FAB FARMS: Farm house in gated communities is the latest trend in luxury realty sector in the vicinity of Chandigarh

A few years back, when HNIs and NRIs thought about investing in a farmhouse, especially in North, then Delhi NCR areas such as Mehrauli, Brijwasan, Chhatarpur, and Aravali Hills were on top of the list of suitable locations. These places have, actually, been one of the largest farmhouse locations in India.

But, off late, there seems to be a new entrant in this segment — New Chandigarh and its surrounding areas. However, there’s a twist in this tale as in the virtual backyard of the City Beautiful, the luxury segment buyers can own ‘mini farms’ of 1 acre or more plot size within gated communities being developed by realty groups.

The clean, green and serene area in the foothills of the Shivalik range, not only has an amazing backdrop but the land is also fertile offering good scope for planting vegetables, fruit trees etc. The icing on the cake is the proximity to the bustling City Beautiful.

According to insiders, a reserved forest area of over 600 acres and view of Shivalik hills is another attraction for discerning buyers.

Acceding to the demand, more than half a dozen developers in organised sector are coming up with farmhouse projects with a price starting from Rs 9 crore per acre. This price depends on the location of the project and it can vary from Rs 9 crore per acre to Rs 21 crore per acre.

Let’s explore the options and offerings:

The Concept

Farmhouse has been an ultimate lifestyle statement for HNIs in India for a long time. Providing an escape from polluted and congested cities, such a personal Shangri-La is the most coveted asset for A listers.

However, earlier, this segment was not in the “organised” development sector as most buyers would opt for the “farmer” tag to own sprawling abodes.

Looking at the long-term potential of farmhouse-style living, developers in the organised sector have entered this ‘space’ over the past few years, especially in New Chandigarh and its surrounding areas.

According to realty mavens in the Tricity area, the idea of 1 or 2 acre “mini farms” is catching the fancy of several HNIs who want to enjoy proximity to Nature without losing out on the benefits of city life. A majority of such projects offering farm houses in gated communities are coming up in areas such as Manakpur Sharif (Siswan-Kurali Road), Mianpur Changar, Abhipur and PR-4 road (New Cricket Stadium to Anandpur Sahib road). All of these locations are within half an hour’s distance from Chandigarh.

Ravi Sharma, Managing Director, Das Associates and president of New Chandigarh Property Consultants Association says, “There are nearly half a dozen such projects planned by established players that have either come up or are coming up at these locations. Some such projects include Amari Hills, spread over 60 acres, and a project by HLP Galleria (50 acres). In addition to these a couple of projects by International groups are also on the anvil.”

These “townships” come fully loaded with various upscale amenities like clubhouses, kids play areas, parks, gym, helipads, etc. On a one-acre plot, the buyer has the option to build a spacious two-kanal villa and utilise the rest of the area to plant fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, etc.

The arrival of large players is a very good sign for this niche category as it will make it more transparent, improve the overall quality, and offer more flexible payment options to discerning buyers.

Appeal for buyers

Pollution, congestion, stress of city life has motivated buyers to invest in farmhouses. Pricing of these mini farms is another attraction for buyers, as luxury segment buyers find these well within their price range. Moreover, these new- age farmhouses are also experimenting with indigenous design concepts to create more natural, authentic, and country-style homes without compromising on comfort and functionality.

Factors propelling the demand

According to real estate consultants, post pandemic there has been a renewed interest in living close to Nature. There is a surge in demand for farmhouses or gated villas or second homes. The demand is majorly emanating from HNIs and NRIs.

Buyer profile

So, when we talk about the demand, realtors are not only getting queries from region-based buyers but also from those in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and NRIs. According to insiders, farmhouses have become a popular luxury investment category for people.

Off late, farmhouses have become the people’s favourite as the possession of land and real estate is being viewed as a safe investment. It is a perfect pitch zone for HNIs, UHNIs, and repatriated NRIs, who mainly invest in farmhouses.

The spike in tourism activity in cities has also fuelled the demand for farmhouses. It also opens up many avenues of income generation like farming, selling agricultural produce and pasturing.

The way forward

The idea of farmhouses is increasingly clubbed with pollution-free environment and second home. The retirement and second home segment is one of the fastest-growing categories and is expected to cross a market size of $4 billion in the next 5 years, as per research by 360Realtors.

Major Projects

• Two projects at Mamnakpur Sharif (Siswan Kurali Road)
• Amari Hills(60 acres) — Mianpur Changar
• HLP Galleria (50 acres) — Chandigarh-India Global College Road
• A project by International Group (60 acres) — PR-4 Road (New Chandigarh Cricket Stadium-Anandpur Sahib Road)

What the policy says

• The minimum area requirement for such project shall be 30 acres.
• Such project shall be accessible through at least 18 metre-wide road
• The plot size permitted in such colony shall range from 1 to 2.5 acres.
• The building plans shall be got approved from the competent authority

General parameters

These projects shall serve to be model projects based on ecologically sensitive principles of design and development. The broad principles that shall be followed for such, projects are as follows:

• The site shall be developed as a self sustainable unit.
• Installation of solar water heating system shall be provided in the building.
• Provision for integrated facility for storage, water harvesting, purification, distribution and recycling of storm-water aiming for no external source of water supply.
• Each plot holder shall have individual Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) for fulfilling the farming, fiushlng and domestic water requirements.
• Swimming pool in individual plots with maximum size of 25 metres shall be permissible subject to the condition that it will be exclusively for the personal use of the plot owner and not for commercial purpose.
• Restriction on the residential density of the colony to a maximum of 25 persons, per acre Including owner's dwelling unit and domestic help residence.
• Provision of cycle tracks, walkways etc.