For many constructing a house are a once-in-a-lifetime goal and a dream come true, for some it is considered as their social identity and for many it is considered as an investment for their next generations, the efforts involved in constructing a house is aptly reflected in a Tamil proverb which translates like ”Get your ward married, or build a house and then talk about problems”. In this post, I endeavour to share my encounters of constructing my house in the princess of hill station ’Kodaikanal’ and in this process tried to avoid any type of self-glorification, personal bias and attempted to share my first-hand encounters with the readers.
Conceiving the Idea:
The first question which arises in everyone’s mind as my father asked me ”Are you mad, Why are you constructing in the hills?”
Having been born and brought in a metro city like Chennai it is natural for me to be lured by the amenities provided in gated communities and apartments towards a ’community living’ but my extensive traveling, treks, and camping in mountains brought me very close to the hills and I always felt that I have a very close bonding with the hills. The next question which naturally arises is why Kodaikanal and not any other hill station? – to be honest while traveling and trekking to several beautiful stretches of Eastern and Western ghats in south India, I self-realised that I always had a deep connection with the Palani hills. I felt that this mountain is a place where I already belong and to put it in my wife’s (Shruthi) ever complaining words ”I transform into a different person when I enter the Palani hills”.
Choosing the land:
Identifying a land of your choice in the hills is the first and most important decision which I had to take. Some people like their house to be located inside the Kodai town, some like flat surface, some like to stay near residential buildings and dwelling units, some prefer to stay on top of a hill, some prefer to stay in the valley, options are plenty, however, it is a personal choice of an individual and his family to identify their preferences.
From mid 2017 till mid 2019 I visited Kodai very frequently visiting various areas, sometimes I travelled by a car, sometimes in local bus and most of the time I walked alone to understand this part of the Palani hills, its terrain, people, and the local culture. I gathered information and kept a list of people wanting to dispose of their property, I used to visit their property and see if that place suits my interest. After walking around the nook and corner of Kodai town and its outskirts I finally landed up in Kurnji Nagar in Kodaikanal village. Although there were various reasons such as price, outskirts, the clean and marketable title of the property which gave me comfort, it was the mind-boggling views of the Perumal Peak which made me decide that this is the place I should construct my house.
Is it safe to buy property in the Hills?
People like hills and love to visit and stay there as many times as possible but when it comes to owning a place in the hills they have jitters like, is it safe to buy immovable property in the hills? is it legal to buy property in the hills, will there be any title disputes, can we construct concrete buildings in the hills; what approvals are required; will the property remain safe from encroachments; who will take care of the property and the list is endless.
In my limited experience one need to be extra cautious before buying a property in the hills there will be issues which you would have never heard and encountered while buying property in the plains which you might have to encounter in the hills to list out a few instances like (a) zone in which the property is located, (b) forest land, (c) property near water bodies, (d) property in which construction is banned, (e) certain lands which are grants to the economically weaker section of the society. It is a common practice to sell a property for which ’B’ Memo notices are issued. Once land is identified it is very important to consult a local lawyer familiar with laws, regulations, and local practices in hills who can advise on these common issues and also important for the buyer to himself to understand and keep abreast with these issues. Being a lawyer I was able to quickly learn these aspects myself and to be honest I should thank my lucky stars that I landed up in a property that had a good title.
Hurray Property Registered and What Next?:
When I registered the property in the Sub-registrar office I had the same feeling when I got married and thought that I have achieved something great without realising that it is just the begining of another major journey with loads of twists, turns, and challenges which is there in the store. At this moment I would confess that purchasing a property in Kodai although a difficult process it is nothing close to the challenges faced while constructing a house.
Building Approval – Horses can grow Horns:
Of the entire process involved in constructing a house obtaining approval from the competent authority to construct a house is the most challenging aspect. The process, documentation, follow-ups, red-tapisim, time, and everything involved is very strenuous and cumbersome. For the application to be complete one would require NOC from local village administrative officer, NOC from Health Inspector, NOC from Mines department, building plan certified by an authorised engineer familiar with hill station building regulations, confirmation from Thasildar that the property has valid patta. After all these NOC’s, certifications, the Kodai Block development officer recommends that the property is suitable for constructing a house and the file moves to the Hill Area Conservation Committee which is the statutory body that recommends that construction approval can be granted to the District Collector who finally approves the file. Unless and until one is extremely well connected with the government machinery and has acquaintance with senior government officials this construction approval process is awfully painstaking and solely, for this reason, property owners entrust this work either with the engineer or with a local liasioning person. For this same reason, many cottage owners in the yesteryears took it for granted and constructed properties in Kodai which ultimately paved way for the Hon’ble Madras High Court to order sealing of all unapproved buildings in Kodai which seriously affected the livelihood of the residents in Kodai and came has a big bolt to the property owners. For me, it took more than a year after repeated and constant follow-ups to obtain construction approval.
Repeated Lockdowns – Begining of our Construction:
Lockdowns continued with some relaxations in Kodai hills and only with e-pass we were allowed to commute to our place. In August 2020 we had a very simple Bhoomi pooja and started the construction. Me and Shruthi carried everything possible in our car including a wooden cot and stayed in a small tin sheet house without electricity, water, bathroom, and any basic facilities. Since our property was in the outskirts of the town, the moment workers leave at 5.30 p.m the place would turn isolated and chillness will start to slowly engulf the entire hill. To recollect, those were the most memorable days in our entire life living a very simple and frugal life yet managing to stay connected with the outside world and doing our office chores.
Raja Anna our Mason:
This post will become incomplete if I fail to mention the immense contributions of our Mason Raja Anna. Except for the diagram which I used for submitting to get construction approval I did not hire any Engineer to construct the house everything was single-handedly completed by Raja Anna. I was warned by many that hiring an Engineer or a local mason in Kodai is a very risky bargain since I was cautioned that once they start construction activity they will charge exorbitantly, I was lucky to find Raja Anna who managed to construct the house within the timeline and budget considering the lockdowns and pandemic with the help of his small team of local construction workers. He beautifully conceptualised my ideas into a building.
Construction Cost and Transporting Materials:
This heading requires an independent post since I had many encounters every time I had to pay for something or to transport building material to the site. From a humble middle-class family for me every penny counted, I calculated and spent every penny whether it is for the purchase of material or labour or some sundry expenses every penny was spent wisely. I should alert anyone intending to construct a building in the hills that the price of single wire cut brick which may cost Rs.8/- in the plains will cost Rs.14/- in the hills due to transportation and other reasons, to summarise the cost of construction and time involved is almost two-time in the hills compared to the plains.
Unique Challenges for Construction:
There are several unique challenges which I encountered while constructing in Kodai which are unique to hill stations and to highlight a few (a) Rains – workers will completely stop even if it drizzles, (b) Workers will not work after 5 p.m considering the cold temperature, (c) difficult to find local labourers who toil hard in the sand, cement and with the stones, (d) every single construction material should be brought from the plains and nothing is available in the hills, (e) although it keeps raining frequently it is very difficult to source water during dry months unless and until one chooses to purchase it from local vendors, (f) from ward members to locals there will be walk-ins seeking consideration for one reason or another. To be honest more than the money spent, it is handling the men and situations required a lot of patience and courage. Since I was a non-native to Kodai, many took me for a ride, thanks to my profession which saved me on several occasions.
Financing the House:
Coming to the most primary question which is commonly asked – how much are the construction costs or how much is the per sq. ft cost. Am not handling this question here since it depends upon several factors like your construction material quality, interiors, landscaping, and other works. However, I should inform you that like every middle-class family I also went for a home loan from SBI, Kodai branch by mortgaging my property as security and raising finance for the house. Since, I was the only financial contributor for this construction, the housing loan granted was insufficient and I had to bank on every single penny which I had hitherto saved and on my monthly earnings to complete the construction. I sacrificed a lot during this period and to be honest, I lead a frugal life during this construction period. I should thank Shruthi and my son (now five months old) for adjusting with me during these challenging times. After our house came in that area the value of neighboring plots has interestingly gone up which gives me comfort that the investment and hard work will also fetch financial results.
House-warming ceremony:
Since the house was constructed in the memory of our late mother, we named the house ’Santhi Villa’ and had a very simple but traditional house-warming ceremony on 20.08.2021 along with god’s gift which is our son ’Dheeshithan’ who was 3 weeks old then. My son along with family members and relatives stayed there for a few days enjoyed the chillness of Kodai and we jointly celebrated this ceremony.
Are we going to settle there for Good?
While it is my dream to settle down in Palani hills I know that the right time has not come yet to realise this dream and it will take many years for me to take this decision to settle there for good until then, I intend to offer my home for my friends and travelers to stay and enjoy beautiful Kodai.
Durai Murugan