What are amenities in a housing project? How do they impact pricing?

Real estate developers typically mention a multitude of amenities when marketing their housing projects. The number and quality of amenities are one of the biggest influencers of apartment costs in housing projects. This brings us to the question, what exactly are amenities?

 

What is considered as an amenity in a housing project?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, an amenity is “a feature or service that makes a place pleasant, comfortable or easy to live in”. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes amenities as “something that helps to provide comfort, convenience, or enjoyment”.

This covers all the provisions provided in a housing project that enhance its value by way of offering a better lifestyle to the buyer. Considering amenities make a place pleasant and comfortable to live in, the basic provisions or facilities to live a normal life don’t make it to the list of amenities. They are known as utilities.

 

Amenities versus utilities

It becomes important to understand the difference between an amenity and a utility. At no point, these two terms should be used interchangeably as they cover a whole different type of facilities in a housing project. As a buyer, one must clearly know this distinction and should not allow developers to pass off one thing for another.

Utilities are facilities that are necessary to make a housing project liveable. According to the Oxford Dictionary, utility is a service provided for public in connection with the operations of a publicly owned utility. This makes water supply, power supply, sewage lines, internal roads, proper internal lighting, certain open spaces, security, parking, etc., part of utilities. Good-to-have features, such as swimming pools, gyms, jacuzzi, library, etc., on the other hand would come in the league of amenities.

While no compromises can be made in terms of number and quality of the utility provisions, a homebuyer can opt for a housing project with limited, or unlimited amenities based on his budget. This brings us to our next topic of discussion, how do amenities impact pricing of housing projects.

 

List of amenities in a housing project

Community amenities

• Swimming pool
• Fitness centre
• Dog park
• Child daycare
• Bike racks
• Fitness facility
• Covered parking
• Building signage
• Barbecue
• Outdoor kitchen
• Clubhouse
• Lounge
• Firepit
• Coworking space
• Library
• Study
• Media centre
• Gym
• Fitness centre
• Yoga room
• Jogging paths
• Sports courts
• Children’s playground
• Playroom
• Childcare services
• Restaurants
• Grocery stores

Building amenities

• Lobby reception
• Concierge with doorperson or porter
• Elevator
• Security
• Gated entrance
• Secure entering
• Covered parking
• Electrical vehicle charging station
• Bike parking
• Transportation nearby
• Storage area
• Package delivery
• Maintenance crew
• Laundry
• Dry-cleaning service
• Online rent payment
• Smart building
• Sound system
• Intercom system
• Garbage
• Recycling
• Composting station
• Rainwater harvesting
• CCTV surveillance

Amenities within the apartment

• Private elevator
• Air conditioning
• Deck
• Patio
• Private balcony
• Dishwasher
• Fireplace
• Hardwood floors
• High-end appliances or fixtures
• Energy-efficient appliances
• In-unit laundry machines
• Large windows
• Picturesque views
• Glare-free, or tinted glass
• Walk-in closets

List of utilities in a housing project

• Electricity
• Power backup
• Gas pipeline
• Water supply
• Sewage line
• Storm water drainage
• Security
• Parking
• Elevator (in buildings with more than three floors)

 

What does RERA say about amenities?

India’s Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act of 2016 describes amenities as part of internal development works.

According to the RERA, internal development works include “roads, footpaths, water supply, sewers, drains, parks, tree planting, street lighting, provision for community buildings and treatment and disposal of sewage and sullage water, solid waste management and disposal, water conservation, energy management, fire protection and fire safety requirements, social infrastructure, such as education health and other public amenities or any other work in a project for its benefit, as per sanctioned plans”.

The law also says that once a builder promises to provide a specific amenity in his housing project under a sanctioned building plan, he has to take the buyer on board if he intends to make any change in the facility.

“The allottee shall be entitled to know stage-wise time schedule for completion of the project, including the provisions for water, sanitation, electricity, other amenities and services as agreed to between the promoter and the allottee in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement for sale,” states the RERA, under the heading rights and duties of allottees.

 

How do amenities impact the apartment pricing?

Amenities are lifestyle enhancers. These facilities would shoot up the cost of undertaking a project, depending on the number and quality. Not only that, but these facilities also increase the compliance cost for the builder considering additional facilities, meaning more government approvals. So, a 2BHK apartment coming up in the same locality with basic facilities would cost you half or less as compared to a flat of similar configuration with a hoard of amenities.

Pricing would be higher for flats that have world-class amenities.

 

FAQs

What is an amenity in a project?

An amenity is a good-to-have feature in housing projects.

What is a utility in a project?

A utility is a must-have feature in housing projects.

Is a swimming pool an amenity or utility?

A swimming pool is an amenity in a housing project (a desirable feature).

Are playgrounds an amenity or utility?

Playgrounds are considered as an amenity in a housing project in India.

Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at [email protected]