Things You Should Know Before Buying Property In Shimla

Shimla, the summer capital of British India and the current capital of Himachal Pradesh, is a vacationer’s paradise. Running along the ridge, the old Colonial charm, the mystical woods, snow-capped mountains, and the refreshing greenery make Shimla one of the favorite places in Himachal. While most people love this summer’s charm as a holiday destination, there are many who wish to buy their home in this city. Whether you are planning on buying a vacation home in Shimla or want to move into this city forever, buying property in Shimla is not as easy as any other city.

In order to restrict commercialization in this Himachali capital, the government has taken strict actions against property transactions. Not everybody is entitled to buy any type of property in this beautiful city. They need proper permissions from the government body along with ensuring the property they are planning to buy can be legally sold or not. Don’t put your dream of buying property in Shimla on the backseat so fast. Here are some things that you must definitely know before making a property purchase.

Can Anyone Buy Property In Shimla?
The first question that pops in the mind of anyone seeking to buy property in Shimla is if they have the authority to buy property here or not. People had a lot of confusions and some were even deluded by several myths around buying property here. The Himachal Pradesh Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 2005 has set out some guidelines for the same. Here are some pointers that will help you:

• Those who do not have the domicile status of Himachal Pradesh are permitted to buy property like apartment, flat, or plot of land. However, it should be from a licensed builder/developer only. For this, the buyer does not need any permission from the govt. authority.
• While buying flat or apartment is not that difficult, any non-domicile of Himachal Pradesh cannot buy agricultural land in Shimla. Even a non-agriculturist from Himachal Pradesh cannot buy agriculture land here. In order to buy agricultural land in Shimla, one needs to have his/her name enlisted in the revenue records as an "Agriculturist" or "Krishak." They should also have some ‘Krishak Bhoomi’ priorly registered in their name.
• There are chances that you might buy a non-agricultural land in Shimla but you do need to take special permission from the government for the same. The purpose for buying the land has to be stated initially and for residential purposes, one cannot buy land more than 500 square foot.

What Are The Best Localities in Shimla?
Once you are clear of the rules and policies for buying property or land in Shimla, let’s move on to reading about the best localities in the city where you can buy your dream home among the woods and hills.

• Bharari: Located at a distance of around 3 kms from the Mall Road, Shimla, Bharari is a nice place to buy your vacation home. One can find land here at around 4,700-5,300 per square foot.
• Shimla Bypass: The Shimla Bypass is another great locality to invest in property in this city. A number of projects are being developed in this region and you can easily invest in them as majority of them are already authorized by the Himachal government.
• New Shimla: New Shimla is located near the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation and is located in the countryside of this city. It is around 8 kms away from the city center and is rapidly developing.
• Baddi: A 2 hour-long drive to take you to Baddi. It is an industrial town in the Southern part of Himachal and much less populated or congested than Shimla. The property price is also cheaper here as compared to other areas. One can easily pay around 2,000-2,500 per square foot to buy land here.

Apart from these, one can also buy property in popular localities like Kandaghat and Panthaghati in Shimla. However, the most important thing that one should always consider when buying property here is that it should have the required permissions to be sold to you.