In Indian Metros, the space constraints are getting on nerves of the dwellers. For the ones who have successfully found a way to their wealth appreciation prefer the expansion of their liveable area. Now, for some leaving a smaller house for a larger one is a cumbersome process, and considering the expenses in doing the packing and moving, it gets costly too. In many such cases, those aspirants plan to buy the adjacent flat, where they can drop the dividing wall and enjoy an edge to edge expanse of the reunited unit.

A different kind of homebuyers believes in buying in such an arrangement right from the beginning. There is a widespread notion that buying two 1BHK units is cheaper than buying one 3BHK, since the ticket price increases with the floor space of any particular unit.

Benefits of buying adjacent flats:

Experts suggest that there could be a significant price difference clubbing two smaller units than buying a bigger flat on its own, often that difference can encompass the floor area of a bedroom or several lacs of rupees. In a building with smaller housing units, the ticket prices are assumed to be on the budgeted side, since it is considered as an 'affordable' unit. There might be a compromise on the number of amenities and added luxuries, but it would be a value for money. So If a person is looking for a budgeted expansive living space, it is recommended to buy two smaller units.

The larger singular units are seen as a luxury in urban spaces, where anything with more the two bedrooms or 500 sq. ft. of the area could fetch a list of added amenities to the project they are seeking to invest in. Since all these extra perks come with a cost, it could be demotivating for a certain kind of buyer.

Drawbacks of buying such an arrangement:

Municipality clearances are stringent compliances, which are getting more and more troublesome in the recent years. In Maharashtra, one is required to get such ambitions passed through the chief architect of the building, the cooperative housing society, the police and the local government office. This process could be cumbersome and time-consuming.

Redevelopment costs to club the units is another thing to consider which is a lot more than just dropping the central wall. If one clubs two 1BHKs, it is assumed that they would require three bedrooms and a kitchen, as opposed to two bedrooms and two kitchens. Refurbishment of a kitchen into a bedroom it could cost in lacs!

Risk of weakening the structure of the building is always a possibility, despite a clearance from the architect. Constant strength maintenance needs to be evaluated at set intervals.

Our take: while we understand the concern of the homebuyers on this subject, we would like to point out the one might have incurred the cost in a non-monetary form in case they successfully save a hefty amount. Please invest wisely!