Residential market sees decline
The residential market in 2012 was plagued by high property prices, relatively higher mortgage rates, weak business sentiments and a bleak employment scenario which is reflected in the residential launches, which declined by 30 per cent in 2012 in comparison to a fall of 7 per cent in 2011.
Banks' credit exposure to developers has fallen from its peak growth rate of 23.21 per cent in June 2011 to 3.88 per cent as per the latest reported data on September, 2012. Developers are cautious of launching projects as the gap between the launch and the absorption numbers reduced to 32,000 units in 2012 compared to 82,000 and 94,000 units in 2010 and 2011 respectively, according to the Economy & Realty Report for last month.
Residential sales momentum for the top six cities fell by 14 per cent and 16 per cent during 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Performance and outlook of the residential market of the top six cities, Delhi- NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, are as follows:
Bangalore: Being an end-user driven market, it is expected to remain comparatively steady. South-East and North-East residential markets will continue to lead the overall Bangalore residential market.
Delhi NCR: Increase in supply in the NCR will primarily emanate from the opening up of new sectors in the Gurgaon market. Gurgaon, Noida and Greater Noida will continue to lead the overall NCR residential market.
The NCR residential market is expected to stabilise in 2013.
Mumbai: The residential market has witnessed a phenomenon of rising property prices and declining sales volumes. High prices coupled with a stagnating job market have adversely impacted sales momentum.
Going forward, the price growth in Mumbai will be muted on account of the unsold inventory and increasing share of peripheral markets.
Pune: West and East Pune will continue to witness the maximum amount of traction in the residential space going forward. A comparatively higher number of unsold units in 2012 will ensure a marginal drop in new launches for the next year.
Hyderabad & Chennai: Residential demand driven by IT/ITeS sector in both cities is expected to be stable in the coming year. Absorption to maintain its current level in the coming year as well. In Chennai, South Chennai will continue to witness the maximum traction in terms of absorption followed by West Chennai. In Hyderabad, the western zone will continue to see the most activity in terms of launches and absorption.
DHNS
Safety at home
In terms of safety in a home, both the elderly and children are susceptible to accidents, leading to injuries and other health complications, if the house is not designed well. Recognising the needs of senior citizens and their safety, many developers have launched exclusive projects with adequate amenities for them.
However, you can take simple measures at the designing stage to avoid problems in your home. Ensuring floors are skid free and free from glare is one of the most important aspects.
Supportive railings should be provided in the bathroom. A ramp with rails in front of the house helps. Other amenities that need to be provided include a safety alarm, TV, telephone, medical facility and 24/7 security.
Open electrical sockets, fused bulbs and open fixtures should be avoided. Proper safety equipment to avoid short circuit are a must. A safety alarm guarding the house is another good option. Loose floor mats or rugs should have non-skid backing and the floors should be skid free. Colour changes in case of level flooring will be helpful.
All the rooms should be well lit. It should be ensured that the furniture used is light and free from sharp edges. Door handles with hinge action are easy to operate rather than knob-type handles. Thresholds should be avoided and low beveled edges should be chosen.Emergency telephone numbers of the other family members and of the family physician should be placed at an easily accessible place.
The medications regularly used by these family members should be placed at the appropriate place, indicating the required dosage as prescribed by doctors. This will help them take only the required medicine.
Similar precautions are necessary when small children are part of the family. Avoid loose electrical wiring. Switches and sockets should be placed at a height that is not reachable to toddlers. Open sockets should be properly plugged in for safety.
Other hazardous items like cans of insecticide, room freshener, naphtha balls, cleaning solution, etc. should be not be placed in an easily-reachable place.
Toys and other playthings should not have sharp edges. The doors of wardrobe drawers and kitchen cabinets should be properly closed and locked. Another important point to consider is open balconies. Keep them covered to ensure there are no accident.
K S Someswara
Design to keep you secure during a tsunami
An Australian houseboat builder, Matt Duncan, was so taken aback when he saw footage of the massive Japanese tsunami on television that he decided to do something to help people survive similar disasters in the future.
The result is his Tsunami Survival Pod (TSP), which can accommodate four people in harnessed safety seats and reportedly hold enough air to last those passengers for two and a half hours.
The floating watertight TSP, bright orange in colour, is made from four mm spiral welded steel (the kind Duncan uses for his houseboats), has a crush capacity of four tonnes, and features impact-absorbing crumple zones. It has a main hatch and a bottom-mounted secondary hatch (in case it ends up upside down), both of which open inward to avoid being blocked by external debris.
Each of these hatches also features a one-inch-thick window to help minimise claustrophobia.The pod has a streamlined design, to keep it from getting snagged on debris or other objects.
"If the pod is washed out to sea, it has exterior flashing beacon lights to attract the attention of rescuers, and lifting hooks for a helicopter or ship-mounted crane rescue," said Duncan.
Food rations, blankets and safety helmets are also included in the package. Four small wheels at the bottom allow the pod to be pushed around by hand on smooth surfaces (such as driveways), and it is said to be small enough to fit in a typical garage or carport.
Geetha Balachandran
The residential market in 2012 was plagued by high property prices, relatively higher mortgage rates, weak business sentiments and a bleak employment scenario which is reflected in the residential launches, which declined by 30 per cent in 2012 in comparison to a fall of 7 per cent in 2011.
Banks' credit exposure to developers has fallen from its peak growth rate of 23.21 per cent in June 2011 to 3.88 per cent as per the latest reported data on September, 2012. Developers are cautious of launching projects as the gap between the launch and the absorption numbers reduced to 32,000 units in 2012 compared to 82,000 and 94,000 units in 2010 and 2011 respectively, according to the Economy & Realty Report for last month.
Residential sales momentum for the top six cities fell by 14 per cent and 16 per cent during 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Performance and outlook of the residential market of the top six cities, Delhi- NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, are as follows:
Bangalore: Being an end-user driven market, it is expected to remain comparatively steady. South-East and North-East residential markets will continue to lead the overall Bangalore residential market.
Delhi NCR: Increase in supply in the NCR will primarily emanate from the opening up of new sectors in the Gurgaon market. Gurgaon, Noida and Greater Noida will continue to lead the overall NCR residential market.
The NCR residential market is expected to stabilise in 2013.
Mumbai: The residential market has witnessed a phenomenon of rising property prices and declining sales volumes. High prices coupled with a stagnating job market have adversely impacted sales momentum.
Going forward, the price growth in Mumbai will be muted on account of the unsold inventory and increasing share of peripheral markets.
Pune: West and East Pune will continue to witness the maximum amount of traction in the residential space going forward. A comparatively higher number of unsold units in 2012 will ensure a marginal drop in new launches for the next year.
Hyderabad & Chennai: Residential demand driven by IT/ITeS sector in both cities is expected to be stable in the coming year. Absorption to maintain its current level in the coming year as well. In Chennai, South Chennai will continue to witness the maximum traction in terms of absorption followed by West Chennai. In Hyderabad, the western zone will continue to see the most activity in terms of launches and absorption.
DHNS
Safety at home
In terms of safety in a home, both the elderly and children are susceptible to accidents, leading to injuries and other health complications, if the house is not designed well. Recognising the needs of senior citizens and their safety, many developers have launched exclusive projects with adequate amenities for them.
However, you can take simple measures at the designing stage to avoid problems in your home. Ensuring floors are skid free and free from glare is one of the most important aspects.
Supportive railings should be provided in the bathroom. A ramp with rails in front of the house helps. Other amenities that need to be provided include a safety alarm, TV, telephone, medical facility and 24/7 security.
Open electrical sockets, fused bulbs and open fixtures should be avoided. Proper safety equipment to avoid short circuit are a must. A safety alarm guarding the house is another good option. Loose floor mats or rugs should have non-skid backing and the floors should be skid free. Colour changes in case of level flooring will be helpful.
All the rooms should be well lit. It should be ensured that the furniture used is light and free from sharp edges. Door handles with hinge action are easy to operate rather than knob-type handles. Thresholds should be avoided and low beveled edges should be chosen.Emergency telephone numbers of the other family members and of the family physician should be placed at an easily accessible place.
The medications regularly used by these family members should be placed at the appropriate place, indicating the required dosage as prescribed by doctors. This will help them take only the required medicine.
Similar precautions are necessary when small children are part of the family. Avoid loose electrical wiring. Switches and sockets should be placed at a height that is not reachable to toddlers. Open sockets should be properly plugged in for safety.
Other hazardous items like cans of insecticide, room freshener, naphtha balls, cleaning solution, etc. should be not be placed in an easily-reachable place.
Toys and other playthings should not have sharp edges. The doors of wardrobe drawers and kitchen cabinets should be properly closed and locked. Another important point to consider is open balconies. Keep them covered to ensure there are no accident.
K S Someswara
Design to keep you secure during a tsunami
An Australian houseboat builder, Matt Duncan, was so taken aback when he saw footage of the massive Japanese tsunami on television that he decided to do something to help people survive similar disasters in the future.
The result is his Tsunami Survival Pod (TSP), which can accommodate four people in harnessed safety seats and reportedly hold enough air to last those passengers for two and a half hours.
The floating watertight TSP, bright orange in colour, is made from four mm spiral welded steel (the kind Duncan uses for his houseboats), has a crush capacity of four tonnes, and features impact-absorbing crumple zones. It has a main hatch and a bottom-mounted secondary hatch (in case it ends up upside down), both of which open inward to avoid being blocked by external debris.
Each of these hatches also features a one-inch-thick window to help minimise claustrophobia.The pod has a streamlined design, to keep it from getting snagged on debris or other objects.
"If the pod is washed out to sea, it has exterior flashing beacon lights to attract the attention of rescuers, and lifting hooks for a helicopter or ship-mounted crane rescue," said Duncan.
Food rations, blankets and safety helmets are also included in the package. Four small wheels at the bottom allow the pod to be pushed around by hand on smooth surfaces (such as driveways), and it is said to be small enough to fit in a typical garage or carport.
Geetha Balachandran