Archives: December 20, 2010

ApnaComplex
December 20, 2010

How To Purchase An Apartment In Bangalore – Some Tips

Purchasing an apartment in Bangalore is a dream for many young Indians today, as Bangalore is a fast growing city and a hub for all people, young and old. It all started with the IT revolution, when major companies recognized Bangalore as a fertile ground where they could set up base. This was followed by extensive migration as many engineers started flocking to Bangalore in search of better career prospects.

Today, Bangalore is fast rising as one of India’s premier cities, close in Mumbai’s tail.

Buying an apartment in Bangalore can solve multiple purposes.

  • In a time of rising rents and accommodation expenses, it can be a great investment to actually buy an apartment in a thriving city like Bangalore as the general value is high.
  • You will also have constant access to all amenities, including swimming pools, gyms and playgrounds.
Bangalore Sky line

Bangalore Sky line

When opting to buy an apartment in Bangalore, there is a series of steps that you follow, as these will help you make the right choice without going wrong in any account.

The Right Location

You may have to decide on the right location before pouncing for the kill and buying an apartment in Bangalore in a hasty manner. Make sure that you take all things into consideration, including the apartment’s distance from your workplace and its distance from nearby schools and universities (if you have kids!).

While opting for an apartment in Bangalore, you can either choose one that is located bang in the city’s commercial center or one that is located in the peaceful outskirts. In case you have kids, the latter option would be more ideal. Commercial areas tend to be very noisy and bustling and all this can take a toll on you over a period of time.

Good Infrastructure

Check if the apartment is indeed your dream home or a blast from the past. A few apartments in India tend to be improperly furnished with no showers, fading walls, bad carpeting and non existent furnishing. You’ll be investing all your hard earned savings in an apartment, so exercise your right in being choosy. Do not settle for apartments where bathrooms just have a pail and a bucket. Instead, you can opt for a beautiful apartment that is well furnished on all fronts.

Establishing Limits

The key to making a good investment is proper calculation. You should create a budget and stick to it, in order to make sure you don’t spend it all away on the apartment. List out your requirements, (what you’re looking for in an apartment) and check out the many housing complexes located out there. Compare the rates with your budget and pick out the one that matches all your criteria. Talk to the builders and question them on the advantages of taking up an apartment in their complex.

Know Your Papers

  • Verify whether the apartment of your choice has proper BBMP Approval Certificates.
  • Make sure you check the flat’s Khata Certificate. Ask for this from the owner of the place.
  • The property should have no loans dependant on it, so check the Encumbrance Certificate.
  • Employ a good real estate lawyer and verify the content of these certificates and the content of the Sale Agreement and Sale Deed with him/her.
  • Wrap up all your pending payments before the period mentioned in the Sale Deed and get a sale agreement. 
  • Get your sale deed registered and get the Khata in your name. 

These small facts are not that well known, and these are essential in ensuring that real estate brokers do not take you for a ride. Pick out a great apartment following these simple guidelines and revel in your space in India’s software capital!

Read Also:
1. Before you buy: A checklist for Apartment Buyers
2. Guide to Buying a Property in Bangalore from a Legal Perspective

This article aims at collating and providing information for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals. If you need professional advise on this topic and any other property related matters, please send your request through our contact us form. You may post your questions/inputs in the Comments section below and we will try and get them answered through relevant subject matter experts.
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ApnaComplex
December 18, 2010

Karnataka Apartment Owners Act Part Two – Contents Of Declarations And Deeds Of Apartments

While registering your apartment under the Karnataka Apartment Owners Act, you will need to be aware of the contents of the deeds and declarations involved, as this is necessary.

Not many people these days take the effort to know what works in the legal section of obtaining an apartment while registering their building under the Karnataka Apartment Owners Act, and this is not a very good sign. Having good knowledge on the legal proceedings can help you immensely in communicating effectively to your lawyer.

Learning legal information is not rocket science, as you will find out through the course of this post, as very basic facts and figures are involved.

The content that an apartment’s deed and declaration will hold has been given below.

Karnataka Apartment Owners Act Details – Declaration Contents

  • The declaration will hold many particulars, and the most important of these is the land description. The nature of the land involved will be given in a detailed manner (that is, whether the land falls leasehold or freehold categories).
  • A detailed description of the building will follow, stating the number of basements and storeys in the particular building. The number of apartments involved will also be mentioned, and the basic materials used to build the structure will be specified.
  • Details will also extensively include the apartment number of each apartment that falls under the span of the building, the number of rooms present in each apartment and the dimensions of the same, and also the common areas that the apartment has access to. This is used for identification purposes.
  • The value of each apartment is also mentioned in the Declaration, and the overall value of the property and the percentage of interest (undivided) that each resident will bear for access to the common areas in the apartment complex will also be mentioned.
  • A set of bye laws will also be attached with the Declaration during registration. In simple terms, these bye laws are more targeted at apartment associations and they will involve procedures for appointing people into the upper tier of the apartment association.
  • The Declaration will also contain the name of the person that the entire registration process in carried out under. All personal details including the residential address, the contact details and occupation will be specified.

These are the basic details that will be included in a Declaration, under the Karnataka Apartment Owners Act.

Karnataka Apartment Owners Act Details – Deed Contents

  • The Deeds will contain more or less the same content as given in a declaration, including a description of the land that the apartment complex or building is set in.
  • The Deeds will also contain information that can be used to establish the identity of the particular apartment, including the apartment number as stated in the declaration.
  • The Deeds will contain the percentage of interest (undivided) pertaining to the common areas in the apartment.

These are the basic details involved in a Deed under the Karnataka Apartment Owners Act. Any real estate lawyer will be able to smoothly take you through the procedures involved without any issues.

This article aims at collating and providing information for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals. If you need professional advise on this topic and any other property related matters, please send your request through our contact us form. You may post your questions/inputs in the Comments section below and we will try and get them answered through relevant subject matter experts.
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ApnaComplex
December 17, 2010

Karnataka Apartment Owners Act Part One – Apartment Association And Registration of Deeds, Declarations

In order to buy your own apartment and become a member of the apartment association, there are a few steps and legal processes that you’ll need to know about.

The Need

It’s wise to be well versed in all the legalities involved while buying an apartment in the state of Karnataka. Although a real estate lawyer can take care of the half the issues in this regard for you, being aware of your rights and your position in the entire setting can help you make better and faster decisions. There are many deeds and declarations that you will have to go through while buying an apartment in a city like Bangalore.

Talking to the members of your apartment association can help you get a clear idea. Senior members of the apartment association will guide you through the legalities involved.

The Karnataka Apartment Owners Act 1972

This act deals exclusively with apartments that are residential in nature. Apartments are termed as transferable properties that are also heritable under this act. In order to register the apartment complex under this act, all apartment owners will need to come together and sign the particulars, which can be quite an ordeal.

Know your State Rules

Know your State Rules

The Registration Procedure:

Given below are a few facets that you’ll need to know while getting your apartment registered under the Karnataka Government:

  • The Declaration should be registered properly under the Registration Act of 1908.
  • The deeds involved with the house will also need to be registered with the Registration Act of 1908.
  • The floor plan of the particular building should also be duly registered under the Registration Act of 1908.
  • Along with the registration of the building’s Declaration, extensive details about the building should also be filed along. These details should include the building’s layout, the location of the building, and the number of the particular apartment. The apartment’s dimensions will also have to be accurately mentioned in the details. This is very important.
  • The building’s name should also be specified in the details provided. If the particular building has no specific name, it should be mentioned that the building does not have a name.
  • All these above mentioned details should be properly verified by an architect, who will need to release a statement mentioning that the specified details are correct.
  • This statement should then be run through some local authorities under whose jurisdiction the particular building falls, who will, in turn, verify the same and approve it.
  • If the submitted plans do not include the verified seal of a practicing architect, then the plans should have an amendment attached to them when they are submitted. This amendment should certify that the floor plan mentioned in the documents, the name of the house specified and the dimensions of the building are all accurate and true. This is also very important.
  • The registrar or sub registrar will then register the declaration and deeds involved under the Karnataka Government through an act that was made effective in 1908.

This is the general registration procedure involved in registering an apartment and the apartment association under the Karnataka Government.

This article aims at collating and providing information for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals. If you need professional advise on this topic and any other property related matters, please send your request through our contact us form. You may post your questions/inputs in the Comments section below and we will try and get them answered through relevant subject matter experts.
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ApnaComplex
December 16, 2010

Apartment Association Terms Explained – Part Two

Apart from the basic terms, there are many other terms that are regularly used in an apartment association. Knowing these terms can aid you in comfortably becoming a member of an association yourself, where you’ll find that your knowledge on these terms is useful. This is the second part in the series of articles. The first part can be found here: Apartment Association Terms Explained – Part One

Know your terms

Know your terms

Apartment Association Terms – Common Areas & Common Facilities:

Members of any apartment association frequently talk about common areas and common facilities. The primary question that runs through every single initiate’s mind is – what exactly are these areas, and how are they shared?

Common areas in an apartment primarily include the land in which the entire complex is built in.

  • Physical entities like the columns of the building, the foundations of all buildings in the complex, the many girders that run through the structure, the beams used for support; other physical structures used for support are also a part of the mentioned common areas for residents.
  • Other places like the roofs of all buildings, the corridors in each building, the halls that the complex has, staircases, lobbies, the main entrance of each building and the exit of each building all together make up the common areas in an apartment complex, according to the apartment association.
  • Even the cellars in the buildings in an apartment complex and the vast gardens and parking areas can be effectively classified as common areas in the complex. The list includes basements and storage spaces too.
  • Many facilities provided in an apartment complex for the benefit of the residents also fall under common facilities or common benefits. All apparatus used in an apartment complex, like motors, water pumps, compressors, fans, ducts, storage tanks and even elevators fall under the general umbrella of common facilities. The facilities that can be termed as common will be fully mentioned in the Declaration.
  • Any commercial facilities that may be provided in the apartment complex need to be mentioned in the Declaration, for them to be recognized as proper common facilities.
  • Public installations that provide the entire apartment complex with services like heating, lighting, air conditioning, cold water, hot water, power and refrigeration can also be termed as common facilities.

Apartment Association Terms – Common Expenses & Common Profits:

The term ‘common expenses’, although clear through its usage, can apply to a lot of things.

  • The common expenses of the apartment association (as per the bye laws specified by the Government) fall under the umbrella term of ‘common expenses’.
  • All expenses that are shared by members of the apartment association are terms, or the maintenance and steady upkeep of all common areas, are termed as common expenses too. All common expenses will be explicitly mentioned in the bye laws and these just have to be followed per se.
  • After the maintenance work and upkeep in a complex is done, if any amount from the original amount collected from all residents remains, it is termed as a ‘common profit’. Such profits will be shared among all members of an apartment association.

These are the many terms that you should be aware of, pertaining to shared areas and common facilities in an apartment association.

This article aims at collating and providing information for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals. If you need professional advise on this topic and any other property related matters, please send your request through our contact us form. You may post your questions/inputs in the Comments section below and we will try and get them answered through relevant subject matter experts.
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ApnaComplex
December 15, 2010

Apartment Association Terms Explained – Part One

Learning about many terms used in an apartment association can be very helpful indeed. These terms will come to your rescue when you’re facing a huge wad of legal paperwork, and when you’re finding the formal tone and legal jargon extremely hard to understand and digest. Although we all may know the generic meaning for terms like ‘apartments’ and ‘apartment owner’, the legal meaning may be more loaded that what people can normally comprehend. Knowing all legal terms and learning about various definitions from a professional perspective can thus help you.

When reading up on the terms used in an apartment association, always go for a trusted source.

Terms Used In An Apartment Association

Given below are a few terms used in an apartment association, and their proper explanation. All these terms are defined under the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act of 1972, which defines and talks about an individual’s ownership over a set dimension of property. You will learn more about the constituents of this act when you take up the registration procedure for your deeds and Declaration.

Apartment:

An ‘apartment’ is basically a term used to denote a residential section in a building that can be located in any of the mentioned floor, with any number of rooms. An apartment may also be present in more than one floor, or in parts in each floor. Apartments, as per the Apartment Ownership act, have a direct exit to a public road or street, or even highway. Apartments which do not fall under this category may have a direct exit to a public space or common area, which may in turn lead to a public street or highway.

Apartment Owner:

An apartment owner will normally refer to a person who owns an apartment, and has some undivided interest in all shared regions in the apartment complex too. The interest and other particulars will be duly mentioned in the Declaration, and these can be taken from the documents directly.

Apartment Number:

The letter or number designated to a particular apartment is the apartment number. The number will be mentioned in the Declaration, and it may either be a letter, a number or a mixed combination of both these things. The apartment number is first specified in the declaration.

Association of Apartment Owners:

This is a term that is used to denote all the members of an apartment association. The people who together form the apartment association are collectively termed as an Association of Apartment Owners. True to the term, these individuals will have an apartment in the premises in their name and will all be owners of at least one apartment in the complex.

Building:

In the jargon used in an apartment association, a building normally means a residential structure that houses at least four (or more) apartments. A collective building can also refer to a structure with two buildings with two (or more) apartments in each building. A minimum of four apartments are seen as necessary either way.

These are the very basic definitions that you first need to know and understand in order to proceed to the later ones. Other definitions on common areas and public spaces will soon follow.

This article aims at collating and providing information for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals. If you need professional advise on this topic and any other property related matters, please send your request through our contact us form. You may post your questions/inputs in the Comments section below and we will try and get them answered through relevant subject matter experts.
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ApnaComplex
December 14, 2010

Apartment Management Software and The Death Of The Physical Notice Board

Apartment complexes can now throw all physical notice boards out of the window, thanks to the advent of apartment management software like ApnaComplex!

The Old School Model

Apartment notice boards have been used in all apartment complexes in order to keep all residents aware of the latest developments and events. But with the sudden explosion in the size of many apartment complexes and escalating structures, notice boards can hardly serve their original purpose now.

Moreover, people these days are held up with countless responsibilities, so much so that even performing a small task like visiting the notice board can eat up a significant portion of their time. In the age of instant communication, relying on age old techniques such as this will solve no definite purpose. Apartment management software comes with a solution for this.

Remove the clutter with ApnaComplex

Remove the clutter with ApnaComplex

Virtual Notice Boards

With the arrival of apartment management software, the entire concept of keeping people updated has taken a huge turn. Virtual notice boards are now available through such software, and these will help you keep track of all occurrences and events within the apartment complex.

  • Virtual notice boards display all notices in a single screen, in very small snippets that can be enlarged by choice
  • Notices in virtual notice boards can be split into multiple categories to ensure there is no clutter.
  • Administrators can post notices that contain information or guidelines for residents to follow.
  • There are notices that are put up by residents who are looking to buy/sell items and indulge in other commercial activity.
  • Notices come inbuilt with an expiry date that is set as default, and they will expire soon as this time is reached. This way, the notice board will not get cluttered with old notices.
  • The notice board can also be integrated with electronic mails, and notices that come up in the board will be detected and sent as a notification to your mail inbox.
  • Critical / Emergency Notices can be sent as SMS as well as posted on the notice board. The applications in apartment management software are all thus interconnected.
  • Notices pertaining to accounts, expense reports and pending dues can be immediately posted up on the notice board with the click of a button. The process is very easy when compared to other traditional methods.
  • You will also be able to easily respond to notices, and the author of the notice will be duly informed about the same.

These are a few advantages of using virtual notices through apartment management software. These are gaining popularity over conventional notices mainly due to their usability and the convenience they offer.

ApnaComplex is an apartment managment software. We are offering a 30-day no obligation free trial for every complex. Go ahead and register your complex and see how you can manage your complex more easily, efficiently, and effectively.
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ApnaComplex
December 13, 2010

Things to take care while organising parties in a Housing Society

In an year, there are various occasions when we hold a party at our house – Birthdays of family members, Diwali party, Christmas & New Year celebrations and a whole lot more. However, there is a marked difference between holding a party in an apartment complex and holding a party in an independent house.

In a independent house, you are your own boss and you can do whatever you want to; but in an apartment complex, there are other people too who live in the same building as you, and therefore, certain things need to be kept in mind in order to make sure that your party is a success:

Inviting a select few without offending others

Often, this is the most precarious situation one finds themselves in while organising a party in an residential society. There are times when you cannot invite everybody in the building, but you don’t want to offend people too. A solution to this could be calling up the people you want to invite to the party, instead of going from door to door and making a hullabaloo of it. But then again, people would eventually come to know at the day of the party. To ensure that nobody feels left out, you can distribute some sweets or small souvenirs in the entire building after the party so that they don’t feel left out.

Take permission from the management

Prior to holding any party, inform the management about it and ask for permission to play music etc. If you holding the party in the lawns or the club house, make sure you take requisite permission from concerned people so that they do not play spoilsport at your party.

Lower the volume after 11pm

People do not like being disturbed during their sleeping time. If you are playing music at your party, make sure you turn down the volume after 11. Doing so not only ensures that people have a sound sleep but it also shows that you care for other people in the apartment, which could work in your favour even if you left somebody out.

Pay attention to parking

Apartment complexes do not have a huge space to accommodate the guests’ cars vehicles. Make sure you inform the guests beforehand that the cars have to be parked outside the gate and see to it that the cars are parked properly, so that people coming in and out of the apartment are not inconvenienced. You could tell the guard at the gate to help people park their vehicles in order to make sure there are no traffic jams outside the building.

Taking care of decoration

Without proper decoration, a party seems to lack the fizz. Apart from decorating the apartment, decorating the hallways can add the wow factor to your party. However, since you don’t own the complete building, decorating the hallway can offend the residents of the apartment. But there’s a way out. You can decorate the hallways without causing damage to the building. Instead of using decoration material which requires hammering in nails in the walls of the building, a better way to decorate is to use decorative lights. You could use the decorative lights on a plant, which is either owned by the apartment management or a plant of your own. If it is a day party, you could play around with rangolis made of flowers or use other flower decoration which does not require hanging it from the walls. 

Keeping the above points in mind can make sure that you have a rocking party without offending anyone in the apartment complex. After all, you are going to party just once in a while, but you have to live with the apartment residents all the while.

ApnaComplex is an apartment managment software. We are offering a 30-day no obligation free trial for every complex. Go ahead and register your complex and see how you can manage your complex more easily, efficiently, and effectively.
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ApnaComplex
December 11, 2010

Formation of an Apartment Owners Association in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad is a rapidly growing city and the IT capital of Andhra Pradesh. Real estate in Andhra Pradesh, or for that matter, Hyderabad, is growing rapidly, with an increasing demand for residential apartments and flats.

Talking of flats and apartments, it is imperative that an apartment complex has a registered apartment association in order to ensure smooth functioning of the society. The Apartment Owners Association takes care of the management of common apartment areas and all welfare requirements of the residents. The Apartment Owners Association elects a Managing Committee, which is responsible for collecting maintenance fees and using it for the upkeep of common amenities, such as the lift, club house, gym, apartment security, and various other issues.

However, the Apartment Owners Association needs to be registered to be recognized as a legal body and exercise legal rights. While Apartment Associations need not be mandatorily registered, it is certainly advisable to register the association of your apartment. Here’s the procedure for the formation of an Apartment Association in and Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

There are various laws under which the Apartment Owners Association can register itself in Andhra Pradesh- the Societies Registration Act, 1960, which is a central act applicable to all states in India, other than Jammu and Kashmir; A.P Societies Registration Act, 2001, which is the registration act specifically released for the state of Andhra Pradesh. This act extends to the entire state.  Only a group of seven or more people, who work for public interest at large, such as promotion of art, culture, literature, religion, science, philosophy, can register under this act.; or The Andhra Pradesh Apartments (Promotion of Construction and Ownership) Act, 1987. In fact, most apartment associations in Andhra Pradesh are registered under this act.

 According to this law, Association of Apartment Owners is defined as “all the apartment owners acting as a group in accordance with the provisions made by it in the bylaws”. The builder, who has constructed the apartments for the purpose of selling them, is called the “Promoter” according to this law. Under this law, the promoter has to submit in writing the date by which the apartments will be handed over to the apartment owners, as well as a list of common properties and documents that will be handed over to the Apartment Association.

According to The Andhra Pradesh Apartments (Promotion of Construction and Ownership) Act, the common property of the Association includes:

  • The land on which the building is located.
  • Stairs, entrances, fire-exits, elevators, terraces, lobbies, halls, basements, parking lots, cellars, children’s playing grounds etc.
  • Premises for the lodging of persons employed for the management and maintenance of the building.
  • Installation of central cervices such as water, electricity, gas etc.
  • All apparatuses and installations for general use such as tanks, bore wells, and pumps.

  To register under the A.P Societies Registration Act, 2001, or Andhra Pradesh Apartments Act, 1987, a set of documents along with a formal application needs to be submitted to the Registrar of the District. The application must have the signature of all the applicants as well as that of a witness. The following documents need to be attached with the application:

A Memorandum of Association of the society, which must include:

  1. The name of the society
  2. The aims and objectives of the society
  3. The name and occupations of the members in the committee
  4. The person in the committee who is authorized to correspond with the Registrar of the District
  5. The by-laws of the society stating the membership eligibility; process for electing the Managing Committee; rules for holding meeting, quorum, functions and responsibilities; the office bearers with their responsibilities, election and removal process; types of fund raising, appointment of auditors, and other matters relating to internal management and dispute resolution.

All the documents submitted must be typed or printed and signed by all the applicants. All the persons who sign the application papers are considered the original members of the Association. However, later on, more members can be added to the Apartment Owners Association. It should be noted that it is mandatory for all owners of an apartment complex to become members of the Association.

Once the memorandum and by-laws are found to be legally valid, and the required registration fee has been paid, the Registrar issues the Apartment Association a Certificate of Registration, which proves that the society is legally registered.

However, it is vital to note here that the law requires a signed document to be registered within four months from the date of signing of the document. If it exceeds the given timeline of four months, a penalty is levied as late registration charges.

After the Association is registered it can take legal action on the behalf of the owners, as well as maintain the apartment and enforce the by-laws.

Read also: Bylaws: The constitution of your Apartment Association  and download a sample byelaws template that you can customize for your needs

 This article aims at collating and providing information on forming an association for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals. If you need professional advise on this topic and any other property related matters, please send your request through our contact us form. You may post your questions/inputs in the Comments section below and we will try and get them answered through relevant subject matter experts.
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ApnaComplex
December 10, 2010

Tips on Bringing all Residents Together in an Apartment Complex

Now-a-days, apartment residents in big cities often come from various regional backgrounds; flats are occupied by a diverse group of people ranging from students, bachelors, and single women, to families and old couples. Most of the residents live their own lives, and are cut off from each other. Due to the modern demands and stressful lifestyles, they become used to living a very isolated life.

The true charm of living in an apartment complex or gated community is the safety and security that comes from shared living. True community living does not mean simply paying the maintenance fees and attending some of the association meetings. Rather, it means that all the residents know each other and get to become friends. Once all the residents know each other and become close, the apartment community can become a source of social and emotional support for all the residents.

Here’s what the apartment association can do to foster a team spirit amongst the residents:

Monthly get-together in the club house

While the Association meetings and general meetings are a common ground where residents meet, it is more of a formal business meeting than a social occasion. The apartment association can organize a party once a month in the club house or the terrace. This can include fun activities like an open dance floor, card games, and introductory sessions where people can open up and get to know each other. To make the event more interesting, one can have pot-luck dinner, where every flat resident makes one dish and gets it for the party. 

Common decision making

The apartment association can use a common forum such as an online discussion group and email groups to send the minutes of the meetings to all the residents. Topics, that involve the whole apartment, can be put up for discussion. Through such means, all the residents will be able to add inputs and have a say on matters related to the apartment. Thus, they will be more interested in the apartment related activities.

Celebrating Birthdays

The apartment association can have a small booklet with the phone numbers and birthdays of all the flat residents. They can circulate this so that people can be in touch with each other via SMS or phone calls. Birthday of each resident can be celebrated in the apartment clubhouse with simple cake cutting and wishing the concerned person. This will generate a feeling of togetherness and bonding.

Celebrating festivals together

In India, festivals are the high points of social life every year. A gated community is usually a secular ground, so the apartment association can organize common celebrations of important festivals and occasions such as Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Id, and New Year. Prior to the event. All the residents should be involved in the planning and organizing of the event. This will also act as an occasion for people to do things together, such as buying the decorations, delegating tasks etc.

Having an apartment quarterly newsletter

An interesting idea that the association can use to encourage people to become friendly is to form a small editorial committee. It is a good idea to ask people with a literary bent of mind to take part in this. Every three months, one can print a newsletter, which can include:

  • Articles and poems written by the residents
  • Significant events such as birth of a child, a promotion etc.
  • Brief description and photographs of common celebrations
  • A children’s section with artwork

Having an apartment hobby club

After a long day’s work, most people want to unwind by doing something relaxing. The apartment association can use the recreation room to conduct hobby clubs depending on the common interest of the residents. It can be anything from a book club, to forming a band, having sangeet nights, sports activities or even screening movies. While these activities might require initial investments, it is a great way for people to enjoy themselves in a group.

The apartment association members need to remember that most people like to do things without compulsion, so instead of making such activities compulsory it should be left to the free will of the residents. Only when the residents respect each other’s space and rights, can they come together to build a strong friendship.

ApnaComplex is an apartment managment software. We are offering a 30-day no obligation free trial for every complex. Go ahead and register your complex and see how you can manage your complex more easily, efficiently, and effectively.
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ApnaComplex
December 9, 2010

How to Maintain Lawns and Gardens in your Apartment?

In an apartment complex, the garden and lawn is commonly owned by all the flat owners. Sometimes, because of this shared ownership, these areas get neglected. However, when the Managing Committee can take an active interest in the landscaping and upkeep of the common garden areas, a beautiful garden can be made for the apartment.

If there is enough space in your apartment complex, you can have a beautiful lawn which not only compliments the building but also be a place where you can sit and relax in the evenings. Some of the points to keep in mind while growing a lawn are:

Getting professional help

The managing committee must appoint a gardener to help in maintaining the garden. When planting the lawn, it is a good idea to get it done by a professional. Choose a right time for sowing the lawn, such as before the rainy season. 

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Involvement of all the residents

It is also necessary for the residents to take part in the upkeep of the garden. It is important to circulate certain basic rules such as- people should not pluck flowers from the flower beds, there should be no littering in the garden, and people should not walk on the lawns with shoes on.

You can also organize a community gardening session, where all the residents get together to plant flowers, trees, and water the lawn. ots with flowering plants such as rose, table rose, and gladioli will add more color and vibrancy to your garden. And it will be an enjoyable activity where all the residents can get together and enjoy themselves.

Watering the lawn

A lawn needs just the right amount of water, too much or too less would damage the lawn. So it is necessary that you take special care while watering the lawn. All lawns require different amount of water. Some of the indicators for the amount of water needed are:

  • The ability of the soil to absorb water
  • Root depth of the grass. (Watering depth needs to be slightly greater than the root depth).
  • Nature of the soil.
  • The variety of grass that you have planted.
  • The weather conditions.

Water the soil adequately and then stop watering till the soil becomes a little dry. When the grass becomes very weak, that is, when your footprints show when walking on the lawn- you need to water the lawn. During summer months, if there is water shortage, use grey water to water the plants and the lawn.

Mowing or clipping the lawn

The lawn needs to be mowed regularly and the weeds must be removed constantly. The residents can also help out by removing weeds from the lawn and trimming it on holidays. During summer months, don’t mow or clip the grass too short. It is better to leave the grass a little longer, to have a thick lawn. During the winter season, it is advisable to clip the grass a little shorter.

You can leave the grass clippings on the lawn, as this acts as a natural fertilizer and is a very good source of nitrogen.

Aerating and seeding the lawn

After a period of time, the soil on which the grass grows becomes very compact. This reduces the oxygen available to the roots and prevents the roots from growing deep. So, at least once a year, during winters, you should get your lawn aerated. Aerating loosens the soil, making more oxygen available to the grass roots. This will result in healthier grass in the spring month. You can rake the bare patches of the lawn, where the grass is very thin, and plant new seeds. This procedure, called seeding, is also done during the winter months.

All lawns need good fertilizers

Fertilize the lawn every season, so that the grass is healthy and the roots remain strong. Organic fertilizers are a better and more eco friendly option than chemical fertilizers. Avoid using pesticides and insecticides, as they also kill the bacteria and other living things in the soil, some of which might be beneficial to the plant. Pesticides should be used cautiously and only when necessary.

An attractive and well maintained lawn will increase the value of your apartment. So follow the above steps, and have a lawn, which is an asset for the entire gated community.

ApnaComplex is an apartment managment software. We are offering a 30-day no obligation free trial for every complex. Go ahead and register your complex and see how you can manage your complex more easily, efficiently, and effectively.
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