Recently, the developers combined both these factors and came up with the concept of independent affordable floors in the tricity. Different from high-rise apartments and luxurious villas, these low-rise independent floors are customised according to the buyers’ needs and better designed than apartments. Unitech Limited, Ansals API, TDI, JTPL and Emaar MGF are some of the real estate players who have launched this concept in the tricity.

“Unitech launched the concept of independent floors in Uniworld City, Mohali two months ago. The response to this scheme has been phenomenal. Independent floors are designed catering to the demand of low-rise independent affordable houses with least common area,” said Ankur Sharma, manager sales and marketing, Unitech Limited.

The price range of these independent floors with two to three bedrooms is between Rs 20-36 lakh. Unlike high-rise towers of apartments that have a block of four to five flats on a floor, these homes have a maximum of ground plus two floors, besides dedicated parking for each floor.

“The reason for launching these independent floors is the buyers’ demand. Customising the product is salesmanship. If a product is not selling, there is no harm in re-launching it with changes according to the needs of buyers. Independent floors have generated good demand and sales have picked up from September, when they were launched,” said Sudheer Solanki, senior sales manager, Ansals API. Ansals have a residential township in Sector 114, Mohali.    

Another developer JTPL launched the scheme of independent floors, Flora, in its Mohali township last Saturday. Sidhant Gupta, Director of JTPL Limited, said, “The affordability is certainly an issue. Independent floors not only give a security of group housing (where one knows there are two more occupants living in the building) but also a feel of an independent house.”

The concept of independent floors, not new to the residents of Chandigarh, has already gained popularity as according to the Estate Office records, owners of independent houses are now increasingly transferring the ownership of floors. Transfer of floors was lately allowed by the Haryana state government also.

“If an independent floor is offered by the developer in less than half the cost compared to the ones offered in Chandigarh, it would generate enormous response and demand from buyers in the tricity. In coming years, the demand for independent floors will remain high as residents are likely to prefer these over apartments,” said Gurpreet Singh, a real estate expert in Chandigarh.