Choice matters
A five-bedroom, fully furnished house in Ribandar, 15 minutes by car from both Panaji and Old Goa, comes with a pool and all modern amenities
Rs 4.25 crore, basic price
1,700 SQ YARD PLOT, 5,500 SQ FT BUILT-UP
Ribandar is a large village halfway between Panaji, with its modern pleasures and conveniences, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Goa, with its cathedrals and museums. It lies along NH4A and the Mandovi River, and has been called an “artisans’ village”. There is a ferry jetty at Ribandar.
This impressive-looking bright ochre or egg yolk-yellow house, shaded by old trees, has white brick trim and a tiled roof — all of which would show up terrifically from the street if only the house were not located below street level.
But there is a virtue in that low location: a secluded feel, which makes the small front courtyard and large rear courtyard feel cocooned, and gives privacy to the swimming pool.
There are three bedrooms with bathrooms on the lower level, and a master suite with a lounge and a study above. There are wide verandahs and a covered sit-out. The kitchen is fully finished, and there is a basement home theatre room. Though the place is airy, all rooms are airconditioned.
The pool comes with a tiled deck, changing cabanas and an outdoor shower. In an annex are a guest room (which can be converted into a gym or entertainment centre), kitchen, staff quarters, stores and a two-car garage. Everything is in excellent condition.
Indoors, the floors are a combination of marble, Rajasthan stone and wood. Doors, frames and windows are teak, with stained- or etched-glass highlights. The windows have blinds with retractable insect-proof netting. Some areas have wooden ceilings. Railings and window grills are in wrought iron. The whole house is wired so that music from the living room can play in every room.
Since one walks down to the house from the main gate, that slope has been terraced for flowerbeds. The front courtyard also has a small lawn and a mosaic dolphin wall fountain.
Contact: Saffronart Mumbai.
Call 022-43336200
A three-bedroom house in Kodaikanal with a landscaped garden and old trees is a few minutes’ walk from the lake
Rs 4.75 crore, basic price
2,200 SQ YARD PLOT, 2,500 SQ FT BUILT-UP
Still relatively quiet, still upmarket, Kodaikanal is the premier hill station in Tamil Nadu, and was founded by Western missionaries in 1845. It is 2,100 metres above sea level. The well-forested surrounding slopes and the famous lake at its centre make the whole area misty and cool. Access to Kodaikanal is chiefly by road, although there are two railway stations within an 80-km radius and three airports — Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore — within driving distance.
This house is on a half-acre plot just off Convent Road, a few minutes’ walk from the lake. It has two levels. The upper storey is level with the front and back gardens and contains the main living spaces — which comprise three bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a living room, dining room and family room. There is also a large kitchen with its own separate entry. The foyer is heated by an antique wood-burning stove that still works. The floors, ceilings and cabinets are of pinewood. Some walls are exposed brick, which adds to the warm feel of the house.
The lower level contains the service areas, including staff quarters, a garage and a cellar. One more car can be parked under the portico. The house is equipped for 100 per cent power backup, and comes fully furnished.
The lawn in front of the house is terraced, and the lawn at the rear is landscaped. There are flowerbeds, manicured hedges, a small fish pond and stone walkways. Two special features of the rear garden are a stone gazebo with built-in fireplace from which one can enjoy the view, and a sit-out covered with rose creepers which has a built-in swing. There is also a sunny greenhouse.
Contact: Saffronart Mumbai.
Call 022-43336200
PUNE
Rs 4-4.5 crore
Casa 11
Builder: Panchshil Realty
Location: Baner
Size: Five-bedroom flats, 4,200 sq ft each
Price: Rs 4 crore
Completion: 2011-12
Info: A standalone 11-apartment building, with one apartment per floor. Centrally airconditioned
MARVEL DIVA
Builder: Marvel Realty
Location: Hadapsar
Size: Four-bedroom apartments, 4,000 sq ft each
Price: Rs 4-5 crore
Completion: 2011
Info: Each apartment has a modular kitchen, a plunge pool and is centrally airconditioned
INDEPENDENT HOUSE
Location: North Main Road, Koregaon Park
Size: Five-bedroom house of 3,800 sq ft built-up area
Price: Rs 4.5 crore
Info: Resale of this bungalow in a society; building is between 10 and 20 years old
HYDERABAD
Rs 3.2-4 crore
VILLAS
Builder: Maruthi Corporation
Location: Shamshabad
Size: Four-bedroom villas of 1,000 sq yards plot, 6,000 sq ft built-up area
Price: Rs 4 crore and up
Info: 162 villas on 55 acres with clubhouse, hotel, mini-mall and helipad. Each villa has a home theatre
ROYAL WOODS
Builder: Prestige
Location: Kismatpur
Size: Four-bedroom villas of 4,707-5,422 sq ft
Price: Rs 3.2-4 crore
Completion: 2012-13
Info: 152 villas on 24 acres of land. Each villa is vaastu-compliant. The development has a swimming pool, Wi-fi and golf course
BELLEZZA
Builder: Lodha
Location: Kukatpally
Size: Penthouse duplex of 7,500 sq ft
Price: Rs 3.5 crore
Completion: 2011
Each apartment has a private spa pool, jacuzzi and sundeck
CHENNAI
Rs 3.5-5 crore
PANACHE
Builder: Olympia
Location: Old Mahabalipuram Road
Size: Villas of 4,250 sq ft or 5,500 sq ft
Price: Up to Rs 3.5 crore
Info: Phase I is 23 acres. Houses are open on four sides, with optional private swimming pool, lift, sundeck, garden. Villas are built with “eco-friendly” materials, with lots of natural light and ventilation
INDEPENDENT HOUSE
Location: Thiruvanmiyur
Size: Four-bedroom house of 3,600 sq ft plot, 4,700 sq ft built-up area
Price: Rs 5 crore
Info: A new build, this house comes with its own lift and parking for four cars
LARGE APARTMENT
Location: Nungambakkam
Size: Four-bedroom apartment, 5,000 sq ft each
Price: Rs 5 crore
Info: Apartment on ground floor of a six-storey residential complex, with marble flooring, modular kitchen, wardrobes in all rooms, servant room, lift, power backup, parking for two cars; property is about 10 years old