Giving old buildings a second lease of life
Societies that adopt a systematic approach and follow professional advice are more likely to be successful in redevelopment
'New homes for old' is a dream that most Mumbaikars share. Dilapidated buildings, often on the verge of collapse, are a grim reality for thousands of housing societies across Mumbai's central suburbs. With structural stability already badly affected and conditions deteriorating further with each passing day, sooner or later the stage arises when members start actively exploring the possibility of redevelopment.
However, making the transition from an old dilapidated building to a new, stable structure is not an easy task. With incomplete or misleading information creating friction among members and new circulars being issued on a regular basis, societies have to cope with either an information overload or paucity of the same. Many societies do not have conveyance, so the entire process can break down in an instant. Identifying the right kind of builders or developer is another challenge as is knowledge of specific procedures to be followed. Due to this, redevelopment of old buildings has become a common cause for concern where existing housing societies across Mumbai are concerned.
Awareness matters
All through 2011, ever since the first DNA Property Redevelopment Conference-cum-Exhibition made its debut in January, one aspect has become crystal clear. Ignorance is not bliss, especially where the redevelopment process is concerned. During the three conferences that have taken place and the months in between, an increasing number of societies trapped in a quagmire of their own making came forward to share harrowing experiences.
Rules had been ignored until no longer possible, then bent to suit the purpose of certain members and finally broken for selfish gains of another group. The result is endless delays, loss of all possible benefits, and ultimately a no-win situation where they are literally praying for rescue by a benevolent developer.
From societies that have signed a contract and appointed a builder without following due to procedure to those who have signed new contracts without cancelling the previous ones and are locked up in litigation, it's always the same story. Lack of in-depth knowledge sends the society members or tenants on the wrong track with a one-way ticket to nowhere.
Informed decisions
In stark contrast, society members and tenants who attend events like the two-day DNA Property Redevelopment Conference-cum-Exhibition and follow the free guidance provided find the process going through much more smoothly and quickly. The fact is that every society has to deal with a wide variety of issues at each stage of the redevelopment process and the further they advance; the more complex and complicated aspects emerge. In fact, probably the biggest knowledge take-away from the two DNA Property Conference-cum-Exhibitions held so far has been that society members finally began to realise the extent of their ignorance and the numerous resulting pitfalls. Listening to the queries raised by other societies helped them realise what lay in store for them in future.
Essential step
Given the large quantum of old structures in dilapidated conditions and lack of space for new development, most residents see redevelopment as a need based activity. "Redevelopment is seen as an ideal solution because you are rejuvenating your building by demolishing a 40-50 years old structure and building an entirely new structure with the help of latest technologies. The process also provides you with extra amenities and improves the lifestyle of the occupants of that building. Rather than go in for recurring repairs, I feel that redevelopment is a better way to increase the life span of the building", says senior citizen Saroj Shah.
Delays derail
Mohan Majethia, another senior citizen, opines that timing matters a great deal in the redevelopment process and too much delay is inadvisable. "Keep in mind that redevelopment is of the entire building and not just one flat in the building. So the approval of all the residents for redevelopment is necessary, which is difficult."
Referring to the situation faced by people like him who live in rented accommodation, he explains, "These days, we don't have unity among the people living in the same building, so the landlord takes advantage of this. The same is the case with housing societies; if one member disagrees with the idea of redevelopment, the consequences have to be faced by all the other members of the society."
Time consuming
"Redevelopment is a time consuming process as there are internal factors like paper work, approvals and agreements involved. Also, there are external factors like weather conditions and natural calamities, which can affect schedules, and delay the process. The consequences of such delays are faced by the existing occupants of the building. If the redevelopment of the building takes more time than expected, it becomes difficult for the older occupants as they have to stay temporarily on rent. We have to shift to different places, the education of the kids suffers and we don't get all facilities required", Majethia adds.
Combined effort
Chartered Accountant Amit Doshi, whose own society is considering redevelopment of their building, feels that co-operation among members is essential to carry out the redevelopment process smoothly. "One needs to get approval of all society members, select the builder by doing a proper homework and abide by the BMC rules and guidelines. Only then can the builder and the members can share the benefits of new and improved redeveloped structure", he says.
Future generations
Businessman Kamlesh Ghelani, who has two children, feels that "Redevelopment is the need of the hour. We need to walk hand in hand with time. The new generation wants to stay in houses, which signify recent trends and modern looks. The concept redevelops the perspective and thinking, while changing the lifestyle of the people with the latest amenities and technology. The lifespan of the building increases after its redevelopment. Not only that, the structure of the building becomes much stronger. Nowadays we have waterproof and earthquake-proof buildings. Redevelopment also increases the level of comfort as we have now have elevators. We also get boring water facility and solar system for electricity, which helps save the environment."
Societies that adopt a systematic approach and follow professional advice are more likely to be successful in redevelopment
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'New homes for old' is a dream that most Mumbaikars share. Dilapidated buildings, often on the verge of collapse, are a grim reality for thousands of housing societies across Mumbai's central suburbs. With structural stability already badly affected and conditions deteriorating further with each passing day, sooner or later the stage arises when members start actively exploring the possibility of redevelopment.
However, making the transition from an old dilapidated building to a new, stable structure is not an easy task. With incomplete or misleading information creating friction among members and new circulars being issued on a regular basis, societies have to cope with either an information overload or paucity of the same. Many societies do not have conveyance, so the entire process can break down in an instant. Identifying the right kind of builders or developer is another challenge as is knowledge of specific procedures to be followed. Due to this, redevelopment of old buildings has become a common cause for concern where existing housing societies across Mumbai are concerned.
Awareness matters
All through 2011, ever since the first DNA Property Redevelopment Conference-cum-Exhibition made its debut in January, one aspect has become crystal clear. Ignorance is not bliss, especially where the redevelopment process is concerned. During the three conferences that have taken place and the months in between, an increasing number of societies trapped in a quagmire of their own making came forward to share harrowing experiences.
Rules had been ignored until no longer possible, then bent to suit the purpose of certain members and finally broken for selfish gains of another group. The result is endless delays, loss of all possible benefits, and ultimately a no-win situation where they are literally praying for rescue by a benevolent developer.
From societies that have signed a contract and appointed a builder without following due to procedure to those who have signed new contracts without cancelling the previous ones and are locked up in litigation, it's always the same story. Lack of in-depth knowledge sends the society members or tenants on the wrong track with a one-way ticket to nowhere.
Informed decisions
In stark contrast, society members and tenants who attend events like the two-day DNA Property Redevelopment Conference-cum-Exhibition and follow the free guidance provided find the process going through much more smoothly and quickly. The fact is that every society has to deal with a wide variety of issues at each stage of the redevelopment process and the further they advance; the more complex and complicated aspects emerge. In fact, probably the biggest knowledge take-away from the two DNA Property Conference-cum-Exhibitions held so far has been that society members finally began to realise the extent of their ignorance and the numerous resulting pitfalls. Listening to the queries raised by other societies helped them realise what lay in store for them in future.
Essential step
Given the large quantum of old structures in dilapidated conditions and lack of space for new development, most residents see redevelopment as a need based activity. "Redevelopment is seen as an ideal solution because you are rejuvenating your building by demolishing a 40-50 years old structure and building an entirely new structure with the help of latest technologies. The process also provides you with extra amenities and improves the lifestyle of the occupants of that building. Rather than go in for recurring repairs, I feel that redevelopment is a better way to increase the life span of the building", says senior citizen Saroj Shah.
Delays derail
Mohan Majethia, another senior citizen, opines that timing matters a great deal in the redevelopment process and too much delay is inadvisable. "Keep in mind that redevelopment is of the entire building and not just one flat in the building. So the approval of all the residents for redevelopment is necessary, which is difficult."
Referring to the situation faced by people like him who live in rented accommodation, he explains, "These days, we don't have unity among the people living in the same building, so the landlord takes advantage of this. The same is the case with housing societies; if one member disagrees with the idea of redevelopment, the consequences have to be faced by all the other members of the society."
Time consuming
"Redevelopment is a time consuming process as there are internal factors like paper work, approvals and agreements involved. Also, there are external factors like weather conditions and natural calamities, which can affect schedules, and delay the process. The consequences of such delays are faced by the existing occupants of the building. If the redevelopment of the building takes more time than expected, it becomes difficult for the older occupants as they have to stay temporarily on rent. We have to shift to different places, the education of the kids suffers and we don't get all facilities required", Majethia adds.
Combined effort
Chartered Accountant Amit Doshi, whose own society is considering redevelopment of their building, feels that co-operation among members is essential to carry out the redevelopment process smoothly. "One needs to get approval of all society members, select the builder by doing a proper homework and abide by the BMC rules and guidelines. Only then can the builder and the members can share the benefits of new and improved redeveloped structure", he says.
Future generations
Businessman Kamlesh Ghelani, who has two children, feels that "Redevelopment is the need of the hour. We need to walk hand in hand with time. The new generation wants to stay in houses, which signify recent trends and modern looks. The concept redevelops the perspective and thinking, while changing the lifestyle of the people with the latest amenities and technology. The lifespan of the building increases after its redevelopment. Not only that, the structure of the building becomes much stronger. Nowadays we have waterproof and earthquake-proof buildings. Redevelopment also increases the level of comfort as we have now have elevators. We also get boring water facility and solar system for electricity, which helps save the environment."
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