Category: Our Voice

The pandemic has changed the way people work, live and socialise. To stay safe and ensure social distancing norms, almost everyone who can work from home has had to create a dedicated space to call a home office. Since not all homes come with provisions for a home office, you need to get innovative with your imagination and create a workspace that’s functional, comfortable and away from homely distractions.

Here are some tips to help you create the perfect workspace at home:

Choosing the right spot

Instead of moving from place to place in search of privacy or inspiration, choose a fixed spot for working from home. It should also be peaceful and comfortable. The best spot should ideally be away from distractions, clutter and home responsibilities. Once you know what derails your attention, you can choose a spot that’s free of such distractions. This could be background noise, kids running around, appeal of the TV or sight of pending housework.

Choose a spot that will promote productivity and offers a neat background for those times when you need to have video meetings.

Get connected

Depending on the type of work you do, some of the essential things you will need to work will include a laptop, or desk top, phone charging point, printer, etc. Make sure your home office is located close to a power point, or consider getting a multi-plug extension cord to plug in all your devices. Another important issue to factor in is Wi-Fi connectivity. Ensure your workspace has strong signals to facilitate smooth flow of data.

Proper lighting

Since you will be spending many hours at your workspace, ensure proper lighting to avoid eye strain. If there is no natural light streaming in, consider placing your table in a way that ensures sufficient artificial lighting. Avoid backlighting as it doesn’t work well with video calling. A blank wall behind you will create the perfect, uncluttered background necessary for your web meetings.

Focus on ergonomics

Your work space sets your mood for getting work done. Make it a comfortable and peaceful zone. Brighten it up with some greenery or an inspiring piece of art. But more important than everything else is the type of table and chair you will be using. Ensure that the table is of just the right height and your office chair is ergonomically designed to prevent slouching or back pain. If necessary, prop it up with some cushions.

And if you are living in a Vishraam home, you don’t have much to worry about. Vishraam builders consistently provide architecturally designed living spaces that thoughtfully provide room for all your needs. With over 2000 satisfied customers, 44+ projects spanning an expansive 20 years, Vishraam homes provide the ultimate living experiences. What’s more, every project ensures conservation of natural resources, minimizing waste generation and pollution control. Do check out the multiple Vishraam projects featuring luxurious apartment and villas located in and around Thrissur.

Taking the decision to buy a home is one of the best long-term investments you could ever make. Becoming a homeowner also brings with it immense feelings of joy and pride. However, buying a home isn’t just about liking a house, arranging finance and buying it. It does involve a lot of paperwork and legalities too, which you need to be aware of before signing on the dotted lines.

Some of the legal paperwork comes with uncommon set of terminologies and jargon that tell you about your legal rights as a home buyer. These rights give you the power to sell, rent out or use the property for profit as you wish – provided its not infringing on anyone’s rights. Here’s a look at some of your legal rights as a home buyer:

Purchase of Property

If you are buying an ‘under-construction’ home, it comes under the ambit of RERA. In case any discrepancies arise with the property or purchase, you can always seek recourse from the RERA body. The same doesn’t apply to ‘ready-to-move-in’ apartments however, in which case you will have to seek recourse from the district level redressal tribunal.

Right of possession

This refers to the ownership or title document received by you after paying for a home or arranging for a home loan for its purchase. However, true legal ownership of the house only comes into play after you have payed off all the dues, including taxes.

Property Registration

As per rules for property registration laid out in the Indian Stamps act in 1899, the buyer has to pay 2% of property value as registration charges. The buyer also has to pay 4-10% as Stamp Duty, depending on the Indian state where property is located. The buyer cannot be legally termed the owner until these charges have been paid in full.

Exclusion rights

As the owner of the property, you have the exclusive right to control entry of those who can access your home, including the law enforcement (unless they have a valid warrant).

Renting laws

Recent attempts to upgrade the archaic laws regarding renting have given privacy rights to the renters. The landlord (property owner) cannot enter the home without given prior 24 hours’ notice. At the same time, the landlord holds the rights to not renew the lease contract once it expires or gets terminated.

Selling rights

The owner has every right to sell their property as per their wish. However, any pending pending home loan will have to be cleared up first.

These rights are applicable to every home buyer and if you are planning on buying an apartment of villa in Thrissur or its surroundings, then you can arm yourselves beforehand with this information. Vishraam builders have delightful apartment and villa projects located in key areas of this heritage city. Every project is meticulously architected and built using eco-friendly practices, with amenities that focus on preserving natural resources. Do have a look at them!

Water is the elixir of life and human existence just isn’t possible without it. Along with global climate changes, rainfall patterns are changing too. Urban areas with their ever-increasing population, are facing the effects of water shortages, especially during the dry season. To counter this, the government has made it mandatory that every new high-rise building structure that’s built in over 5 cents of land, should have a rainwater harvesting system in place.

This is applicable in apartment buildings too, where multiple families live and water consumption is high. Builders are required to provide an in-built rainwater harvesting system that collects rooftop as well as surface run-off and directs it into underground tanks. This water can be used for non-drinking purposes during the times when water is scarce.

Benefits of rainwater harvesting

• Rainwater can be used to recharge groundwater which is getting depleted due to over-dependence on it.
• Stored rainwater can be used during the dry season when water scarcity can hit the city.
• Rainwater harvesting also reduces the chances of flooding in low-lying city areas – especially during sudden heavy rainfall.
• Rainwater can be used for watering plants and the landscaped areas of the apartment complex.
• It can also be used for washing cars, flushing toilets, cleaning common areas, etc.
• Harvested rainwater can also be used to recharge natural underground aquifers that feed bore wells.

Rainwater harvesting system

This usually involves a network of PVC pipes that run along the edges of the apartment’s rooftop. This rooftop rainwater is directed into underground storage tanks and used for non-drinking purposes or for groundwater recharge. Surface water is collected through drains and directed into these tanks. Usually, a natural filtration system is set -up in these sumps consisting of gravel and fine sand to remove dirt, color, microbes and other water contaminants.

After filtration, the clean water collects in another storage tank from where it can be used for general purposes.

Maintenance

Do note that the rainwater harvesting system needs regular maintenance too. There should be periodic cleaning of drain pipes and gutters and debris cleared out so that the mesh is free from blockage. Maintain a clean rooftop too, to prevent debris collection.

For those planning on buying a Vishraam apartment in Thrissur, rest assured that there is a rainwater harvesting system already in place. As Vishraam builders are strong believers in conservation of natural resources, their every project is centered around preventing adverse environmental impact on nature.

With emphasis on reusing, recycling and restoring nature and natural products, its not surprising then that Vishraam builders were also the first to build a green-certified residential complex in Thrissur!

Come home to Vishraam, where homes are built responsibly and stories end happily.

The natural human aging process includes bone weakness, infirm joints and a weaker grip. All these can lead to senior citizens being at greater risks of falling or hurting themselves easily. The evolving family structure in India also means that the elderly are often left alone to fend for themselves.

An important way to keep your elderly ones safe is by providing them with a home that is more suited to their needs. Here are some effective senior citizen-friendly safety tips to think of:

Apartment living

The elderly are safer living in gated communities such as that provided by apartments. Living in separate houses can expose them to unfortunate events. Apartments, on the other hand, offer greater security and a number of useful facilities and amenities, making them better options for senior citizens.

Well-lighted spaces

With one of the issues of old age being weakening eyesight, you should ensure all areas, including the hallways, steps and corners, are well-lit in their home. Lights inside dim cupboards is another useful tip too. Or you could just simply ask them where they want more light!

Bathrooms

Since bathrooms are very risky for the elderly, you need to make them completely fall-proof. Some things to include are grab bars near the commode and the shower areas. A high-rise commode, shower chair, anti-slip mats and hand-held shower are other useful additions you can think about. All these tips should make their bathroom a comfortable and safer space.

Floors

Slippery floors are another major cause of injuries among the elderly. Getting rid of all carpets and rugs that can slip should be an early priority. The floor tiling should be of the anti-skid variety too and areas prone to getting wet like the kitchen and bathroom should have anti-skid mats. Ensure that there is no clutter lying around that could cause a trip or fall.

Easy Access

These could include a variety of features that are especially adapted to the senior citizen age group:

•  Doorways should be wide enough for wheelchairs.
•  Lever door handles that are used easily.
• Switches, plug points and locks/bolts should be at an elderly-friendly level.
•  Furniture should be at an ideal height.
• An emergency buzzer in each room is a necessity too.

For those on the lookout, Vishraam builders in Thrissur have an amazing offering called Vishraam Aanandita apartments that are uniquely designed to fit the special needs of senior citizens. Some of the additional features include on-demand housekeeping services, laundry, grocery shopping, banking, bill payments, taxi services and travel agency support. Amenities available include a common dining area, a TV area, a prayer and meditation hall, a health and recreational center, landscaped park to relax in, with everything coming under comprehensive 24×7 security and surveillance. Aside from these facilities, on-call medical, pharmacy, physiotherapy and lab testing services are also made available.

Homes for senior citizens couldn’t get better than Vishraam Aanandita apartments!