With BBMP mandating Waste Segregation at source from Oct 1st 2012 in Bangalore, we at ApnaComplex have compiled a list of Dry Waste Collection Centres with information available on internet for your reference:
Moving in can be an overwhelming experience. It is difficult to keep a track of everything even if you take time for organizing and packing things. Hence, it is always a good idea to make a checklist that will help you reduce stress and also keep a track of loose ends. Here’s a checklist that can be used while moving in to a new place.
Things to Do at Least 6 Weeks before Moving
Make a checklist or maintain a notebook to keep track of all the moving information at a single place.
Plan on whether you plan on hiring a moving company or you want to move out on your own.
If you plan on hiring a moving company, then do a well planned research on which company you plan to hire.
If you plan on moving to a place, which is far off from the current place you are staying in, cross check whether you need any special considerations such as arranging for auto shipping.
Make an appropriate estimate of the costs you think you would incur.
Run a check on the lease agreement for the current apartment and get an idea of how much you would have to pay to move out.
You have to find out if there are any formalities before moving in to the new place.
Set up a meeting with an insurance agent and get your renter’s insurance figured out for your new apartment. Make sure you cancel all your current policies when you plan to move out.
Prepare a list of all the people who need to be intimated and contacted before you move out. The list should ideally include doctors, creditors, friends, former employees and schools.
Start moving smaller items into boxes.
Give a notice to the owner of the current apartment.
Things to do 4-5 Weeks before You Move
Make a list of all the valuable items that need special care while moving.
Donate away items that are not needed.
Finish off all the detergent and frozen food items before moving out.
Transfer all your newspaper and magazine subscriptions.
Inform your employer that you would want to take a day off for moving into a new apartment.
If you are moving to a different state, make sure that you get your car tags and driving license updated.
Close all the accounts that are not to be moved such as checking, savings, P.O. Boxes, safe deposit boxes, etc.
Things to do 2 to 3 Weeks before You Move
Return any library items or other material that you have bought on rent.
Make a meal chart that helps you make use of all the food items that is stored in your refrigerator.
The Final Week
Confirm your meeting with cable or other Internet services.
Confirm moving out details with the movers company that you have hired.
Pack all the essentials that you would need immediately after moving in to the new apartment.
A final apartment check is needed to make sure you have not left out anything.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today!
ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!
Thanks to Mr. Srinivas A, one of ApnaComplex well-wishers, we learnt about Bangalore Graduates Constituency Election to be held sometime around May 2012. Here is gist of what we gathered in Q&A format.
Register today to vote in Bangalore Graduates Constituency Election
Q: So, why are we talking about an 2012 election NOW?
A: Simple – the voter registrations for this election will be closed by November 5th 2011. Hence the urgency.
Q: So what? I am already enrolled as a voter, have a voters card and have even voted earlier for our assembly elections.
A: No. The regular voters card will NOT be valid for voting in Graduates Constituency Election. You need to follow a separate enrollment process.
Q: Really? How is this “Graduates Constituency Election” different from other elections?
A: For a “Graduates Constiutency Election”, only a subset of pouplation are eligible to vote. Only Residents of the constituency who hold a college degree from any recognised University in India, which they received at least three years ago are eligible to vote. Basically, this is an exclusive opportunity for educated population to make a difference by electing deserving people to our legislature.
Q: Ok, you got me interested. What should I do to register myself to be able to vote in 2012 elections?
A: Follow the three simple steps below:
1. Download Form-18, print it and fill it.
2. Make a copy of your degree certificate AND address proof (such as Ration Card, regular Voter ID card, passport, driver’s license, electricity bill etc.) and self-attest them.
3. Go to your nearest BBMP office and submit these documents (take along the original degree certificate to be validated by BBMP staff).
Do note, you can submit the documents of all your family members as well.
We would encourage ALL graudates in Bangalore to register themselves to be able to vote when the elections happen. Since the time is short, we encourage all resident welfare assocaitions to run campaigns in your complex/layout. As a part of your campaign, if you need any help with respect to having the form-18 available etc. do drop a comment below and we would be glad to co-ordinate.
You can download the Register to Vote Poster, print the same and post the same in your society’s noticeboard. Please ensure you add a volunteer’s name from your society after printing.
A housing society can either sport concrete roads or asphalt roads. Asphalt roads are steadily replacing concrete roads because of the low costs involved, despite the obvious advantages of concrete roads.While both types of roads, concrete and asphalt, have their own advantages and disadvantages; there is always the debate of which one among them is better. When it comes to choosing between concrete roads and asphalt roads for a housing society, the properties of both should be considered while deciding upon the material.
Advantages of Concrete Roads
Durability – Concrete roads are more durable than the asphalt roads and have a long life of 40 years whereas asphalt roads last only for 10 years.
Maintenance Free – Concrete roads don’t often require repair or patch work like asphalt roads. They are more adaptable to stress and wear that’s caused by everyday vehicles. Maintenance of asphalt roads is often required as breakage and pit formation can be commonly noted in asphalt roads.
Better Efficiency – While running on concrete roads, a vehicle consumes 15% to 20% less fuel than on asphalt roads; this is because of the fact that concrete roads don’t get deflected under the wheels of loaded vehicles.
Tolerant to Automobile Fuel Spill – Concrete roads are more tolerant to vehicular fuel spill and leaking oils, although this might not be a problem in a housing society.
Resistant to Extreme Climatic Conditions – Concrete roads are more resistant to extreme weather conditions like heavy rains and extreme heat. Excessive rains and other climatic conditions damage asphalt roads, and the roads need to be often repaired.
Eco Friendly Versions – When asphalt roads are laid, the asphalt (bitumen) produces highly polluting gases. The melting process of asphalt produces a lot of harmful gases and is not eco-friendly. Also, vehicles consume less fuel while running on concrete roads. Concrete roads are better options for the eco conscious.
Abundant Resources – Asphalt (bitumen) is obtained from imported petroleum, the reserve of which is reducing in a drastic manner. Concrete is obtained from locally and abundantly available limestone.
Advantages of Asphalt Roads
Lower Costs of Road Laying – The paving cost for a concrete road is higher than the paving cost for an asphalt road. Asphalt is less costly when compared to concrete roads and it takes lesser time to build an asphalt road than a concrete road as it dries up faster.
Easier Maintenance – In case of breaks or cracks in the concrete road, the whole concrete slab has to be replaced and this process can be a problem. Repairing a pit in the asphalt road is quite easier when compared to that of concrete roads. Asphalt roads can also be layered multiple times over the older layer.
Better Traction – There is always an issue of safety in the case of snow or rain on concrete roads, as vehicles tend to slide or slip on concrete roads during the winter and monsoon. Asphalt roads offer better traction.
Recyclable Types – Asphalt is a recyclable material. It can be repeatedly used after melting, and this is one huge advantage.
Taking these factors into consideration and after a general consensus, the housing society management can install asphalt or concrete roads within the premises.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today!
ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trail as well so that you can try before you buy!
Refrigerators are one of the major energy hungry appliances in a housing society. They might use less power than the air conditioners or the electric water heaters present in all flats in a housing society, but you can turn off the AC or the water heater. The refrigerator is a continuously run appliance that you cannot switch off.
Think of your refrigerator and then think of the number of houses in your housing society. How many refrigerators does it translate to? The total energy cost would be eye popping. And that is just limited to your housing society, while the city is bound to have more such societies by the dozen.
Wouldn’t you jump at an option to save on all that expense?
You don’t have to go back to using earthenware pots and storing food in cool dark shelves and there are many practical solutions that you can choose.
Energy Efficient Models
The solution is to go and buy an energy efficient model to replace your old energy guzzler. If your fridge was bought in the 1990s or earlier, consider getting a new model. The newer refrigerators are vastly more energy efficient than the older models. More efficient compressors and better insulation, results in much lower power consumption.
Newer energy efficient models have to follow more stringent energy use standards. With all the competition, most companies try to provide more energy efficiency than the standard required by the BEE. You can benefit from the same.
Lower Electric Bills
There’s a reason why every resident in a housing society should care about this issue and the most important point is to cut costs. You are sure to be paying utility bills every month – wouldn’t you love to see your power bills go down? Replacing them with energy efficient models means lower power consumption, and lesser costs. Look for BEE labels on the products; they are an assurance that the models follow the standards set by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
Cost to the Environment
In most areas, electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels like coal. These release carbon-dioxide into the air. The more energy you use, the more carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere. This traps heat on the earth’s surface, causing the green house effect. That is why summers are getting hotter every year.
Even if you don’t particularly care about ecology, it still comes back to affect you. The hotter the climate gets, the more you need to use appliances like the AC and the fridge. That again translates to higher energy bills.
Depletion of Fossil Fuels
The more power you use, the more fossil fuels are used up. The problem is that these are not sustainable energy sources and one day, they will run out. So, until safe viable alternatives are found to satisfy the ever increasing need for power – electricity or motor fuel – we need to conserve what we have.
Energy Rating
As of 2010, BEE labeling has been made mandatory for Frost Free Refrigerators, while labeling is still voluntary for Direct Cool systems. These star rated refrigerators might cost a bit more. But when you factor in the cost savings in terms of lowered electric bills, you could probably recover the cost in two or three years. That is not bad for a machine that would probably be used for around a decade, if maintained well.
A housing society comprises several residences. Count the total cost in terms of money, energy, and the cost to the environment. If the members of your housing society get together and decide to use energy efficient appliances, think of how much you could be saving.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today!
ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trail as well so that you can try before you buy!
It’s now become commonplace for a housing society to go green by adopting environmentally friendly measures, and in an effort to continue the same, you can opt for BEE Star Rated appliances. BEE Star Rating – you would probably have seen this on your refrigrator or on the home appliances in a shop. This is a rating that was adapted from Energy Star concept introduced in the US – initially applied to computers and monitors, but later expanded to include home appliances, electronic items, even homes. With every housing society trying to find ways to cut energy costs and go green, BEE Star Rating assumes a very important role.
A Little Bit of History – Energy Star
Energy Star was first designed by the US Environment Protection Agency back in 1992. The EPA was concerned about the increase in the number of power hungry appliances resulting in more power usage.
An increase in energy consumption puts more demand on the power plant that supplies the electricity. Many power plants burn fossil fuels like coal to generate power. This produces carbon-dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
What Products Come Under Energy Star Standards
Energy Star started out as a US standard, but was quickly adopted throughout the world. Most energy rating systems around the world are built on the Energy Star Model. The first product that this rating was applied to was computer monitors. Monitors, especially the old CRTs were the main power guzzlers in a computer system. Energy Star compliant monitors went into sleep mode when not used over a few minutes, reducing power consumption. Later, the EPA partnered with the US Department of Electricity to include more products. Energy Star now applies to diverse products like computers, heaters, air conditioners, lights, electronic products and even homes.
The Benefits of Using Energy Star Rated Appliances
The Energy Star label on a Home Appliance means that it uses less energy. This not only benefits the environment, it also cuts cost for the people who use them. Using Energy Star compliant home appliances results in significantly reduced energy costs.
Refrigerators, water-heaters, air-conditioners and other such products form a major part of power usage in a household. With Energy Star compliance, these products will naturally be more efficient in their energy usage, bringing down electricity costs. This may not seem like much in a small scale, but over a period of time, it can make a difference.
Reducing energy costs while at the same time helping the environment is a great feel good combination. So the next time you shop for a product or another housing society resident does, you should first look for its energy usage ratings.
Energy Star in India
In May 2006, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, which functions under the Ministry of Power, launched a standards and labeling program for home appliances. Manufacturers of home appliances could choose to affix BEE Star Labels to guide consumers while buying an appliance.
This label can indicate the level of energy consumption of the device in two ways. It can give absolute values stating, on an average, the number of electrical units that would be used by the appliance. It can also use the star rating system. The star ratings range from one to five. The more number of stars, the more energy efficient the appliance is.
BEE Labels indicate a higher efficiency of functioning in the devices you buy. You will end up buying quality products that function well, while saving on electricity costs.
How Housing Society Members Can Help
Cutting back on power consumption helps reduce the need for society on costs such as DG Sets and associated fuel costs. But that need not necessarily mean to cut back on your comforts. That is where BEE Star Ratings comes in. Since this rating asks the manufacturers to build energy efficient measures into their products, residents in your housing society can buy BEE Star rated appliances for their homes and indirectly contribute to energy conservation. This initiative can be taken up the housing society association, which can organize a campaign to bring about the required changes. Although the housing society association can’t force residents to buy energy efficient appliances, spreading awareness can help the cause.
So the next time you buy a home appliance, you can try buying a star rated one and in this way save your money and also save the environment.
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.
ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive and value-for-money housing society / apartment accounting and management software. Read what some of our customers say about ApnaComplex and its features. There is a 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.
Celebrate, rejoice and make merry – while dodging splashes of colors at the same time. Take some time off your chores and unwind with your fellow members in the society. We’ve put together some simple dos and don’ts for a safe, thoughtful and fun Holi. You can also download these Do’s and Don’ts in a printer friendly, attractive poster format that you can share with all your society members and also put up on your Society’s noticeboard.
Holi Poster that can be placed in your Society's Noticeboard
Dos and Don’ts
Dos
Don’ts
Use all-natural colors and powders made from flower extracts
Give your children buckets of clean water and monitor their activities
Roll your car windows up while driving inside the apartment complex
Take out your old and faded clothes and wear them for the occasion
Apply colors on people’s faces in a gentle manner, and understand that some residents may not be in a mood to celebrate
Give your children a short brief on the cultural significance behind the fun festival
Apply oil on your skin and hair – you can slip away easily, and the colors won’t stick!
Don’t use unclean water
Don’t use artificial colors (abir), as these contain flakes of mica
Don’t pour colored water on plants and garden areas
Don’t create a mess in the common areas and parking lots, always stick to the site that the committee decides on
Drinking bhang maybe customary, but don’t force feed it to anyone
Don’t take things to heart if your neighbor’s children go overboard, be forgiving
Don’t spray colors on the walls, vehicles or doorways of other residents
Don’t throw balloons or spray colored water inside other flats, and respect their personal space
May the festival bring along good health and good luck to you and your family!
There are many things that you can learn during your time in a housing society, and money management is one of these. You’ll face situations where you may have to organize and manage money for any events in the housing society or other important functions.
Money Management in a Housing Society
Tips For Effective Money Management when Organizing Events
Inform The Association – When you plan on taking up some responsibility in a housing society, you should always inform the association first. This way everyone will have a clear cut idea on what you’re up to, and they’ll also be able to help you out in certain areas.
Form A Team – There’s nothing that you can achieve individually, because managing large amounts of money alone can be very hard. Form a good team of enthusiastic people preferably with who are experienced at managing money. Your team can have at least three to five members to make things easier.
Divide All Responsibilities – This is the best way to avoid chaos and confusion. If you’re collecting money for an event, assign the task of collecting all money to two or three persons. Use one member in the team as a treasurer, so that he/she can safely store the money. You can get the rest of the members to maintain logs and records of where the money has come in from, and how much is the overall value. People should be entirely responsible for their tasks, as this will bring in some professionalism.
Inform People In Advance – Nobody likes being rudely interrupted during their day, so inform all residents in advance that you’ll be collecting money from them for the said event. You can post on your online noticeboard and get a couple of notices printed out about the event and pin these up at the notice board. You can even use your apartment management software to broadcast a message to all residents, so that they know what’s going on. Decide beforehand on whether you’re looking to collect checks or cash and follow a standard format. You can even provide acknowledgement receipts for all received amounts.
Use A Bank Account/Save It Personally – You can save the collected amount in two ways – you can either use a bank account to save the money in, or you can physically have it with you or entrust the money to another team member. You’ll need to ensure that the money doesn’t fall to any form of unnecessary use and keep a firm grip over the proceedings once the money is in.
Track Down Expenditure – List out everything you’ll need for the event and create an estimate on how much you’ll be spending. You can try a few cost cutting measures if you find that you’re low on funds.
Bring In Transparency – The entire process should be made transparent, as money matters are always controversial. Coordinate with key members in the managing society and keep them in the loop on what you’re doing. Show them your estimates and the collected amount, and they’ll be able to help you manage the money in a better manner.
ApnaComplex is a web based housing society accounting and 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 a housing society. Sign up your society 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.
With a lot of people now shifting towards the apartment complex phenomenon, away from independent houses, chances are that you’ll be bombarded with options when you start searching for tenants for your apartment. Accommodation in major Indian cities is a very important aspect, and there are countless families and single working bachelors looking for flats that are located in the main areas of all cities.
With their home in an apartment complex in one of the main spots in the city, it’ll be easier for them to reach all the happening places with minimal commute. With so many options in hand, you’ll face a tough time trying to pick out a particular applicant as your tenant. Choosing a tenant, though, is something that should be done with a lot of caution.
The Intricacies Involved
Unless you’ve been a victim of fraudulent activities before, you’ll hardly realize that there are shades of grey in people that you’ll need to watch out for. When you pick a tenant, you should be sure that you’re making the right choice because with an ex-convict as your tenant, your life can take a turn for the worse.
Moreover, when it comes to an apartment complex, you should not only ensure your safety but the safety of others as well. Renting out your apartment to a criminal (even when you do it without your knowledge!) can result in unnecessary complications.
For this reason, it is always wise to follow a few steps before you rent out your apartment to a third person.
Place Your Apartment Keys In Trusted Hands
What You Can Do
You can set up a small process through which you can filter out the right tenant for your home. This involves the following steps.
Performing a Background Check – Always perform a thorough background check on all your applicants, and get every whisker of information that you can find. You’ll need to know about an applicant’s history to see if there have been any prior problems regarding rents or vandalism. It is best to get in touch with your potential tenant’s ex-landlords and ask them about their experiences with the applicant. This can help you get some perspective on the kind of individual that your applicant is. An apartment complex is a utopian community, and you should be doubly careful when you introduce someone new into the fold.
Performing a Credit Check – This one can be quite tricky, as performing a credit check by yourself can be hard, unless you’re working in a similar stream. You’ll need to graze through the credit history of the applicant to make sure that he/she is self sufficient and can afford to pay the rent without any hiccups.
Getting Police Verification – Make sure that you notify the police about your applicant, as this is very important nowadays. This will help them cross check on the applicant’s details and get back to you with their feedback. There’s a separate form for this which can be downloaded or collected from the police station that’s near your apartment complex. Police verification is a very important step that you should not skip on any count.
By following these steps, you can filter the best tenants out from your list. You can then hand over your keys with full trust, without any nagging suspicion at the back of your mind.
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.
ApnaComplex offers comprehensive accounting features that helps residential apartment and commercial complexes manage their financial matters Easily, Efficiently, and Effectively.
Behind the deceptively simple user interface of ApnaComplex, a full-fledged double-entry accounting system is present, hiding all the jargon and complexities involved in maintaining accounts for residential apartment and commercial complexes.
This article provides a very high level overview of the accounting modules offered by ApnaComplex. We intend to expand on each module in greater depth in future posts.
The accounting features of ApnaComplex can broadly be classified into following five modules.
Member Income: Administrators / Association Treasurers can generate invoices for each flat/unit for charges such as maintenance dues, late payment penalties, club house usage, corpus fund etc. Members can record their payments against the invoices. Administrators can approve / reject the payments and issue instant receipts for approved payments. Administrators / Treasurers can even club multiple charges to generate single invoice. Email/SMS notifications sent to relevant members when a new invoice is raised or payment is made.
Non-Member Income: Administrators / Association Treasurers can record additional income that a complex receives – such as rentals for stalls/cell towers/hoardings/banners, bank interest charges etc.
Expense Tracker: Administrators / Association Treasurers can record all expenses that are made by the association/complex owners under different heads such as maintenance expenses, legal, taxes, admin etc. Capture details such as expense date, how the expense was paid, to whom was the payment made, if invoice/receipt was available for the payment etc along with the expense amount. Administrators can generate expense statements for various heads and analyze the trends, publish the statement to noticeboard.
Cash & Bank Accounts: This is a module that administrators / treasurers will love. Administrators / Association Treasurers can set up Petty Cash and Bank Accounts in ApnaComplex. Once set up, all member income, non-member income, expenses that are recorded in other modules mentioned above are automatically integrated with the cash & bank accounts. This helps administrators see the cash and bank balances up-to date in real time. The financial status is literally at your finger tips. Administrators can reconcile the bank account statements in ApnaComplex with their real world bank account and easily identify transactions that are out of sync.
Financial Reports: This module provides several financial reports such as “My Statement” for members (apartment owners / tenants) to see a consolidated financial statement for all the flats/units they own, defaulters reports, list of charges, payments, income/expense report, petty cash & bank account statements. You can do slicing and dicing of data to get more inference. All statements can be downloaded into excel at anytime by the administrator for offline storage or analysis or to send to your auditor.
With all these features, we sure guess that the accounting and auditing requirements of any apartment or commerical complex are met to the tune of 90-95% .
Now, the icing on the cake of such rich feature set – you need NOT pay a premium to use accounting capabilities of ApnaComplex. Contact us for pricing with your complex details and we will get back to you with a quotation at the earliest. Meanwhile, go ahead and register your complex and enjoy a no-obligation 30-day free trial.
Moving in can be an overwhelming experience. It is difficult to keep a track of everything even if you take time for organizing and packing things. Hence, it is always a good idea to make a checklist that will help you reduce stress and also keep a track of loose ends. Here’s a checklist that can be used while moving in to a new place.
