DHP - What an idea sirji!!

After we finished our engineering and moved to Bangalore in search of job, we never thought we would one day own a house in Bangalore. All we wanted was a decent job that would promote our family from BPL (Below Poverty Line) to AMC (Average Middle Class). Few of us (number still counting) moved to Bangalore and rented a house in Kamakshipalya (room rent was 900Rs per month and six of us were staying in that room). We had initially told the owner that only four of us will stay in the room. As most of our friends wanted a job in Bangalore, they all poured in. The number rose from 4 to 5 to 6 and then we lost the count. Looking at the ever increasing count, owner softly asked us to vacate the house. We moved to Rajajinagar from Kamakshipalya and rented another house (this time rent was 1700Rs per month. We could manage because one of us had a decent job). We told owner that four of us will stay in room. But again where will others go without a job in hand? The number started increasing from 4 to 5 to 6. This time owner noticed the ever increasing pair of chappals outside our room. Every time owner came to collect rent from us, they would see any additional par of shoes/chappals outside our room. Within a year we were asked to vacate house. This happened one more time in Rajajinagar. We were frustrated with owners throwing us away from the houses and wanted to have house of our own. By this time we all had a decent job and one of our friends (Vinay) gave an idea of constructing an apartment of our own with all friends staying in single apartment. We all liked the idea and sat together to decide on going ahead with the plan. Finally six of us decided to go ahead with the plan. We looked around for a good/reasonable site. Our weekends were spent in search of site. By this time we were introduced to Vinod (Real estate agent). We zeroed in on one site (60 x 40) in Yelenahalli near NICE road. We purchased the site. The plan of constructing an apartment with basement parking + three floors (GF, FF, SF) with each floor having two flats was approved. We named our project as DHP - Dream Home Project. We approached DHFL bank for home loan. They asked to first decide on having flats against our names for loan approval. Now is the most interesting aspect. Who will own which flat in the apartment? We decided to have lot system. We first decided flat names as GF-01, GF-02, FF-01, FF-02, SF-01 and SF-02. We then wrote down all our names in a chit. The first name drawn will own GF-01, next GF-02 and so on. With all ups and downs, pains and gains, fortunes and fears of constructing an apartment in Bangalore, the time passed quickly. After almost 20 months of struggle, travel, fight and frustration came the time of fulfillment. The DHP was ready to occupy. Now we have an apartment of our own in Bangalore having the same bunch of friends who came to Bangalore in search of job, vacated multiple houses because of ever increasing count, moved to Chennai, Pune, and Hyderabad to secure a job in IT industry.

Advantages of DHP:

• The cost of construction/ownership is much less.


• Friends and their families stay together in single apartment.


• We can support one another during different times (my wife is away in her home town for almost 8 months now and I am having breakfast/lunch/dinner in my friends house).


• As there are only six flats, it doesn’t look as crowded as other apartments.


• As the whole apartment is owned by us, we can take decisions on our own.
  
  There were difficult times and difficult challenges that we had to go through but that made the journey more interesting.
  
  All in all - all is well that ends well. End??? No not at all....it’s just the beginning...abhi story bhaaki hai mere dost….
  
  
  DHP - What an idea sirji!!
  Thank you Vinay for giving such a wonderful idea and also introducing us to Vinod.