Archives: January 31, 2011

ApnaComplex
January 31, 2011

Know Your Home Insurance Clauses When Buying An Apartment

During the process of buying an apartment, you’ll encounter many new aspects like applying for home insurance. If you have absolutely no idea on what home insurance is and what it covers, you need not worry – because only when you buy an apartment will you face all these issues!

What is Home Insurance?

Home insurance is a form of property insurance that provides coverage to all types of houses. A house is an asset, and it is one of the biggest assets that a person can hold. Houses are excellent investment options that people normally buy for being financially secure throughout their lives. When it comes to home insurance, there are two parts that need to be covered overall – the entire building, and the contents within the building.

When you apply for home insurance for your apartment, you can opt for either one among these two. You can either just get insurance cover for the building, or you can get all the interiors covered along with the building as well!

Knowing Your Insurance Can Make Things Easier

Knowing Your Insurance Can Make Things Easier

Insuring The Building

Home insurance for buildings will cover compensations for losses faced due to natural catastrophes like storms, tempests, fires, floods, lightning and landslides. The cover for your apartment in Hyderabad will also cover other unforeseen events like strikes, riots, and damages caused to your apartment due to acts of vandalism or terrorism. Any forms of explosion or implosion will also be compensated for, under this type of home insurance. Sometimes water tanks or other apparatus like pipes can burst due to an increase in water pressure, and these instances will also be compensated for. Damages caused due to earthquakes will also be covered when you get adequate home insurance for your apartment in Hyderabad.

Insuring The Contents

You can opt for a home insurance plan that covers both your building and the contents within the building, when you opt for insurance for your apartment in Hyderabad. The insurance will cover all appliances and electrical and electronic goods within the premises. Furniture, jewelry and clothing items will also be covered, although this may vary with each insurance plan depending on the provider. Such items will be compensated for when you get a similar item without compromising on the features. These household contents will be covered based on some restrictions and conditions – the items need to be inside the premises during the instance of damage.

A List of What Home Insurance Policies Cover

Apart from the building itself, and its extended structures like parapets, balconies, railings, and other sections, the contents within the building that are covered are:

  • Electrical appliances and items like tape recorders, air conditioners, refrigerators, DVD players, washing machines, television sets, and computers.
  • Other household articles that can be found in any apartment like clothing, furniture, carpets, fixtures, and linen.
  • Jewels worn by members of the family when they are within the premises of the house. Your jewelry will be covered by the insurance policy even when worn outside and stolen or snatched.

The amount is settled after deducting the depreciation value of the product from its original rate. Home insurance covers also household items, and houses that are used for business practices will not be covered under this type of insurance.

ApnaComplex is a web based apartment management software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by brining in more transaparency and accountability in manging the complex. Sign up your complex today and get the benefits!

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
January 30, 2011

ApnaComplex offers impressive set of functionality and reports

Citilights Liberty – a complex on Outer Ring Road on Bangalore has been using ApnaComplex for past 6 months. Mr. Ram Bhagawat, President of Citilights Liberty Owners Association says –

“Our association is leveraging ApnaComplex as tool to get organized, apply systemic approach to manage our finance, engage with community members and mitigate legal risk. ApnaComplex offers impressive set of functionality and reports that meets most of our needs.”

Thank you Mr. Ram!

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ApnaComplex
January 20, 2011

The Importance Of Apartment Complex Home Security Systems

An apartment complex is one of the secure locations that you can live in, as any well organized apartment complex will have professional security guards placed strategically near the gates and within the complex. This strong emphasis on security may negate the need for further measures, but it’s any day better to be safe than sorry. Crime rates in India are rising, and according to unvalidated reports, a burglary occurs every 14 seconds.

Make their work harder!

Make their work harder!

Steps That You Should Take

You can beef up your security by installing various home security devices and systems, so that nothing untoward happens out of the blue. Many homeowners are opting for such security devices and systems because they are widely available now and are quite affordable as well.  When it comes to security systems for an apartment complex, you can either opt for indoor home security systems or outdoor home security systems, depending on your apartment’s placement and your personal preferences.

If you already have a security system, ensure it is not an outdated system installed, you must understand that burglars have come a long way with regards to technology, and it won’t take them long to dismantle your system or get past it using some loophole in the system.

Some of the systems that are popular are:

  • Spy Holes – A spy hole is one of the oldest, cheapest and most effective security tools, and this should be installed in all the houses in the apartment complex.
  • Door Sensors/Window Sensors – This is a contact sensor system that is magnetic in nature. Its main advantage is the fact that it is wireless and can be installed in any door and window. You can turn on this system whenever you’re not at home or during nighttime and during this time, if any doors or windows are opened, a siren will immediately activate and bring down the house while also alerting the monitoring station.
  • Wireless Alarm Systems – True to their name, these systems are wireless and operate through radio signals. These systems will continue to run even if there’s a power shutdown and all other appliances are switched off, and this is their biggest advantage.
  • Occupancy Sensors – You can install an occupancy sensor if you have an extended budget, as this is one of the prime security devices. This device will detect movements and sense the presence of human occupants within its range. You can turn this sensor on whenever you leave home, and upon sensing intruders, it’ll immediately alert the monitoring station and turn on all the lights in the house so that the burglar can’t hide.
  • Heat/Smoke Detectors – Your home security systems should not only cover break-ins, but should also comprehensively cover other risks such as fire breakouts. Smoke detectors can help in this regard, as these systems will trigger off an alarm upon detecting any kind of smoke. The system will also alert you immediately through its control panel, and it comes with a 24-hour power backup facility.

Burglars usually survey an apartment complex before they strike and they normally pick out a house that poses the least amount of risks. With the help of a comprehensive home security systems, you can make their task hard, and make your complex safe.

ApnaComplex is a web based apartment management software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by brining in more transaparency and accountability in manging the complex. Sign up your complex today and get the benefits!

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
January 18, 2011

New Feature: Enforce Acceptance of Bye-laws Electronically in your Housing Society

Here’s a question –  you know bye-laws are the constitution for your complex – but, how do you know all members of your association have indeed read bye laws? Tough? Next, how do you ensure every one acknowledges the amendments made to the bye-laws in last AGM? Tougher? Help is here now from ApnaComplex in the new feature that is released.

We are happy to announce the release of an innovative feature in ApnaComplex using which Administrators can configure any terms & conditions that every member must accept before members gain access to their complex in the portal. Administrators can put your complex bye laws as the content of terms and conditions. Once the content is configured and enforcement is enabled – when any member logs on to ApnaComplex, they will be presented the terms and conditions page with contents configured by the Administrator. These Terms and Conditions must be accepted by the member in order to gain access to the complex in ApnaComplex. This makes it extremely easy to ensure all members including tenants indeed go through the bye-laws when they move-in.

What’s more – Administrators can update the terms and conditions, reset the status of all users who accepted and request to accept the reivsed terms and conditions again. Total flexitbility in your hands and makes it easy to all members to know the new amendments in the byelaws.

Benefits due to this feature

It is not very uncommon that most residents in any residential complex are not aware of all bye-laws and the fact that there is constant flux in the tenants makes it even difficult to ensure every one is in fact aware of all bye-laws. In addition, getting an acknowledgment that members have read the bye-laws or any important amendments is even difficult. The ignorance on bye-laws keeps causing problems of non-compliance quite often. This takes away precious time from committee members to resolve these problems.

Go to Community –> Settings and click the link “Confiure T&C” link available to get started.

ApnaComplex is a web based apartment management software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by brining in more transaparency and accountability in manging the complex. Sign up your complex today and get the benefits!

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ApnaComplex
January 6, 2011

Apartment Complex Safety – How To Protect Your Kids From Mishaps

Apartment complexes are vast structures, and it can be hard to monitor what’s going on at any given point of time. Apartment complex safety has always been an important issue, and the need for safety measures is always there.

Why Apartment Complex Safety Is Primary

There’s been a collection shift in the urban lifestyle, and people are not moving into spaces like an apartment complex rather than opting for individual houses due to a general lack of space. While there are many advantages that living in an apartment complex can bring, apartment complex safety is something that you should always keep an eye out for.

Kids, especially, have a habit of throwing caution to the winds due to their inherent excitement and curiosity, and this can prove fatal unless proper steps are taken.

Moreover, many apartment complexes don’t have separate play areas where kids can get together and have fun, and for this reason, many kids end up playing in potentially dangerous areas like the terrace and on the roads.

Ensuring that your kids are safe during your stint in an apartment complex can be quite hard, but you’ll need to take up the responsibility of managing their daily activities.

An Open Window Can Spell Major Safety Trouble in an Apartment Complex

An Open Window Can Spell Major Safety Trouble in an Apartment Complex

How You Can Do It

There are many steps that you can easily follow, so that no mishaps occur during your stay in an apartment complex.

  • Ensure that your kids are under your supervision whenever they’re within the complex. You can teach your kids the importance of being safe, and you can subtly highlight the dangers that can occur so that they take it seriously.
  • Talk to the members of your apartment association and ensure that the terrace has safety nets and proper iron railings. The terrace should ideally have a parapet wall that’s more than 1.5 meters in height, and the iron railings can be provided on top of this.
  • The access doors that lead to the terrace should be kept closed and locked at all times. The apartment association can grant keys to every family, and parents should ensure that these keys are kept out of their kids’ reach.
  • Separate play areas for kids can be created in a very safe space where they’ll be exposed to minimum dangers. This will dissuade kids from playing in other open spaces, including parking lots and roads. Make sure that your kids don’t end up playing in the balcony on any account.
  • Iron railings can be placed in balconies as well so that people (not just kids!) don’t rest or sit on the balcony wall. 
  • Install window guards if your flat is located anywhere above the first floor. You can get window guards for your home easily as they are available in all hardware stores.

You can also get the apartment security personnel to closely watch all kids when they’re not accompanied by adults in any particular section of the apartment complex. These safety measures are necessary in all apartment complexes, and they need to be strictly followed.

ApnaComplex is a web based apartment management software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by brining in more transaparency and accountability in manging the complex. Sign up your complex today and get the benefits!

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
January 4, 2011

Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act – Know Your Legal Terms

When you purchase an apartment in Andhra Pradesh, regardless of whether you’re buying an apartment in Hyderabad or in Visakhapatnam, you’ll need to know all the terms and legalities involved in the Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act as this act governs all the laws pertaining to apartments and other living spaces in the state.

It's Always Better To Know Your Legal Terms

It's Always Better To Know Your Legal Terms

What is the Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act?

The Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act provides regulations that monitor that promotion and ownership of apartments in the state, and this act has been active since 1987. Knowing all the laws mentioned in the act can be a very hard task, but to make sure that you understand what all the definitions and meanings imply and to prepare yourself for any legal procedures that you might face (even for registering your apartment), you can go through the basic definitions that are provided in this act.

Why do you need to know about the Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act?

Learning about these contextual definitions can help you stay in the same wavelength when you consult a lawyer. This can also come in handy because you can verify any differences that you may have with your builder regarding the project. Many conflicts arise when builders stray away from the established floor plan and start including new structures in the agreed design.

Some builders may also try and lease out common areas in the apartment complex, like the swimming pool and the parking lot, to other third parties. You can easily take legal action in all these instances, provided you know all about the Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act first.

Some Basic Definitions Involved:

  • Apartment – Under the Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act, an apartment is given as a part of property that has one or more rooms separately constructed as a unit in the overall building. This enclosed space can be used for residential purposes, for commercial or office purposes or for any other form of independent use. The enclosed unit should also have an exit that leads to public areas like streets or roads or to a common area that is shared.
  • Association of Apartment Owners – There are separate byelaws that take care of the formation of an apartment association and its constituting members. The Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act defines an apartment association as a group all apartment owners.
  • Building – A structure that has five or more apartments or two structures that have more than two apartments each can be classified as a building, according to the Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act.
  • Common Areas – Common areas in an apartment are mentioned in the Declaration. The Andhra Pradesh Apartment Ownership Act includes basements, gardens, cellars, parking areas, main walls, terraces, halls, stairways, corridors, entrances, exits and lobbies, and the entire space of land used during construction under the definition of common areas in an apartment complex.
  • Property – The overall expanse of land used, the common areas and the buildings together constitute the ‘property’.
  • Limited Common Areas – The common areas which can be used only by a particular section of the apartment complex are described as the limited common areas.

ApnaComplex is web-based apartment management software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing the complex. Sign up your complex today and get the benefits! Yes, we offer a 30-day no-obligation trial!

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
January 3, 2011

Sound Levels In An Apartment Complex – How Much Is Too Much?

Living in an apartment complex is all about learning to co-exist with other residents and sharing common facilities. There are many perks to living in an apartment complex, but things tend to go sore when the issue of noise comes in.

This is a problem that residents in all apartment complexes face at some point of time or the other. The problem is simple – you may enjoy listening to your favorite music through the brand new set of subwoofers that you paid through your nose for – but what’s the guarantee that your neighbors will take it lightly?

What You Shouldn't Do In Your Apartment

What You Shouldn't Do In Your Apartment

When it comes to noise levels, there are no clear cut boundaries that can be effectively drawn. This can particularly come true when you organize a party for some special occasion. All will be fine until the gentle hum of conversation turns into a clamor as soon as the party starts heating up. So where do you draw the line when it comes to noise?

You need to take the right approach when it comes to dealing with sound levels in an apartment complex. There are three points that you can follow, and these have been given below.

Take the Right Perspective

Taking the right perspective can help you tackle the problem effectively. Put yourself in the shoes of your neighbors for an instant and try and judge the situation from a third person’s point of view. Dealing with the situation in this way can help you figure out how much noise is acceptable and how much is not.

Inform Them Beforehand

Make sure that you inform your neighbors and other residents that you’re having a party well in advance. You can do this by using the common notice board or by using your profile in your apartment complex management software. This doesn’t give you an excuse to turn on the decibels, but it will help them prepare for the same. Also, organize your parties during late evening so that you don’t disturb your neighbors late at night.

Soundproof Your House

There are many accessories that you can use to soundproof your house and ensure that the noise doesn’t emanate through the thin walls and floor. This is a good idea, and it can help you a lot in keeping the sound levels down. Use items that absorb sound, like carpets. Never opt for wooden floors, as these reflect sound. You can also use large and heavy rugs on the floors so that most of the noise is absorbed.

You can use wall hangings or curtains to soundproof your walls. These accessories can serve as great options for interior design, while taking care of the noise in the process. You can block out outside noise from coming in with the use of these wall hangings, and the curtains will also help in keeping excess sunlight out.  

Sound systems that are placed near the wall can negate the purpose of having wall hangings and curtains. Ensure that you place these away from the walls, and always use headphones whenever possible. This way you can enjoy your music without disturbing the other residents.

Read all Apartment Management Tips at Maintenace Tips Section of the ApnaComplex blog.

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
January 1, 2011

Apartment Waste Management And How You Can Help

Waste management units are important, and these need to be installed in every apartment complex according to government regulations.

Although development authorities in cities are ensuring that all apartment complexes comply with their demands, the success of this measure will solely depend on the residents and how actively they participate in the concept.

The Need for Waste Management

Due to the large number of people living in an apartment complex, the overall output with regards to waste will also be high. Such waste should be properly classified under the many forms of waste materials so that no harm is inflicted on the environment.

The age old practice of dumping waste items from independent houses and apartment complexes in a particular spot is now fading, and more and more people are learning about the importance of proper waste management. You can contribute your bit for managing the waste items in your apartment complex, and this you can do by starting the process at home.

Saying NO To Plastics Is The First Step!

Saying NO To Plastics Is The First Step!

Steps for Proper Waste Management – Dos and Don’ts

  • Segregate your waste in an orderly manner, and split the waste into different types. The best way to do this would be to split your overall domestic waste into two categories – wet waste and dry waste.
  • Make sure that you have two dustbins in your house for this purpose. Dump all your dry waste (cardboards pieces, paper leaves, glass pieces) in one particular dustbin and dump your wet waste (kitchen waste) in another dustbin. This should become a daily habit, and you can teach your kids and other family members to do the same.
  • Make sure that you teach your maid the importance of waste management as well, as housemaids in many houses are responsible for handling the waste items.
  • Try to avoid using plastic bags as much as possible. Make sure you opt for alternatives like cloth bags and jute bags, because plastic bags don’t decay. In case you do have a plastic bag or two, use the plastic bag again and again, without buying any new ones. You can reuse plastic bags any number of times.
  • You can dump your kitchen waste and garden waste together to make compost. This can be used while gardening, and such compost is known to provide a lot of essential nutrients to plants.
  • The proper segregation of waste is something that should be carried out everywhere in an apartment complex, because this way, waste management will be easier. You can encourage other residents in your apartment complex and also your neighbors to do the same by labeling all the waste bins that are located within the apartment complex. You can label these bins as per their category (wet waste and dry waste).
  • Don’t try and dump your kitchen waste down the sink on any account. This will only lead to further problems as the drain may get clogged easily.

Waste management is a concept that just needs the right number of volunteers for it to be successful, and an apartment complex is an ideal setting where the process can be effectively carried out.

Read all Apartment Management Tips at Maintenace Tips Section of the ApnaComplex blog.

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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