Wellness To Become A Key Component Within The Luxury Real Estate Industry

India's real estate sector witnessed a change of perception of living after the pandemic struck globally; the sector rose up to the occasion and came up with projects that are changing the way people live.

Things took a radically different turn as people moved closer to wellness projects. People have begun to understand the value of safe living, immunity, and are falling back on many age-old social standards, including living king-size lives where you have space to comfortably go through everyday chores. There is a rising demand for projects offering less cluttered and organic living.

In real estate, the perception of 'premium' has changed from mere snob value to the sphere of family wellness and fitness. When it comes to having the best lifestyle, which takes care of every need of the resident, the Millennial and HNIs are searching for projects that are a notch above the rest.

The new-age generation goes for homes that add value to their lifestyle and bring freshness to the way they live. If they get services that make them enjoy their lives, people would be ready to invest an extra buck. The decrease in reliance of prices only is evident in the fact that Noida and Ghaziabad saw buyer's interest in units priced between Rs 80 lakh and Rs 1.2 crore with sizes ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 square feet.

Most of the buyers were looking for 3 or 4 BHKs in these areas. In Pune, the demand for homes ranging from Rs 2-5 crore grew from 1,200 square feet to 2,000 square feet was witnessing momentum. In Hyderabad, the demand was higher for 3 BHKs that are priced between Rs 80 lakh and Rs 1 crore; the city also saw a demand for villas priced above Rs 2 Crore.

Farmhouses are the newer segment opening up in the luxury real estate. Prashant Gupta, an entrepreneur, became conscious about the need for healthy food and pandemic situation made him look for projects that can take care of his need for healthy living. At this time, he turned his attention towards farmhouses that give him the independence to grow food products for his consumption.

Real estate has come up with projects where they are providing the facilities of Organic Farming, Dairy Farming / Poultry Farming, Plant Nursery Maintenance and Apiculture, Horticulture, etc. One such project by Raheja Developers 'Riyasat Hill Farmlands' where the developer is also helping the buyers fulfil most of their dietary requirements for fresh and green organic vegetables/fruits/pulses as well as poultry, fish, milk, etc.

The project provides the opportunity to avail the benefits of the Farmlands in various ways: Purchasing Farmland of 1 acre and above; avail monthly subscription for a nominated agency to cultivate your land to produce food products or choose to have an independent setup on their farmland; convert to Gated Community using available Government policies for building plans.

"We are also roping in the services of specialized agencies for cultivation. A specialized outsourced agency will take care of farming and allied activities as per the buyer's needs. The agency would also help to farm on a larger scale, and further help to sell the produce in the market to generate good income. The focus is on a self-sustaining island that acts as a resort to provide the best living experience. Demand for these farmlands is also being witnessed by people living in posh localities of Delhi. They are moving to these spaces because of the luxurious organic life that it promises," said Achal Raina, COO, Raheja Developers, while talking about the project which is spread over 107 acres near Gurugram's Sector 95 B.

On the other hand, Akriti and Dhruv Sharma were looking for a home that can add value to their lifestyle and provide wellness at the same time. They were looking for wellness amenities such as yoga studios, meditation rooms, spas, gymnasiums, tennis courts and jogging tracks. While searching they stumbled upon India's first wellness project Gulshan Dynasty in Noida's Sector 144.

"We found out that it is the ideal embodiment of panache, professionalism, and a passion for offering a lifestyle that exudes magnificence, more than a house. With 76 percent open space, greenery and natural light, the luxury project provides well laid out homes and occupies about 5.8 acres of sprawling land. It offers pristine locations and quick connectivity in Sector 144, Noida," said Dhruv Sharma.

The Gulshan Dynasty was built with a complexity on the bedrock of health to complement a life of class and opulence. At every step, the project ensures rejuvenation and is promoting 'farm to fork' concept. Hydroponic farming for organic produce enables people to eat edibles in the purest form, to begin with. In addition, meditation field and a dedicated sunbathing area are some of the facilities that offer overall wellness.

More than 50 varieties of medicinal plants in social gardens are planted in the first-of-its-kind wellness project to improve immunity and encourage the well-being of the people. To ensure smooth movement at all hours, every tower has a separate entry and exit point for residents and other staff.

"We have noticed that buyers were not at all fascinated by foreign tiles etc but were looking for features such as the ones we are providing in first-of-its-kind wellness project Gulshan Dynasty. The requirement is now for complexes that cater to overall wellness through provisions such as sun-bathing area, yoga pyramid, medicinal trees arena, meditation corner, etc. So, wellness homes are going to score over other run-of-the-mill luxury projects," said Yukti Nagpal, Director, Gulshan.

The trend of wellness living is not restricted to Delhi NCR as Sushma Group, a Punjab based leading real estate developer, announced exquisite residential project Sushma Elementa in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. Situated at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level, all of the apartments in the project face the valley and each room provides the most stunning views of the valley.

The project has all modern facilities and leisure activities, including a gym, experience centre, library, children's quarters, media space, spa & sauna, games room, celebration lounge, library, nature deck, large entrance pavilion, sunset plaza, etc.

"With increasing tension every day, the project provides people with relaxation as it is situated in the mountains, away from the city's hustle and bustle; the project provides a rejuvenating atmosphere free of pollution and stress. We are getting queries even from Delhi as people want to own a home in Hills where they can spend some quality time," said Prateek Mittal, Executive Director, Sushma Group.