So, you have been offered a posting in India and you have to make New Delhi your home for the next five years. Where do you start your home search? Living and working in India’s national capital often comes with the great promise of Indian food, holiday hubs and natural destinations to be explored. But putting down roots in India can be a difficult task and you want to have a clear map of what life in India is going to be like before you choose a place to live.
what to expect in india
“India offers a variety of lifestyles and usually people who come to India for a short period of time are employees of consulates or employees of global companies who post their top executives here. The places in India differ markedly according to the lifestyle they follow. What a single person wants his Delhi life to be like is likely to be very different from a person who is coming as a couple or in the other case a family with a few kids. Finding accommodation in Delhi for ambassadors or for top executives in Mumbai and sometimes in Goa depends on their family’s establishment,” Sush Claes, realtor and founder, Welcome Home Luxury Real Estate Services told Business Today. Clay has been helping expatriates settle in their Indian home for over five years.
Finding a Home in New Delhi
The location where people choose to set up their home depends on two factors: budget and lifestyle. But when one decides to build a house, initial problems are many. Rebecca Hogg came to India from Switzerland with her husband and children in December 2020 when her husband was posted as the Chief Development Officer in the upcoming Jewar airport project. Hug himself is a marketing and PR professional. He has made his home in a luxurious flat in Chanakyapuri area of Delhi. “I started working on my transfer from Switzerland itself. There were many factors to consider – the interior design, and the school for our children were all factors on which we decided to begin our home search. My husband had to report to Jewar but we decided to stay back in Delhi. The initial challenges were about finding the right house, setting up the furnishings, and sending the children to school. With the support I got here, everything happened very quickly in a few months. From getting a yoga teacher to finding markets, everything helped. We love India and want to continue living here.
the price you pay
“The price range varies by location, of course. Good New Delhi homes can start from around Rs 2 lakh and can go above Rs 10 lakh in Delhi. It all depends on the accommodation and location. Other areas for expatriates to rent houses around Delhi are some areas of Gurgaon. Mumbai and Goa have also attracted a lot of interest among expats looking for residence in India. But here it totally depends on their line of work,” said Claes. According to Claes, the best way to find an apartment in India is to plan living and life to a T. People who have an active social life They like to live in a certain way. There are some who like to travel frequently.” Are you looking for a home to settle down in India and raise your children or are you planning to stay here for some time? Will spend, enjoy it and relocate to your native country in a year or two? There are certain considerations that should be made when choosing a residence in India and we help people navigate through these when planning to set up home in India.
what determines the price
“The value factor is based on the age of the property, the carpet area of the flat, the floor it is on, modular construction in kitchens and bathrooms, and other amenities like digital security, reversible air-conditioning. Individual bungalows have their own parameters and naturally starts at a higher price point. These factors are also the major determinants of the price points. If we are talking about the range between Rs 1-2 lakhs, it could be the 1960s rainy In Jor Bagh or in a small apartment in 1995 in Anand Niketan. In the Rs 3 lakh range, the level of features goes up, and brand names of appliances come into play. Once we touch Rs 5 lakh and above, we see duplexes, floors with terrace gardens, slightly upgraded bungalows etc.
places to choose from
“The top-of-the-line demand is really as close to Chanakyapuri as possible, and individual luxury bungalows with state-of-the-art fixtures and fittings can be priced at Rs 10 lakh and above. It is at this price point that the spacious sections offer exceptional comfort levels With footage, design and exclusivity really come into play. And then there is the grande dame of luxury – the Lutyens Bungalow Zone,” says Cleage. Locations to choose from when setting up a home in New Delhi are Chanakyapuri, Jor Bagh, Golf Links, West End, Shanti Niketan and Vasant Vihar. People who love to live in Gurgaon prefer to live in DLF Camellias, Magnolias, Aralias and Crest and others. Then there are some who prefer to live in spacious farmhouses to enjoy nature. West End Green, Chhatarpur Farmhouse has all the areas to choose from in terms of accommodation.
Beginner’s problems in making India home
“The way of living in India and the choice of neighborhood also depends on who is relocating from which country. How someone relocating to India from an Asian country would behave would be very different from how someone from Europe would decide to settle here. Eating habits, lifestyle in countries of origin all matter when it comes to choosing a place to live and settling in for a good time,” said Claes.
What should be prepared while settling in?
“We came to Delhi from Manila in June. Getting home was easy. But it became a bit difficult when we expected to source things in India the way we get them in western countries, for example getting regular home fittings in departmental stores at home is easy, but Here there are small tapes, fixtures and other little things that are needed. To build a house – hardware materials are hard to come by. So, what works here is a network of friends and support groups that can inform you where to get and where to go. This is how big cities work in India, so before or within a few weeks of coming here, build up your support group of friends so that you can navigate smoothly,” Temina Lalani-Sharif told Business Today. Lalani-Sharif is the Regional Director, South Asia, CGIAR.
How much time do you need to settle?
As most would agree, if you have a nice home and a good support system of friends and acquaintances around you, it should take around three weeks to three months to settle everything and enjoy the Indian experience.
