Recent content by key.round

Energy use could cut either way. A townhouse has more exposed surfaces and possibly multiple levels, while a serviced apartment may carry energy-intensive common facilities through its charges. Ask for actual past consumption and the allocation of common-area costs rather than estimating from...

I would allocate in this order: several months of essential household and mortgage costs that remain untouched; known completion and moving bills; genuinely urgent inspection items; then furniture. Keep the first mortgage payment separate now rather than assuming next month’s income covers it...

Yes. A budget with every rupee given a cheerful purpose is not a buffer; it is a shopping list.

Also clarify the period. A monthly figure, annual figure and occasional building expense can easily get mixed together in listing notes. Until those are separated, comparing “service charges” across the sample could be misleading.

The recurring charge itself may not be something one seller can change. The negotiable part is more likely the sale price or how costs are handled around completion. First establish what the quoted amount covers and whether every listing reports it on the same basis.

Before comparing estimates, what is still undecided: individual versus company ownership, residency status, financing, or whether the commercial and residential areas will be rented out? I wouldn’t lump notary/legal charges together with registration and taxes. Even if they are all paid around...

Getting this wrong could mean buying into a large owner contribution without receiving enough of a discount to cover it. I am looking at a two-bedroom, 170 m² Mumbai apartment where reserves seem low and substantial exterior works are under discussion. No project has been authorised, and it is...