Paying Guest Accommodation

Paying guest accommodation is gaining momentum, primarily due to the fact that an increasing number of people are looking for cost effective rental options.
Here are some things to look out if you are looking or paying guest accommodation:
1) Location: Opt for a purely residential area rather then a residential cum-commercial one which is located near your workplace and/or a shopping area. If you don't have a car, find out about public transport facilities in the area.
2) Facilities: Find out what facilities are offered by the landlord. These can include an attached bathroom, AC, wardrobe, basic furniture (such as a bed, chair and tables), a TV with a cable connection, as well as cleaning, security and laundry services.
3) Restrictions: Ask your landlord about any restrictions that he/she may want to impose, including whether or not you may have visitors and/or overnight guests, or if you can make any modifications to your room (e.g. repaint it).
4) Monthly Rent: Rooms can be rented in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. rentals range from Rs 3,500 per month for an unfurnished room to Rs 25,000 for a fully furnished one.
Rents also vary according to location, as well as whether or not utilities such as electricity, gas and water are included; facilities such as those mentioned above also affect the rent.
5) Tenancy Agreement: To prevent possible altercations, make sure that you and the landlord sign a tenancy agreement which specifies each one of the above mentioned points in detail.

Building Green: Make your Home And Society Green

In today's world conserving energy resources is the need of the hour. And with Earth day approaching on April 22, it is imperative to start thinking about building a greener future using "green and sustainable" architectural practices. These include methods that reduce energy consumption during construction and while using the space after completion. There are several "green" practices that i have followed for a number of years when constructing energu efficient buildings, keeping in mind the local climate and, of course, exorbitant energy costs.
You can also follow green construction practices by using:

1. Local manufactured materials to construct your house. Not only will this be more economical, it will conserve transportation energy.
2. Double walls with insulation in between. This reduces heat absorption and hence the load on ACs. Although these walls cost almost three times as much as ordinary walls, you will save a lot in the long run, price: Rs 140-190 per sq ft.
3. Recessed windows with insulated/reflective glass reduce heat absorption and curtail the cost of energy. Although insulated glass comes with a high price tag compared to regular glass, the payback is high in terms of energy costs and comfort within the building. Make sure the windows are placed in a manner that maximises cross ventilation. Price: rs 350 per sq ft.
4. Insulated roofs reduce heat absorption and cut down on energy costs considerably. price: Rs 50-80 per sq ft. Additionally, insulation materials such as cork and thermo pole sheets installed on the roofs keep spaces cool and lower energy consumption, price: Rs 220 per sq ft.
5. Solar panels are a great way to conserve energy as they use heat from the sun to produce energy, without any running costs. We are currently using solar panels to heat water, thus eliminating the use of gas geysers. Price: Rs 170,000 and above.
6. Windmills, which are primarily used to produce energy for large scale projects, are also an effective way to conserve energy. Although spatial limitations and hefty price tags are slight drawbacks, the conversational benefits and reduced energy costs make up for this in the long run. Price: 85 million rupees.

Building A Mall: Building A Shopping Mall

A shopping mall is classified as a building that comprises multiple shops of varying sizes within an enclosed space. Shopping malls can only be constructed on commercial plots that measure at least 4,000 sq yards.
The construction of a mall must adhere to government bylaws. These include:
1. Before starting construction, the site plan must be approved by the concerned authority.
2. The minimum size of a shop is 100 sq ft with a minimum height of 10 ft.
3. Multi-stories structures must have provisions for staircases, elevators and escalators.
4. Corridors must be at least 30 ft wide to ensure that people can walk through them comfortably.
5. A parking facility should be in place , either in the basement of the mall, or on the upper floors.
6. Proper fire fighting systems with smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and clearly marked emergency exits, should be in place each floor.
7. Adequate restroom facilities must be provided in proportion to the covered area (e.g for 4,000 sq feet of covered area, atleast four toilets and two wash basins should be available.)
Features that are not mandatory but should be in place include:
1. A standby generator.
2. A food court.
3. A cinema hall.
4. A children's play area, and a day-care centre.
5. A medical facility with competent staff to handle emergencies.
6. Safety features including non-skid flooring and high railings on upper floors; glass doors should clearly be marked with red stickers to prevent accidents.

Building a Hospital

Plots are primarily classified into four categories: residential, commercial, industrial and amenity. Amenity plots are meant for parks, schools, colleges, universities and hospitals. Amenity plots are allocated by the relevant authorities and the procedure varies depending on the area the hospital will be located in.
The construction of a hospital should adhere to government bylaws. These include:
1) The plot allocation must be approved by the relevant Building Control Authority.
2) The structure and design must adhere to the Building Code, which is drafted by the provincial government.
3) Space for the emergency parking facilities for ambulances and visitors should be adequate. The size of the parking spaces varies according to the size of the plot.
4) If there are multiple storeys, separate elevators should be provided for visitors and patients. The visitors elevator should be large enough to accommodate a minimum of six people.
5) For staircases, the height of each step should not exceed six inches, and the width of each step should be a minimum of ten inches.
6) A working fire safety system, which includes a sprinkler system and emergency exits on every floor, should be in place.
7) All patients rooms should have windows and a proper ventilation system
8) For every 10 beds in a general ward, a separate WC and bathroom should be allocated, in addition to a separate wash basin and sink.
9) All solid medical waste should be classified by the hospital as either hazardous or non-hazardous and disposed of accordingly.

Graduating In Real Estate:Education In Real Estate

Although the real estate business in Pakistan grown substantially over the last two decades, the fact remains that the people engaged in the real estate do not possess the required training or the expertise. This has resulted in lack of transparency and unwarranted price fluctuations.

Ideally, local colleges and universities should offer real estate certification courses that provide students a practical knowledge of all aspects of the real estate business- from real estate economics, finance and law to community planning and urban development. Unfortunately, no such courses or degree are available in Pakistan.

As there is no regulation and no required licensing, almost anyone can open a real estate agency and conduct business; the business is unregulated and does not have defined standards.

For this sector to have a streamlined system and transparency, a few concrete steps must be taken. One way to tackle this would be to make it mandatory for all real estate agents to have a license or certification before stepping into the profession. Not only will this regulate the real estate business across the board, it will raise additional revenue for the provincial governments, which could then charge a licensing fee. Licensing and regulation, in turn, will help maintain property prices at realistic level.

Currently, property sellers seek advice from non-professional, unregulated property brokers who usually quote inflated prices instead of actual values, leading to market instability. This is best illustrated by the fact that in Pakistan, real estate prices have recently increased by anywhere in between 100% and 150%, in sharp contrast to the international real estate markets which have witnessed drastic falls in property price (by 50% to 70%)

Only when obtaining a license becomes mandatory will property transactions be streamlined and gain the transparency that it is lacking in the real estate sector.

Striving for better fire safety and protection:Tips for better fire protection

Many markets , bazaars, multistory public and private buildings are built without any fire protection and safety mechanics. The incidents of fire in the country are on the rise and there is need to introduce new fire safety laws and devise fire escape plans to ensure construction of buildings with emergency fire exits.
A recent incident was the electrical short circuit that occurred in a warehouse that stored fireworks in Shah Alam Market in Lahore in early February this year. The resulting fire engulfed 11 buildings, and the fire fighters faced severe difficulty in putting it out as the fire engines were unable to reach the site due to congested streets. How can such incidents be prevented?
Here are some precautions landlords and tenants should take:
1) Ensure that the electrical wiring can bear the required electricity load,. Have the wiring checked by a qualified electrician at least every six months to make sure that it is functioning properly.
2) Take necessary precautionary measures when it comes to storing flammable material such as firecrackers and cigarette lighter fluid. Use fire-resistant cabinets and bins and ensure adequate ventilation.
3) Never leave a smoldering cigarette, as electrical appliance or a lit stove unattended.
4) Make sure that all electrical equipment is maintained properly and checked frequently.
5) Fire exits should be marked clearly so people can evacuate the building in an organized manner; fire extinguishers should be placed in prominent places.

6) Have a fire alarm system, or several smoke detectors installed for early detection.

Unfortunately, there is no mechanism in Pakistan that ensures regular inspection of all buildings for fire preventive purposes. A possible solution to this would be if the urban development. police and fir service departments worked together to ensure that construction bylaws are not violated by builders and developers. The government should also enforce and introduce modern construction rules for the safety of buildings from fire, so that commercial buildings and warehouses meet the required international standards.

Buying Fertile Land In Pakistan

In Pakistan, currently over 6 million families work on 50 million acres of land; 94% of the farmers are considered "Survival Formers"  and occupy less then an average of 12. acres. These farmers work on large private holdings or government land and have been farming for generations. Recently the Government of Pakistan has put fertile land on sale to encourage foreign investment.

The United Arab Emirates(UAE) has purchased 324,000 hectares (800,000 acres) in Punjab while Saudia Arab and China have also expressed their interest to buy fertile land. Foreign firms investing in Pakistan fertile land have been offered 50 year leases, renewable for another 40 years; investors will retain 100% proprietary rights, while enjoying a tax holiday for 10 years.
To safe guard the interests of small farmers, here are some suggestions which the Government should consider:
1) No land should be sold to foreign buyers which may have oil or other mineral reserves.
2) Barren land only should offered for foreign investments, in which the equity of the Government should be 51%; foreign buyer(s) should be asked to raise 49% of the value of land according to open market rates for development purposes.
3) Local farmers should be trained modern technology methods aimed at making barren land fertile thus giving them the means to continue to earn a livelihood.