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Happy and new in here...
A new year, renewed resolutions, high hopes and an old & messy home?
No way. SAURABH MALIK lists some simple ways to spiff up your home without
spending too much time or money
YOU have travelled into the New Year, leaving behind the old. But still, you are far away from your dream house. Of course, you have the inclination to refurbish the house in entirety, but time factor has simply added on to the distance between your desire and the destination. And then, the meltdown has slowed down the pace. The liquid cash you could once boast of is simply thawing away because of the global phenomenon. You no longer have the resources to start all over again, brick by brick. But folks, worry not. The writing on the wall is quite different and distinct: You don't have to go in debt for the arriving at the end. With the dawn of the New Year, here are some bright -- essentially low-cost -- ideas that won't let the sun go down on your house. I don't want to tear down my house
Right fellows! Forget all about hiring the services of hotshot contractors and ace architects from home improvement companies. No, don't even pick up the phone to call that interior-decorator friend of a friend's friend. It's all so easy to do. You just need wings of imagination to carry you forward. To begin with, identify the problem areas. "Spend some time attending to the plumbing," says contractor Jasmeet Brar. "Plug the leakages, tighten the dripping pipes, unplug the clogs and clean under sinks. Clogged pipes and rusted sinks are eyesores. Call in a professional, if need be. It's not admission of failure, please. Once the dampness and the drip-marks disappear, you realise how clean your bathroom and kitchen appears."
My house is gloomy
LIGHTING can make all the difference. Replace those "jaundice-yellow" bulbs with energy efficient CFLs. You cut down on electricity bills and craft bright corners. You can even create focus areas. A spotlight over a painting in the living room, a tubelight over the mirror in the bathroom and soft light flooding the porch and the terrace, can brighten up your house and the mood. Depending on your home décor and budget, buy light fixtures. Also, check your electricals. Do not undertake work you are not trained to handle. But, at the same time, you can dust and clean all your light fixtures and replace worn down or broken fuses. Another way of brightening up the house is to wash or paint the walls. It's the easiest thing to do right away. If you do not wish the entire house to be whitewashed, get the exterior or rooms with peeled-off paint redone. It freshens up the facade. If you are doing it all by yourself, start by covering up holes and scratches in the walls. You may have to apply several coats to get an attractive, professional finish. "Washing helps," says Joshi, another contractor. "Try doing so with mild soap and water solution. Clean every nook and cranny of your home. The dark spots in the kitchen, bathrooms and on doors will disappear and you get rid of odours from pets, cooking and smoking. Also use an air freshener. Have you washed all the curtains and drapes? No! Go ahead, do it now. Shampoo the carpets and the rugs or hire a carpet-cleaning machine. Do wax the floors also. My house is all cluttered GET rid of the unwanted this year. Let the stuff slip away like the fading year. Throw away things you do not need and create additional space for yourself. The less, the better! If you do not want to dispose of the surplus, stock it in the store. A piece of furniture that does not look good should be in the store. Also give your porch a facelift. Along with stress on illumination, place potted plants to make it look cozy. Go in for a healthy, green, blend of tall and medium sized perennials. Another thing! Remember to create focal points. Add a birdfeeder in the front yard. A bench framed with potted flowers will also have the right effect. Otherwise, use candles and flowers to cheer up your blossoming room. In your bedroom, throw pillows on the couch or bed.
Phew, that should be enough for now. A happy New Year and home to you!
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Rajasthan realty interrupted
RECESSION has hit realty the world over and Rajasthan is no exception, but the bigger villain in the state seems to be Section 90-B of the Land Revenue Act. All new realty projects have been on hold for the last three months after allegations of widespread corruption surfaced due to “misuse” of the Land Use Act.
If allegations are to be believed, crores exchanged hands as illogical, biased and environment unfriendly changes in land use were overlooked. During its last weeks, the BJP Government cleared mass files under the act, leading to another bitter round of allegations. When the Congress and others objected, the Election Commission put all cleared files on hold and banned change of land use. Ever since, no building activity has taken place in the state. Now, the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress Government is living up to its poll promise and has frozen all deals made in the last six months and stopped further clearances till the controversial section is reviewed. A review meeting is slated for January 16. Besides, the government is also holding an inquiry into the misuse of the section as well as corruption charges against administrators and politicians. "During the past five years 50,000 bigha of land was converted using Section 90(B). This land was allocated to industrialists and realtors on meager charges. It hints at a higher level of connivance in the transaction and these must be scanned," said Pratap Singh Khachariawas, a MLA of the ruling party. Conceived by the Congress Government in 1998-2003, the act was implemented with full gusto by the Vasundhra Raje BJP government. The act allowed a smooth change in use of agricultural land for commercial purposes. In fact, the real estate boom between 2005 and 2008 is often attributed to the act and the golden triangle scheme, comprising Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Arvind Saini, a property dealer, explained how Section 90-B was allegedly misused. “Some colonisers bought land from farmers for peanuts, got the land use changed and earned millions. We are now waiting for the government decision on the pending cases following the review slated for January 16. Hopefully, the government will clear its policy on Change of Land Use,” he said. Chipped in Akshya Chakrapani, a property dealer, who concentrates on foreign institutional investments (FIIs) in the state, “We just hope the controversy over the Land Use Act ends soon. The real estate business, especially FIIs, was first badly hit by the Jaipur blasts and then the fall in share prices and the global meltdown. Now, this controversy,” said. He said dealers had pinned their hopes on the government. “The allegations could be true or false. We also want those allegedly exploiting the poor or the environment to be punished, but putting business on hold would be disastrous,” he said. Already, foreign investors from Dubai and other countries have stopped looking for investment in the state and are making enquiries in Bangalore, he added. Gehlot had, in fact, during his very first meeting with bureaucrats singled out "extra-constitutional authorities” who used to rule the state, asking officials to come to their hotels to take orders from them, especially for files related to 90-B of the Land Revenue Act. He also made his displeasure known with the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) and the way some of its officials were hand-in-glove with builders and land mafia. JDA has been the prime authority carrying out development activates in and outside Jaipur. Good idea?
RAJE’S efforts to bring Rajasthan out of the “bimaru” category and into the league of developed states had a rather undesirable effect. Hundreds of acres of agricultural land near cities and grasslands in rural areas were converted into townships, malls, high-rise flats and swanky apartments. This, shockingly, in a state where agricultural land and grasslands are needed more than anywhere owing to lack of water and the arid nature of the region. Yet, land exploitation In the eye of the storm MAIN projects engulfed in controversy were the Mahal Road widening project and development of a residential colony on grazing land near Chomu, Corporate Park, IT corridor and SEZ allegedly had a large number of irregularities with allegations that land was sold for a token amount. Then there were glaring examples like the development of Jagatpura. Prabhu Saini, who owns two acres of land, said the government gave a commercial land licence to persons owning land in front and behind his plot, but he was denied the same. “I was told my land was agricultural and its use could not be changed,” he said.
Unconfirmed reports suggest than an amendment to the section would be tabled in the state assembly soon but details of the amendment could not be known. The Congress Government is expected to introduce safeguards to ensure that farmers get good returns in case their land was acquired.
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Touch wood!
The right kind of polish will add to the beauty of your home, enhance the colour of the wood & even protect it. Glide through the process with JAGVIR GOYAL Among various types of polishes for woodwork, French polish is very economical and provides good gloss to wood. On the flip side, it is not durable, does not resist scratches or stains and loses its shine quickly. Melamine-based finishes adds great beauty to the woodwork, resists all sorts of scratches and stains and are costlier than French polish. Polyurethane (PU) based finish is very costly but scratch and stain resistant and easier to apply. Melamine or polyurethane finishes can be sprayed or applied with a brush or cotton rag. Melamine polish is found to be superior because it resists all types of scratches better. Though it is cheaper than polyurethane polish, it requires more labour and hard work. It was the first choice in sixties and seventies when Muslim painters used to spend days of hard work in accomplishing the job. It is most durable and lasts for years. These days, PU polish is gaining popularity because everyone wants a quick job. Choosing an expert polish man is most important. Mostly, painters avoid applying sand paper to the wood and try to satisfy the house builder by bringing shine. These days, Touchwood by Asian Paints is used as a quick solution to add shine to furniture and woodwork. Don’t bring Touchwood unless the painter has finished all other work involved in polishing. Touchwood is a sort of polyurethane polish, as costly as melamine polish and provides high shine. Getting started
FOR best polish results, rub wood with 180 no. sandpaper and dust it off. While sandpapering, ask the painter to rub along the grain of wood and not against it. Next, apply the stains on the wood using a pad of muslin cloth. Again, apply along the grains. A stain is a transparent material, application of which helps getting the desired shade of wood. You can choose from teak, mahogany, natural veneer, rosewood, redwood or any other of about 20 stain shades available. There are different wood stains for exterior and interior wood surfaces. Use a wood stain thinner to dilute in case you want a lighter tone. Allow the stain to dry for 45 minutes and apply chosen polish. Don’t allow the stain to remain without polish for long. To apply polish, a pad of muslin cloth, a brush or sprayer can be used. Use corresponding thinner for polish, if required. Don’t use more than 15 to 20 per cent thinner. When applied with hand, ask the polish man to rub the polish hard on the wood in a circular motion. Preparation: To make a solution for polish work, look for pure shellac (laakhdana). Better still, ensure it is IS 16 marked. Dissolve it in methylated spirit. For 1 kg shellac, about seven litre spirit is sufficient. Readymade polish is also available. While melamine polish costs around Rs 180 a litre, PU is available for around Rs 320. Remember that there are different polishes for interior and exterior surfaces. While buying polish for outer doors, ensure it is of exterior quality otherwise the doors and windows will lose shine after two or three years. PU polish for exterior surfaces costs about Rs 380 a litre. Thinning: For thinning readymade polish, choose thinners of same manufacturer whose polish is being used. Even the method of application of polishes matters in choice of thinners. There are separate thinners for polish applied by brush and those applied by spray. For PU polish, use PU thinner.
Polishing doors & windows
Shutter edges: Don’t forget to polish the top, side and bottom edges of shutters. Most difficult is to paint or polish the bottom edge of doors due to insufficient space. Therefore, try to paint or polish the bottom edges of maximum number of doors before hanging them in position. Similarly, don’t forget to paint the putty around glass panes. Here, take care that the glass panes don’t get painted while painting the putty. Glass panes: Take special care of glass panes, especially if spray polish is to be done. Apply masking tape or provide paint shield during painting or polishing. While painting or polishing the windows and ventilators, fix a wide removable tape all along the joints of wooden frames with the glass panes. This will save the glass panes from marks. After work is completed, simply peel off this tape. Now, take a thin brush or cloth and apply paint or polish on the tapered glass putty fixed at the joints, covering 2 mm of glass pane. This work must be done with patience and in a fine manner. This coverage will not allow any moisture to enter the window frames from the joints. All through the operation, keep care that no paint drops get spilled or sprayed over glass panes. Well shield panes for this. If any drops get sprayed, immediately remove with thinner.
Switching over
IF you have painted doors and windows and want to change to transparent polish finish, you have to burn the paint using blowlamps. Whenever doing so, take care that the burning of paint is done bottom upwards and not from top downwards. Further, take care that the blowlamp flame must be used just to soften the paint and not completely burn it. Ask the painter to simultaneously use a knife to strip off the softened paint. Always keep the flame of blowlamp away from glass panes.
Metallic surfaces
FOR painting metallic surfaces, choose synthetic enamel paints. These are highly durable, carry a glossy finish and prevent corrosion of metals. Synthetic enamels are available in three grades -- first, second and third. First quality should be chosen only if the surfaces to be painted are susceptible to high corrosion or are affecting the aesthetic outlook of the building. Before starting, prepare the surface well. To clean metal surfaces, use wire brush. In addition to worn out paint, if any, remove all sorts of rust. Use sandpaper if some patches need rubbing, otherwise wire brush can do the job. Next, apply the priming coat and allow it to dry. Go ahead, happy finishing of paintwork! Next, we will discuss lighting and electrification. (This column appears fortnightly) The writer is deputy chief engineer, civil,
PSEB. He can be reached at www.jagvirgoyal.com
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Tax tips
Q. I was allotted a house in a Greater Noida residential colony by the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) in November 2007. The full payment was to be made within three months from the issue of the allotment letter. I paid the authority by taking a loan from LIC. Now I am paying back the house loan through an EMI of about Rs 27,100. The authority will give possession of the completed house to me within three years of the date of the issue of the allotment letter. Please advise whether I am eligible for income tax rebate for the interest and the principle components of the EMIs I paid during this financial year.
— Jasneet Kaur A. You would be entitled to deduction from your total income under section 80C of the Income-tax Act 1961 (the Act) of the amount paid towards the repayment of the loan to LIC. This is because you have borrowed the amount for the purchase of a residential house, which is a pre-requisite for allowing such deduction under the aforesaid section. The interest in respect of funds borrowed for the pre-acquisition period of a house property and pertaining to the period prior to the previous year in which such property has been acquired is deductible in five equal annual installments. The first installment is deductible in the year in which property is acquired. For this purpose the pre-acquisition period means the period commencing on the date of borrowing and ending March 31, immediately prior to the date of acquisition or date of repayment of loan, whichever is earlier.
Declare one house self-occupied
Q. I own two houses: one in Sector 4, Gurgaon, and the other, a residential flat, in Sushant Lok. Both are for personal use and I do not receive any rental. Please advise on the following: Am I liable to pay income tax? I would like to sell the Sushant Lok flat, possession of which was given in January 2008. If the said flat were sold now, what would be my tax liability on capital gain arising thereon? — Ashwini A. Replies to your queries are as under: n You have the option to choose one of the houses as self-occupied, the annual value of which will be treated as Nil. The deemed rent on the other house, which may be based on municipal ratable value or fair rent on the basis of rent fetched by similar properties in nearby areas would be taxable. The house tax paid would be deductible from such deemed rent. You would also be entitled to a statutory deduction of 30 per cent of the balance amount for computing the taxable income from house property. n The capital gain arising on the sale would be treated as short-term capital gain, as the flat owned by you has been held for less than three years. Such capital gain would be taxed at the normal slab rate applicable to individuals. It means that the same would be added to your total income for the purposes of computing the tax.
Bonds as loan security
Q. I had purchased bonds to save capital gains tax about a year back. Can I offer these bonds as security to bank for obtaining a loan as I am in dire need of money? — Kartar Chand A. Section 54EC of the Act provides for the exemption of capital gains from taxability in case bonds specified in the said section are purchased within six months of the date of transfer of a long-term capital asset. The section specifically prohibits the transfer of such bonds within a period of three years from the date of purchase of such bonds. It has also been provided in the said section that even taking a loan on the security of bonds or otherwise converting these bonds into money within three years from the date of purchase of the bonds would be construed a transfer of the bonds. If the bonds so acquired are tendered as a security for obtaining a loan within three years from the date of their acquisition, the amount of capital gains not charged to tax will be deemed to be the income by way of long term capital gains of the previous year in which the bonds are tendered as a security. Accordingly, in case you offer such bonds a security to bank for obtaining a loan, the capital gain would be taxable in the year in which the bonds are tendered as a security.
You need a civil lawyer
Q. We are three sisters, all married. Our father expired when we were all under six years of age and our grandfather brought us up. After our marriages, my grandfather made a will without consulting my mother, sisters and me in the name of the grandson of his real brother. It is a mystery whether my grandfather made the will on his own or was forced to do so. At the time of making the will, he was above 80. The person in whose name will was made has taken control of the agricultural land and part of the house. My mother is still alive and has filed a case for inheriting the ancestral property. The case is in the Himachal Pradesh High Court. My queries are: Was my grandfather legally right to make a will in the name of grandson of his brother when my mother and we sisters were alive? Are we sisters legal heirs to ancestral property? How can we get back our ancestral property? — Vidya Thakur A. In accordance with the provisions of Hindu Succession Act, 1956, a person has the right to make a will in respect of his share in the joint family property. I assume that the ancestral property referred by you in your query was a joint family property and, therefore, your grandfather could have willed his share in such property. I also presume that the person in whose favour the will has been made would have claimed the property after your grandfather’s death as the will takes effect after the death of a person. The question raised by you has implications under Hindu law read with the amended Hindu Succession Act, 1956. I would therefore suggest that you should consult a civil lawyer on these issues, as they have no relevance with tax laws.
This column appears weekly. The writer can be contacted at sc@scvasudeva.com
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Child’s play
TO decorate a child’s room, use wall stencils. Paint the walls as usual, preferably in bright colours, and get final finish. When the final coat is a completely dry, paste stencils on the wall with masking tape. Get a sponge, dip it in the paint and apply it on the stencil.
Remove the stencil when this paint has completely dried up. Use yellow paint on blue and pink walls or orange on yellow walls. Let this stenciling be done only on one wall. If stencil is of big size, only paint edges, remove and fill inner space. The wall will make the room look special. Many stencils are available with paint supplying companies and can be got free of cost.
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YOU don't have to. Actually, there is no need for you to undertake an arduous project and dislocate your family for months together. "A lamp here and a bouquet there; a mirror in the lobby, and a painting in the living room; evergreens in the veranda, and an antique bookcase near the stairs; the stuff can make all the difference between middle-of-the-road and a first-rate home," says Chandigarh-based inside-outside expert, Poonam Sharma.
ADD
art to your walls. You do not have to buy a Picasso. Your favorite
pictures in reasonably priced photo frames will do the trick.
Inexpensive paintings, costing less than Rs 500, are also up for
grabs. In Chandigarh, you can pick them up from Sector 22. In all
other cities, you have gift galleries. Use your creativity and
make the living room look like an art gallery
Is my mother legal heir to the ancestral property of her deceased husband and father-in-law under the Hindu Succession Act?