainly not the least consideration in my list above, and the primary topic I want to address here. Location is a vitally important factor to consider while buying a home in Pune. In fact, location should be a priority consideration.
What gives location such power on the Pune property market? Take the area near the Pune International Convention Center in Pimpri Chinchwad, for instance. Obviously, a location that is now so popular with property buyers from both Pune and the PCMC area does not win its reputation in a lottery. There are qualifying aspects involved. It is home to the integrated residential project called Woodsville, and is very favourably connected in terms of public transport. The roads are wide and spacious, ensuring that traffic bottlenecks cannot happen. There is ready and limitless availability of water, the scenery is a homebuyer’s dream come true and the development in this area is carefully regulated.
The last point is very significant – regulated town planning ensures a sufficient amount of
open spaces and prevents cluttering. In other words, homeowners in Woodsville are assured that what they see from their windows and terraces today is exactly what they will see ten years down the line. Another developer cannot buy up the plot in front of their unit and build some kind of monstrosity there. The massive green cover is being maintained for ecological reasons, so the generations to come will breathe the same unpolluted air.
The fact that this area is within easy reach of a number of crucial points within Pune as well as from important cities like Mumbai and Nasik has contributed to its popularity. In other words, location – especially from the point of view of a Pune property buyer – should be seen both from both a present and future perspective.
Anil Pharande is President of CREDAI PCMC and Chairman of Pharande Spaces, a leading construction and development firm that develops integrated residential projects in the PCMC area of Pune, India.
On the Pune Property Blog he discusses the market fundamentals that drive one of Pune’s most dynamically emerging real estate investment destination.
You may reprint or quote this article with full credit to the author and a link back to PunePropertyBlog.com
