Ravi Karandeekar's Pune Real Estate Market News Blog: Yes, Megapolis Smart Homes Hinjewadi Phase 3 will have 15 floors, means 160 additional 2 BHK Flats!

Megapolis Smart Homes Elevation

Mr. Hemant Kulkarni, General Manager, Pegasus Properties confirms about adding 3 floors to original 12 story buildings. Reason for the additional floors: to consume full, available, permissible FSI of the particular plot of land.

Mr. Hemant Kulkarni, GM, Megapolis

Yesterday, I visited Megapolis (www.megapolis.co.in) Kumar Properties and Avinash Bhosale Group's 150 acre integrated township at Hinjewadi Phase 3, specifically to confirm the rumor about the additional 3 floors to originally planned 12 story buildings of Megapolis Smart Homes.

Some of you were quite upset (Read Comments) about these additional floors because "there will be pressure on proposed amenities."

Increasing floors after you booked your flat means, Ramesh said "Ravi, This is clear not the integrity you were referring to."

Mr. Anonymous was happy for not booking, though he was very much tempted to book a flat in Megapolis Smart Homes, because, he said, "as it is this scheme has 1000 plus flats . additional floors? This will now become like one of those overstuffed MHADA type societies."

Someone who visited Megapolis to book a flat was wondering "why didn't they offer anything from 12th floor onwards!"

Sure, the rumor about increasing number of floors from 12 to 15 was quite upsetting for many, but for me, good news was - sales executives, as someone had commented, were "giving evasive answers when asked."

Megapolis Marketing Team with Ramdev Baba:

Team Megapolis with Ramdevbaba

Evasive answers! What a bunch of polite, politically correct, well centered and professional sales executives Megapolis has! If i had been at Megapolis Smart Homes and you had complained about additional floors, i would have asked you, "Did you book one flat or a complete project? Don't talk to me as if you have purchased the entire project!"

Megapolis Smart Homes, Hinjewadi, Phase 3

But, now, thanks to you all, since i have started Ravi Karandeekar's Pune Real Estate Market News Blog, i can understand you better! I can understand your involvement in the project - Megapolis Smart Homes. I can see that you have not only purchased a property - a 2 BHK Flat - but the complete concept of Megapolis Smart Homes. You are disturbed because, now, you own the concept and the builder is strictly supposed to construct and convert "your concept" into full and final reality. Right?

For some of you additional floors have become an emotional issue! They are hurt and feeling cheated. Yes, now, i can understand this too. I felt the same when my wife stopped cooking my favorite dish. She must have stopped loving me, i thought. My cholesterol level was just an excuse, i was sure. Whenever she was late from the office, I started getting upset. Yes, I can understand you, when you say, "Mr. Builder, inviting me to perform a bhoomi pujan of a 12 story building and then adding 3 more floors to it is not fair, - it's like extramarital affair! Right?

There is one more practical side to this issue of additional floors. Everyone who has booked a flat in Megapolis Smart Homes feels concerned about it. Additional floors means - more number of flats - means more number of people - bothers all! Otherwise, this is not the first change in the original concept of Megapolis Smart Homes.

1st layout plan of Megapolis Smart Homes Hinjewadi Phase 3 Pune:

Megapolis Smart Homes - Layout Plan

2nd layout plan of Megapolis Smart Homes Hinjewadi Phase 3 Pune:

Megapolis Smart Homes - Final Layout Plan

Initially, the layout plan of Megapolis Smart Homes was different - there were two different clusters of 1 BHK Flats and 2 BHK Flats, total number of 1 BHK Flats were more than they are today. However, when, looking at the demand, the builder changed the layout plan, number of bookings and your level of involvement was limited. So only those who got affected - for example, suddenly someone from Mumbai realized that in the new layout the main door of his flat is not facing east but west - was upset but most of you were not concerned.

So, when Mr. Hemant Kulkarni, General Manager, Pegasus Properties, confirmed that they are making one more change in Megapolis Smart Homes - adding floors, i told him about your comments - how upset you are and asked him "Why are you adding more floors? Wouldn't it be over crowding and putting more pressure on amenities?"

I was sure that Hemant Kulkarni will not accept any charge. I was only curious to know his reasons and find out his intention. Particularly, i wanted to find out whether is there any change in the attitude! Is Megapolis no more customer friendly project or what? Like many project, has Megapolis started exploiting or taking disadvantage of the property buyers?

Mr. Hemant Kulkarni with the Property Buyers

From property rates, payment schedule and terms of payment point of view, for me, Megapolis Smart Homes is the most customer friendly project in Pune real estate market:
1) Even after hundreds of bookings, not increasing the property price, like all builders in Pune real estate market

2) not playing games with the property buyers like - asking 20 % down payment from the property buyers as "earnest money deposit" (EMD) or Advance Loan Disbursement (ADF) and

3) not demanding "Timebound Payment Schedule" like "ethical" builder of "affordable" Tata Inora Park at Undri Pune.

Even about the area calculation and planning point of view, Megapolis Smart Homes is the most customer friendly project in Pune real estate market. For example:
1) Though the 2 staircases and lobbies are not free like in PMC and PCMC, look at the lobby on each floor - isn't it specious? I haven't seen so specious lobby in budget housing in this life!

2) When the current trend in Pune real estate market is to give room size terraces and charge them at 100 %, which are actually free from FSI, at Megapolis Smart Homes, balconies are big enough to enjoy and small enough to afford, though they are part of FSI and so, obviously, charged at 100 %!

3) Layout plan of Megapolis Smart Homes is very good - features like -
1) a huge open space
2) more that 300 feet distance between two opposite buildings facing each other
3) 40 feet wide internal road and 2 entrances - are rare to find in any project in Pune real estate market.

Mr. Hemant Kulkarni at his desk

According to Mr. Hemant Kulkarni, since he is not adding more than what FSI permits, over crowding or putting more pressure on the amenities are not issues at all. Mr. Hemant also pointed out that MIDC's development rules are more stringent and more customer friendly than PMC & PCMC! Changes and improvisations will keep on happening but "customer friendliness of Megapolis" will never change! (Here, I wanted to record Mr. Kulkarni's video but he refused!)

If the additional floors are as per the development rule, as Mr. Kulkarni says, I am sure, you will agree with me that, not consuming available FSI is wasting pressure rare natural resource, land, which is out of production for a long period of time. And additional floors means an opportunity for 160 families to own a home as good as yours! Right?

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5 comments:

Pembroke Pines HousesSaturday, June 5, 2010 at 11:51:00 AM GMT+5:30
Thanks so much for the information. Great real estate stuff.
ShankarMonday, June 7, 2010 at 10:53:00 AM GMT+5:30
There are more concerns, than just overcrowd and emotions?

1.)Earlier Payment Schedule was as per 12 Floors i.e. 5% of Agreement Value for each slab till 13th slab.
Will the payment schedule also change as per the 15 floors?

2.)Will the project still get complete in stipulated amount of time? Or the time frame has been increased?

3.)Will they provide additional escalator? Or will the size of escalator be increased?
AnonymousTuesday, June 8, 2010 at 11:06:00 AM GMT+5:30
There are some more concerns,

1) As they have already completed construction work till 1st floor , the plinth would have been constructed considering only 12 floors. Increasing 3 more floors means adding burden of three more floors to the structure which might be not capable of lifting 15 floors. Very serious concern. Are they planning to construct the plinth again, I think no.

2) Adding 3 more floors means delay in construction by at least six-eight months. Did they take permission from existing buyers; No. They even didn't bother to inform them.

Please if you are really concerned about people and not a marketing person; Get answers of these queries.

I think all buyers should unite and discuss the matter with the builder.
Ravi KarandeekarTuesday, June 8, 2010 at 11:55:00 AM GMT+5:30
Ref: "Please if you are really concerned about people and not a marketing person; Get answers of these queries."

Dear Anonymous, you share your discussion with the builder about your concerns in the comments, please!
AnonymousTuesday, June 8, 2010 at 12:48:00 PM GMT+5:30
If you read the agreement in detail, the builder reserves the right to put additional floors to consume full FSI. The agreement is also clear that as on date full FSI has not been consumed. If the builder planned to errect new floors then they must have planned plinth in such a way as to bear load of 3 additional floors. In any way, MIDC will not sanction new floors without assurance that plinth is adequate.
whst i am concerned about is that after huge response to smart homes-1, the builder is planning smart homes-2 with bigger flats and "better" quality.
hope due to this quality of smart homes-1 does not suffer. i mean , builder no longer has to use smart homes-1 as a showcase to sell his other flats.
hope kumar properties dont compromise on quality.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Yes, Megapolis Smart Homes Hinjewadi Phase 3 will have 15 floors, means 160 additional 2 BHK Flats!