Kochi is the commercial capital of Kerala. It is also known as a major tourist hotspot attracting tourists from all over the country and worldwide. The city is among the fastest-growing cities in the country and has been chosen as a Smart city by the government. Kochi will receive special development status from the central government to develop pan-city solutions and area-based development.

While upgrading your current home to a new one you are looking for better infrastructure and amenities around them. The location is expected to have better social infrastructure and connectivity. The residential project is expected to have the best amenities that promise a better lifestyle and environment for the family to grow. The city to which you are upgrading plays a big role in making certain that your upgrade was worth it.

There are many reasons for Kochi to be a good investment option for those looking to upgrade their homes.

Infrastructure and Development

Kochi is one of the top emerging cities of India and boasts of well-planned residential areas, excellent connectivity, modern healthcare facilities, educational institutes, shopping malls, and entertainment options. It is the first-TIER II city in India to have an operational metro rail network. The international airport connects the city to all major hubs within the country and the world. The builders in Ernakulam are matching these developments by building world-class complexes.

Economy

The city has a robust economy driven by tourism, shipping, and marine and Information Technology industries. The government’s special focus to develop these sectors has resulted in the generation of major employment opportunities for those who wish to make the city their home. The Cochin Port and Kochi International Development have further boosted the city as a hub for economic activity.

IT Hub

The special initiative of the government to develop the city as a major IT hub has led to the development of Infopark and Smart City campuses which is gaining the attention of large IT MNCs drawing them to invest in the city.

The Kakkand technological cluster and Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) offer a major advantage for these companies in cost-cutting as the cost of doing business is low and skilled professionals are easily available at lower costs. This has also boosted employment opportunities pushing the growth of residential flats for sale in Ernakulam.

Real Estate Development

Kochi offers the best residential projects for those looking to upgrade their lifestyle. There is no dearth of residential properties that suit the needs of every budget. Leading builders from the city are now offering luxury flats for sale in Kochi, high-rises with the best modern amenities and a luxurious lifestyle. Developers are creating exceptional homes with creative interiors to entice the home buyer. The smallest of the details and nuances are being taken care of to offer home buyers looking to upgrade their homes.

Kochi is also a hub of rich culture and traditions. The residents of the city can enjoy the most beautiful locales and experience the best cuisines and arts fulfilling all the needs of an enriching lifestyle.

Perhaps you’ve lived in your home for a considerable period of time and it’s finally, an ideal time for an upgrade. Or you may be assembling a new house without any preparation and need to make something wonderful.

Either way, you would be searching for ideas to make your space fun, functional, productive, and green. In many apartments in Kottayam, residents are often in a dilemma as to where do you go for these ideas for the design of your new home? The answer is that you could begin following expert home builders and interior designers for getting their feedback, or you could simply read on.

Hopefully, you would have chosen to read on because you are going to discover 7fabulous ideas on what you should add to your home to build a unique space for you.

USB wall charger 

Many recently built flats in Edappally come with wall outlets that have USB spaces nowadays.  However, regardless of whether you already have a completely built home, they’re a fantastically worthy option that is simple to include for somebody with a touch of electrical experience.

Steam shower 

These showers not just have medical advantages like helping you to unwind, installing one will probably raise the value of your home. Also, they are amazingly green. While regular showers utilize seven gallons of water for each minute, steam showers utilize just one.

Impact-rated windows 

For instance, If you are living in a waterfront region where storms are normal, windows like these are legally necessary, yet, for those living in different zones, there are numerous advantages to using impact windows. For example, they offer improved security, decreased noise, and better energy efficiency, making them a wise investment.

Outside theater 

An Outside theatre is incredible as it can be done in a low-end, DIY way (utilizing a projector and straightforward open-air seating), or you can go hard and make a genuine performance center in a space designed for projection and built-in seating.

Secret rooms

Do you like privacy? Along with doors, have some shelves assembled that open to allow you to go from one room to another.

Window seats

What’s better than having a seat by the window where you can curl up with your favorite book and spent the day reading? A seat by the window is a useful expansion to any new home or rebuilt project. Moreover, it can also be used as a storage space.

Stair shelves

In many flats in Kottayam, stair shelves are a popular way to make use of your space. They are great because of the utility along with adding a fun and funky design aesthetic to your home. Stair shelves are hence always a great idea.

In these uncertain times, deciding on the best investment option is a difficult task for most people. Everyone is on the lookout to make the highest returns in the shortest possible time without losing out on their principal amount. In fact, there is no investment that can give you high returns without a degree of risk involved.

If we are to look at the various investment options available, we will see that investing in equity does not assure a fixed return and also involves a high degree of risk, as it is market linked. Mutual funds are mostly equity linked and any fluctuation in equity markets will adversely affect the performance of the fund. Fixed deposits, is seen as a safe avenue, but there’s hardly any return on your investment, considering that the banks are constantly reducing interests on term deposits. Government bonds are safe investments assuring a fixed return, but the returns are not high and the duration is far too long.

Investing in gold is an option that is quite popular especially in India. It has always been considered wise to invest in gold, for its high liquidity. But in reality, you lose much more than gain when we try to sell off gold in the form of jewelry; so investing in gold is not such a wise option, after all.

Despite the host of investment options available today, let’s examine why real estate is still considered to be the best investment avenue. The Indian Real Estate Consumer report for April – May 2020 finds that 35% of investors prefer to invest in real estate than gold (28%), fixed deposits (22%) or stocks (15%).

Real Estate fetches returns in two ways; it gets you a capital appreciation and also earns a rental return. The apartment or house, or the plot of land that you invest in will appreciate well over a period of time. You can rent out the apartment or house and earn a good rental return as well. Apart from the capital appreciation, investing in real estate also provides you with tax benefits.

While investing in real estate, a few points should be borne in mind, so as to make the right choice. If you are looking to invest in an apartment, it is important to check out the credibility of the builder; how long has the builder been in business, the number of projects delivered, whether these projects have been delivered on time, the quality of construction etc. are a few important points to look out. Reading up on customer reviews would be very helpful. The location of the house or apartment decides the kind of value appreciation and rental returns you can expect.

You should thoroughly go through the plan of the apartment and decide whether it completely meets your requirement of a home. It doesn’t matter whether it is for your personal use or whether you are planning to rent it out. A well planned and laid out apartment with good amenities and ambience fetches better resale and rental returns. Some builders offer fitted out apartments, which will save you the hassle of getting it done yourself, even though this would be more expensive.

You can also consider investing in commercial properties in good locations, if you are planning on a bigger investment in real estate. The advantage is that the returns on investment, both in terms of rental and the asset value appreciation, would be much higher as compared to an apartment or a house.

Even though in the current pandemic scenario, people seem to be deferring their decision of home buying, possibly owing to liquidity concerns and general uncertainty, a recent survey conducted by the National Real Estate Development Council, shows that people will again start investing in real estate in the next six months. The pandemic has alerted people, especially the NRIs that it is indeed a necessity to have a home back in India. Those people who stay in rented homes have also realized the importance of having a home of their own.

 “The addition of real estate to a portfolio of diversified assets can lower portfolio volatility and provide a higher return”says Investopedia. Investing in real estate properties is the best way to build a diversified financial portfolio, as real estate assets are real and tangible and provide a much greater level of security than any other investment option.

For more information on reliable and prudent real estate investment in Kochi, please contact: 9072369966

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PRASIDHA PRABHAKARAN

The author of this blog is Prasidha Prabhakaran. She is a freelance marketing professional. Her journey in Real Estate began in 1995 when she joined Abad Builders. In the last 25 years of her career, she has worked in the different domains of Sales, Marketing and Customer Care with Builders in Kerala and also those with pan India operations. This vast experience has endowed her with profound knowledge of the Real Estate industry, both in Kerala and rest of India. She is currently engaged as a marketing consultant for Abad Builders.

As the whole world is fighting the Coronavirus pandemic and businesses are struggling to keep afloat, there is uncertainty all around, be it in terms of jobs, dividends, stocks, or finances. Likewise, the economic imbalance has also affected homebuyers and investors who were ready to make a real estate investment just before the disease started spreading at a fatal rate. So, the question is whether you should buy a home during COVID – 19. Let’s find out.

Benefits of Investing Now

Low Lending Rates

The RBI has recently announced a repo rate cut, that will bring down the interest rates on home loans. As a result, most banks launched new home loan products linked to the repo rate revision. Currently, the repo rate stands at 4.4%, which is the lowest ever. This is the perfect time for homebuyers who have sufficient funds to invest in that dream flat for sale in Kochi and to get a home loan approved before the rates are increased again.

Chance for Negotiations

This is a time when builders and property agents are eager to clear the inventory to resume cash flow. Most of them are also offering attractive discounts like a refund on booking amount to lure investors. Therefore, this is the right time to invest in the luxury flats in Kochi and secure a good deal for yourselves.

Demand – Supply Slowdown

As the pandemic has created an economic slowdown, the demand for homes has diminished. Besides, there are hardly any new product offerings by builders and developers. As discussed above, this is a great opportunity for homebuyers who have sufficient funds to own a home at a decent price.

Things to Consider:

Expect Project Delays

With the whole country under lockdown, and construction workers returning home, project delays are imminent. The real estate sector that has always been struggling with regulatory changes and low sales is now facing project delay issues.

Liquidity Issues

With almost no sales happening in any sector, liquidity can be a major issue you will face. Most investors and businessmen are struggling to pick up their pace once the lockdown ends. Investors should have to wait until the money starts flowing in gradually.

Uncertainty in Economic Growth

As a matter of fact, it is not just India that is facing an economic crisis. Most of the countries in the world have been impacted due to the pandemic. With these large economies facing turmoil, the Indian economy that is dependent on foreign investments and equity funding will suffer.