January 2020

Buying Flat on Kanpur Road in Lucknow

Lucknow is a city of traditions, monuments, food and education. It has a rich history and a futuristic outlook. The residents of this metropolis are gentle and caring and civic values are rated highly here. No wonder then that getting a flat here is topmost in the minds of most of the people who have some connection with this city. Whether someone has stayed here for a few years for a job or has stayed here for his studies, an urge to buy flats in Lucknow is strong. Also, the fact that the medical facilities and law and order situation is as good in Lucknow as in any other metro town in India, the population in UP are generally gravitating towards Lucknow city.

Lucknow has been a large town for decades and has grown exponentially over the last few years due to the above reasons. However, as in any other city, there has been an asymmetric growth of social and economic infrastructure. Also, the cost of property in different areas has appreciated differently. While taking a decision to buy a flat one needs to ensure that all the various metrics are taken into account to be able to make the right decision. On a deep analysis, buying a flat on Kanpur road in Lucknow comes out to be the best value one can get with money in this city. Let me elaborate this a bit more :

  1. Location – Lucknow and Kanpur are the most developed towns of central Uttar Prades. This road connects these two major towns. One can safely term it the economic highway of UP. This area is located very close to the Amausi airport, which is now an international airport. There are good educational facilities in the area. Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Instt for medical sciences (an offshoot of AIIMS) is close by. This has resulted in the best medical facilities of Lucknow to be concentrated here. This road directly connects to some of the best markets like Ashiana and Alambagh. Charbagh Railway station is also a short drive away.

  2. Cost of living – The cost of living in this part of the city is relatively low. The cost of flats is also up to 40% lower than the similar developments in the Gomti Nagar area, which has appreciated too fast and doesn’t offer an investment opportunity anymore.

  3. Quality of developments – This area is witnessing some of the best residential real estate projects of late. There are few large and experienced developers who have launched projects in the area. For example, there is a township, Republic by Paarth Infrabuild which is an integrated township of pre than 500 acres with all modern amenities and uses SMART systems.

  4. Future developments – The highway connecting Lucknow and Kanpur is being upgraded. The metro train network which has already reached the airport, is planned to be extended around this area. A number of institutions are planned here.

Going by the above analysis, it is clear that buying a flat on Kanpur road in Lucknow is the best decision one can take if interested in buying residential flats in Lucknow.

What’s the Best Time to Buy Property in Lucknow?

Lucknow is the eleventh most populous city of India with a population of approx 28 lacs. It is the capital of the most populous Indian state, Uttar Pradesh. Everyone in Uttar Pradesh, especially in the Central and Eastern part of it, wish to have a house in Lucknow. The reason is not difficult to find. Lucknow is a beautiful city with excellent academic and health care facilities. It is known for some of the best schools like La Martinier, Colvin Taluqdar’s and City Montessori. It also boasts of an IIM, a Medical college and several Engineering colleges apart from a well reputed Lucknow University. A number of private universities have also set up their campuses here in the last few years.

Paarth Aadyant property at Gomti Nagar extension, Lucknow
Inside view of a Paarth apartment on Gomti Nagar extension in Lucknow

And why not? Let’s look at some data. Currently, only 40% of the population in UP is Urban and it is predicted that by 2031, almost 70% of the population in UP will be urbanized. No wonder then that the most developed urban centers like Lucknow will grow the fastest and as they grow there will be a huge demand for housing. This considered with the fact that Lucknow is ranked sixth in a list of the ten fastest-growing job-creating cities in India according to a study conducted by Assocham Placement Pattern. Considering the substantial growth industry has shown in Lucknow, business promoting institutions like CII and EDII have set up their service centers in the city.

The NHB (National Housing Board) Residex, that tracks housing prices across urban centers in India, places Lucknow right at the top among all North Indian cities for the last 2 years. This is true for both constructed as well as under-construction properties. This is also borne out by the fact that most of the large developers from Delhi have setup residential projects in the city. Lucknow has also been an early adopter of large housing projects developed by private builders. Another advantage that Lucknow has is that it keeps expanding in all 4 directions radially, opening up new spaces for housing, while keeping all these places also not too distant from the city center. However, with differential civic developments, some localities have seen a much better appreciation than others. Areas around Shaheed path (Gomti Nagar extension), Ashiana and Kanpur road have seen the maximum activity both from real estate developers as well as buyers. Some of the developments have also been theme-based, like the one by Paarth on Kanpur road which has an international standard cricket stadium. In fact, while talking of cricket, it is worth noting that the new international cricket stadium is witnessing a lot of cricketing activity with this being the base stadium for Afghanistan’s international cricket team. Paarth also has a well-designed project next to this cricket stadium.

While the economy has done good in Luckow, the civic amenities have also seen rapid progress in the town. Lucknow has always been known for its etiquette and literary and cultural activities. The state and city administration has also implemented a smart sewage system. The new smart traffic management system and a project to upgrade the city lighting to LED lights have brought in the modern outlook to the city. The Lucknow Modern Police Control Room (abbreviated as MCR) is India’s biggest Dial 100 service center and has been the necessary support for people to feel safe. Is it then a wonder that anyone you meet around either owns property or plans to own one here. The personnel who have been posted here in various government or private jobs have preferred to make this city their home. One can safely argue basis these factors that for years to come, Lucknow will continue to be one of the fastest appreciating housing markets in India.

One advantage, which one can use currently in the residential real estate market in Lucknow is the availability of affordable houses. The city generally prefers a 2 or a 3 BHK apartment. A good 2 BHK apartment in lucknow can be had art a good location for approx 40 lacs, while a luxury 3 BHK flats in lucknow is available at around 65 lacs. Now, any other city which offers the equivalent civic amenities and facilities to its dwellers with the kind of economic opportunities will not see a 3 BHK flat in a good location for less than a crore. We should not be surprised if this market also started moving very fast towards that kind of price. The reason why the prices have stagnated a bit has been sentimental in nature and the moment it turns to positive, the prices are expected to zoom. In fact, visiting some of the projects on the shaheed path makes one see the green shoots of turn around in the residential real estate market very clearly. All the projects have been reporting higher than normal customer inquiries and sales. Even the secondary market property brokers are very upbeat.

There are also a few external factors which favor a property buyer in Lucknow immensely. The housing loan interest rates are near bottom and governments are clearly bent to ensure proper safety of buyer investments. UP RERA has been one of the most active bodies and it is based in Lucknow. The strong investor groups and affinity of the most transactions to white money results in it being one of the most professional property markets in north India. The influx of new-age businesses is also ensuring young professionals taking fatter pay-cheques home. This supported by the fact that most households in Lucknow have both the partners earning money, resulting in a high disposable income market. The cost of living, on the other hand, is low compared to other cities of similar size and therefore leaves a good investible surplus with families. This buffeted by a strong investor community of traditional business owners makes Lucknow an ideal candidate to seek fast and long term returns growth. With other avenues of investment rather sluggish, it will be prudent to use this as a great opportunity for wealth creation and appreciation. Therefore, the property investment at this time in Lucknow is a decision that just can’t go wrong. If you are looking for a flat to make it your long term home, the available choices will shrink over time. On the other hand, if investment appreciation is your desire, a property in gomti nagar extension Lucknow is probably the best decision one can take at this time.