Zameen.com Magazine - Issue 4 - July 2014 by Zameen.com

EDITORIAL

FOREWORD

EDITOR IBRAHIM SUHEYL DEPUTY EDITOR SHAISTA ZULFIQAR

he blessed month of Ramadan is upon us once more. On behalf of everyone here at Zameen.com, I wish you all Ramadan Mubarak and pray that with God’s blessings, all of our endeavours prove beneficial for us. We are excited to present the fourth issue of Zameen.com magazine, which is just as packed full of real estate goodness as all the editions before it. The Pakistani real estate market is an entity in constant motion, one that requires constant analysis and a keen eye on developments. In order to deliver a clear, composed picture to all stakeholders on a regular basis, Zameen.com magazine includes a market report in each month’s issue. This month’s report focuses on the post-budget situation in the Pakistani realty sector, and I hope that you will benefit from this exposition of Team Zameen’s expert insight and unparalleled proficiency. Our cover story this month highlights Canyon Views, Islamabad. A project of Emaar Pakistan, it promises to provide hundreds of families with a place to experience the high standards Emaar is known for. Our featured properties are, as usual, two of the most outstanding projects from around the country, and this month’s feature stories are an eclectic bunch talking about architecture, interior design and home insulation. All of them are likely to provide you a high quality reading experience and some very useful, relevant property-related material to ponder. We hope that you will enjoy reading this issue as much as we did making it. Ibrahim Suheyl Editor

ASSISTANT EDITOR SAMRA ZULFIQAR WRITERS ZAIN NADEEM AHSEN GHUFRAN KHAN

CREATIVE CREATIVE HEAD SABEEN ALI DESIGNERS MUNEEB IJAZ AMMAR TOOR

DEVELOPER ADVERTISING HEAD, DEVELOPER BUSINESS ASIM IFTIKHAR

AGENT ADVERTISING REGIONAL HEAD (NORTH) AHMAD BHATTI REGIONAL HEAD (SOUTH) MASHOOD REHMAN SALES MANAGERS (CENTRAL) KAMRAN SHEHZAD HASSAN AHMED

MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ZEESHAN ALI KHAN CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER IMRAN ALI KHAN EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN GILLES BLANCHARD DISCLAIMER Although every reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, neither the publisher, editor nor their employees and agents can be held liable for any errors, inaccuracies and/or omissions, howsoever. We shall not be responsible for any loss or damage, whether direct or indirect, incidental or consequential arising from or in connection with the contents of this publication and shall not accept any liability in relation thereto. The views by our contributors expressed here are their personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect Zameen.com’s views. Unless otherwise noted, all artwork and ad designs printed in Zameen.com magazine are the sole property of Zameen.com Pakistan and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

PRINTER The Fortune Productions Suite No 3-4, 1st Floor, Barket Centre, Royal Park, Lahore

ConTenTs COVER STORY

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CANYON VIEWS ISLAMABAD: IT’S WHERE YOU BELONG

news stories

featured property

The Grand City Kharian

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featured property

Bhurban Continental Apartments

Market report

Property market cools as Budget 2014-15 takes effect

feature story

Don’t hate — insulate!

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A nostalgic trip down Lahore’s architectural memory lane

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The modern functional living room

featured agents

Classifieds

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AJODHYAPUR KACHI ABADI RESIDENTS DEPRIVED OF OWNERSHIP RIGHTS

General to improve the area’s infrastructure and also instructed Anti-encroachment Task Force Senior Director Mr Bilal Manzar to take the necessary measures to remove encroachments.

CDA GENERATES RS 100M IN REVENUE FROM PROJECTS ISLamabad: During the previous quarter of the fiscal year, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) successfully generated Rs 100 million in revenue from various projects. Lahore: The residents of Ajodhyapur kachi abadi (shantytown) have not been given ownership rights for the last 54 years, during which time land-grabbers have taken over their property in Block C of Johar Town. Residents claim the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has failed to provide them noobjection certiﬁcates (NOCs) for the registered shantytown.

The CDA’s Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) had focused on generating revenue from Monal Restaurant, advertisement spaces, open spaces, trade licences and parking plazas. The DMA was also successful in clearing 20 open spaces and demolishing 30 illegal structures during an antiencroachment drive.

According to property records, the total area of the Ajodhayapur shantytown is around 126 kanals and 16 marlas and allegedly, a famous singer, land-grabbers and police oﬃcers have taken over this land. The residents have appealed to the Punjab chief minster to take notice of the situation.

LHC TO HEAR APPEAL AGAINST ACQUISITION OF LADY WILLINGDON HOSPITAL’S LAND

BALLOTING OF I-14 DOUBLE ALLOTMENT PLOTS CANCELLED ISLamabad: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has apparently failed to resolve the longstanding issue of double allotment plots in Sector I-14. The balloting was supposed to be held to allot plots to those who either lost their plots during the re-planning of the sector or were allotted double plots. However, it was cancelled after 25 individuals protested against the CDA when the balloting was being carried out at Pak-China Friendship Centre because their names were not included in the balloting list. Addressing this, a senior official of the CDA announced the cancellation of balloting and said the balloting would be held again after the available number of plots was made equal to the number of affected individuals.

KMC TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE OF LANDHI INDUSTRIAL ZONE KarachI: Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Mr Abdur Rauf Akhter Farooqi has stated that the KMC will take the necessary measures to improve Landhi Industrial Zone’s infrastructure. During a meeting with a delegation from the Landhi Association of Trade & Industry, the administrator said that roads would be repaired and encroachments would be removed in the industrial zone. He told the KMC Directorate

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Lahore: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) has ﬁled an intra-court appeal (ICA) with the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the acquisition of 2 kanals and 11 marlas of Lady Willingdon Hospital’s land. A division bench of the LHC is set to hear the ICA. The plaintiﬀ’s counsel stated in court that the demolition of any part of the hospital would be against the provisions of the Antiquities Act of 1975, Walled City Act of 2012 and Punjab Special Premises (Preservation) Ordinance of 1985.

CARPETING WORK ON TEEN HATTI FLYOVER TO COMMENCE SOON KarachI: Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Mr Abdur Rauf Akhter Farooqi told a meeting attended by Technical Services Director General Niaz Ahmad Soomro and other officials that carpeting work on Teen Hatti Flyover would commence soon. During the meeting, the status of various on-going development projects in the city was discussed. The administrator told the officers concerned to complete the Teen Hatti Flyover as soon as possible so that plans to make Shahra-e-Pakistan a signal-free corridor could be realised. He also told the officers to pay special attention to the flow of traffic around construction sites.

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LDA AUCTIONS 11 PLOTS FOR RS 47 MILLION Lahore: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has auctioned 11 plots, one residential and 10 commercial, for Rs 47 million in total. An open auction was held for the plots at the LDA’s Community Centre in which 28 bidders participated. During the auction, tough competition was witnessed among the bidders. The per marla value of these plots was estimated by the State Bank of Pakistan’s approved evaluators.

Public Works Department Executive Engineer Mr Abdul Karim Khan told a news agency that the bridge collapsed after three support beams broke, but that fortunately no one was hurt. He said further that a committee had been formed to investigate the collapse.

LDA PLANS TO LAUNCH THREE LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS IN LAHORE

PATWARI TRANSFERS PROPERTY OWNERSHIP USING FAKE CNIC ISLamabad: A patwari in Sara-e-Kharbuza was reported to have illegally transferred ownership of an individual’s plot to six people using a fake Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). Upon learning about the fraudulent transfer, the owner of the property ﬁled a report against the patwari at Tarnol Police Station, stating that the patwari, Muhammad Aslam, had transferred the plot illegally with the aid of a co-conspirator.

DEVELOPMENT WORK STARTS AT PARK ENCLAVE

Lahore: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has decided to undertake three large-scale projects in the city: a highrise tower on Jail Road and luxury apartments and an amusement park at the Finance and Trade Centre (FTC) in Johar Town. The high-rise tower will be named LDA Tower and it will be built on 11 kanals of land opposite EFU House on Jail Road. The luxury apartments will be developed on 8.4 acres of land at the FTC. The amusement park will also be developed at FTC on an area of 9.2 acres and will feature a golf course, Ferris wheel, rollercoaster and other state-of-the-art rides. The LDA plans to execute these projects by partnering with private developers in a joint venture arrangement under the Management and Transfer of Properties by Development Authorities Ordinance, 2014. In this regard, the authority has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from developers.

ISLamabad: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has commenced development work at Park Enclave. After constructing a boundary wall around the area, the authority is currently installing water, sewerage and electricity infrastructure. Park Enclave was launched in 2011 and the project was supposed to be completed in two years. However, the members of the project stopped paying instalments to the CDA over the authority’s failure to complete the project in time. According to a news source, a Senate Standing Committee has told the CDA to pick up the pace of work at Park Enclave.

UNDER-CONSTRUCTION BRIDGE IN HUNZA COLLAPSES hunza: An under-construction bridge in Hunza, being built to connect various areas of the valley with Karakoram Highway, collapsed on May 13, 2014. The bridge was proposed to be 260 metres long and was estimated to cost Rs 71 million.

SHC ALLOWS BAHRIA TOWN TO CONTINUE HIGH-RISE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION KarachI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted permission to Bahria Town to continue construction work on the high-rise building ‘Opal 225’ in line with the approved building plan. The Clifton Cantonment Board (CCB) had issued two notices to Bahria Town to carry out construction in accordance with the approved plan. In response, Bahria Town had ﬁled a lawsuit with the SHC to seek an injunction against the CCB. The plaintiff’s counsel told the court that the CCB gave approval to the Zardari Group for construction of the highrise building on Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan Road, and both Bahria Town and Zardari Group had entered a joint venture for the construction of the building. He assured the court that construction was being carried out per the approved plan and requested the court to restrain the CCB from taking any action in pursuance of its notices.

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QSP’S AREA TO BE INCREASED FROM 10,000 ACRES TO 15,000 ACRES

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Mr Shahbaz Sharif approved an increase in the area of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QSP) in Bahawalpur from 10,000 acres to 15,000 acres in order to increase its electricity generation capacity from 1,000MW to 1,500MW. According to a handout, the chief minister was presiding over a meeting when he gave the approval. He also told the meeting that small solar power projects would be set up at various areas in Punjab, and ordered the oﬃcials concerned to conduct a technical study in this regard.

PAKISTAN RAILWAYS TO RENT OUT MORE OF ITS LAND rawaLpIndI: Pakistan Railways (PR) has started renting out its land with the aim of generating revenue after the government bagged Rs 2.7 million in a recent auction of 30 acres of PR’s agricultural land in Rawalpindi. According to a news source, PR now plans to rent out more of its land along railway tracks for a period of one year. The proposed areas for this exercise include Chaklala, Jhanda Chichi, Bakery Chowk, Diesel Workshop Colony and Westridge.

CDA SET TO LAUNCH THREE NEW SECTORS ISLamabad: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is all set to launch three new sectors, namely C-13, C- 14, and C-15, in the Federal Capital. According to a news source, the layout plans of the proposed sectors have been developed and will be forwarded to the CDA board for approval. However, the survey to compensate the houses located on land for these sectors could not be completed because of the alleged involvement of some inﬂuential people.

KMC BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF MONUMENT AT SURJANI ROUNDABOUT KarachI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has begun construction work on a monument on 4 kanals of land at Surjani Roundabout. The project is expected to cost Rs 5 million and a private sector organisation will assist KMC in the

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construction process. KMC expects to generate Rs 0.5 million per year through advertisements on the monument.

PHA TO BUILD FLATS FOR LOW-INCOME GROUPS

ISLamabad: The Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) plans to build apartments in various sectors of the capital for low-income groups. In this regard, a construction policy has been developed which will be sent to Prime Minister Mr Nawaz Sharif for approval. According to the PHA’s plan, four-storey apartments will be constructed in Islamabad to overcome the increasing demand for low-cost housing units. On directions from the federal government, the PHA has started working on two residential projects in Sectors I-12 and I-16. The PHA has also acquired land from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for the development of high-rise apartments in these sectors.

31 BUILDINGS SEALED IN LAHORE Lahore: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has sealed 31 buildings in Lahore, including four schools, for defaulting on commercialisation fees. Of the four schools, one reported sealing of the premises while the students were studying inside. The LDA, however, rejected the report, claiming that the properties were sealed at about 6am, almost 2 hours before the commencement of classes. The LDA also said the defaulters were issued warning notices prior to the sealing of the buildings. The authority claimed further that it broke the seals of 14 properties after the owners paid the dues.

CDA TO DEVELOP SLAUGHTERHOUSE IN ISLAMABAD ISLamabad: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to develop a slaughterhouse in Islamabad. For this purpose, the authority has allocated 10 acres of land in Sector I-11. The proposed development is estimated to cost Rs 100 million and expected to be completed within a year. Prior to this, the CDA was planning to build the slaughterhouse in Sector H-9. However, because of complaints received from educational institutions in the area, the site for the slaughterhouse was changed to Sector I-11.

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KMC RECOVERS 54 ACRES OF LAND IN SAFOORA GOTH KarachI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)’s Anti-encroachment Task Force (ATF) has seized 54 acres of land from land-grabbers in Safoora Goth Scheme 33. The anti-encroachment drive was carried out under the supervision of ATF Director Mr Mazhar Khan. The antiencroachment squad used heavy machinery to remove illegal structures from the area.

JINNAH AVENUE METRO BUS PLAN TAKES A NEW TURN

“We have identified three sites for the development of underground parking lots. These sites are already in use for parking and are close to the market,” said F-7 Traders Association President Mr Ijaz Abbasi. “CDA teams have also identified a few sites where underground parking lots can be built,” he added.

OPPOSITION ACCUSES GOCHRANI OF ILLEGAL LAND OCCUPATION Lahore: The opposition, led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has accused Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Mr Sher Ali Gorchani of illegal occupation of land in Dera Ghazi (DG) Khan. During a Punjab Assembly session, the opposition protested in front of the deputy speaker’s podium and accused him of illegal possession of land belonging to the poor farmers of DG Khan. In response, Mr Gochrani asked the opposition to have a debate on the issue before the media.

ISLamabad: The Jinnah Avenue Metro Bus Project has taken a new turn as the authorities now plan to develop a two-lane track instead of an overpass on the proposed route of the bus rapid transit project.

CITI HOUSING LAUNCHES SATELLITE TOWN IN JHELUM

According to analysts, this plan will increase the chances of accidents. District administration sources have said that after the change in plans, space is being created on both sides of the road to develop the bus track. Security for the Red Zone is said to be the cause of this change in plans.

LDA SEALS 23 PLAZAS FOR NOT OBTAINING BUILDING COMPLETION CERTIFICATES Lahore: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) sealed 23 plazas at Valencia Town Civic Centre because their owners had failed to submit applications for building completion certiﬁcates. However, LDA unsealed these plazas after receiving partial building completion certiﬁcate fees from the owners. The authority’s Town Planning Wing also sealed a plaza in Valencia Town owned by a former provincial governor for nonpayment of commercialisation fees. The plaza was similarly unsealed after partial fees were paid.

CDA PLANS TO BUILD LOW-COST PARKING PLAZAS ISLamabad: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) plans to develop low-cost parking plazas in Sector F-7 of the Federal Capital. Per the CDA’s plans, two underground parking lots will be developed in Jinnah Super at an estimated cost of Rs 280 million.

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JheLum: After successful completion of residential projects in Gujranwala and Sialkot, Citi Housing has now launched a housing society in Jhelum by the name of Satellite Town. The project spans 4,300 kanals and features residential plots of 5 marlas, 10 marlas, 1 kanal, and 2 kanals on three-years instalment plans. Booking for plots in Satellite Town is set to be on a ﬁrst-come-ﬁrst-serve basis.

LDA SET TO LAUNCH LDA CITY Lahore: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) is all set to launch LDA City, a 45,000-kanal residential community proposed to be located at a 13-minute drive from Kalma Chowk and 15 minutes from the Allama Iqbal International Airport. According to a handout, the project will feature residential plots of 5 marlas, 10 marlas, 1 kanal, and 2 kanals. It will also feature a golf course, public library, educational institutions, a state-of-the-art hospital, shopping malls, a sports city, and easy access to public transport.

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CDA AUCTIONS RESIDENTIAL PLOTS IN ISLAMABAD

COMMITTEE FORMED TO INSPECT SAFETY MEASURES IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS

ISLamabad: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has auctioned 20 residential plots in various developed sectors of the Federal Capital for Rs 1.35 billion in total.

rawaLpIndI: Cantt Executive Oﬃcer (CEO) Mr Faheem Zafar told a news agency that a committee of traders’ representatives, Rescue 1122 and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has been formed to inspect the safety status of high-rise buildings.

A committee consisting of eight members supervised the auction process and a large number of people attended the auction and showed enthusiasm in getting their favourite plots. CDA Chairman Mr Maroof Afzal said he was pleased with the successful auction and that the income generated through the auction would be spent on the development of various areas of the Federal Capital.

PRIVATE LANDOWNERS IN SAHIWAL TO GET PAYMENTS SOON SahIwaL: A fast-track payment project is underway to make payments to 970 landowners who sold 1,002 acres of land to the government for installation of coal power plants near Chak 76/5R, claims the District Collector Oﬃce. During the last 15 days, more than 700 landowners have received cash payment vouchers. District Collector Dr Sajid Mahmood told a news source that the acquisition of land was a major step, and six districts were specified by the Punjab Government for the installation of power plants. However, the land in Sahiwal was determined to be the most feasible site for the project.

REGISTRATION FOR PLOT ALLOTMENTS STARTS IN FEDERAL CAPITAL ISLamabad: Registration for the allotment of plots at Bhara Kaho Housing Scheme to members and employees of the federal government has begun. As per Prime Minister Mr Nawaz Sharif’s order, plots will be allotted on a first-comefirst-serve basis. According to a news source, the departments concerned will take the decision to allot plots to the employees.

“The committee will be responsible for inspecting multistoreyed plazas and pass recommendations to the CEO to take necessary actions against insecure buildings for not installing safety equipment such as ﬁre extinguishers,” he added. The plan was initiated after Rescue 1122 declared various highrise buildings in Rawal Town and Cantt insecure.

COMPUTERISATION OF LAND RECORDS EXTENDS TO 114 TEHSILS

Lahore: The computerised land record service has been extended to 114 tehsils through Arazi Records Centres. A Board of Revenue Project Management Unit spokesperson said Punjab Chief Minister Mr Shahbaz Sharif was determined to have all land records computerised as quickly as possible in order to do away with patwari culture. He said the computerisation of records had solved issues faced by people in accessing land ownership records. The Arazi Record Centres’ operations and staﬀ were monitored by the project management unit in order to ensure highest standards of service delivery, he added.

ZAMEEN.COM COMMEMORATES YOUM-E-TAKBEER

AMEEN.COM celebrated Youm-e-Takbeer to mark the day when Pakistan announced itself as the 7th nuclear power of the world on May 28, 2008 with seven nuclear tests in Chaghi, Balochistan. An event was held at Zameen.com’s Head Office in Lahore to celebrate the day, featuring a cake decorated with the

map of the country and another with the Zameen.com logo. Members of Team Zameen dressed in green to show off their patriotic spirits. “Zameen.com is a Pakistani organisation, and we feel proud of the fact that Pakistan is one of the nuclear powers of the world,” said Zameen.com Co-Founder Mr Zeeshan Ali Khan.

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THE GRAND CITY KHARIAN An independent, self-sustaining society in the heartlands of Punjab

The Grand City, located near Kharian and bang smack in the middle of Lahore and Islamabad, is an independent housing society that offers residents a whole host of alluring amenities and facilities that ensure a wonderfully comfortable lifestyle. Ideally located on main GT Road near Kharian, The Grand City is set amongst beautiful natural surroundings and strikes a rare balance between nature and progress. The Grand City is a unique, dynamic housing project that aims to redefine living standards in Kharian and introduce a completely new lifestyle. Horizon Investments, the developers of the project, aim to delight customers by providing quality life spaces through continuous innovation. With The Grand City, the core objective of Horizon Investments is to create a real estate development that offers world-class property development opportunities to maximise the financial returns of investors. The developers have received recognition for their quality construction, ethical and transparent business practices, and high standards of maintenance of their properties.

every new property only after concentrated and focused market research to determine consumer needs, and then the project is designed and implemented according to consumer preferences. The Grand City has strategic partnerships with internationally acclaimed architects and design consultants, and it is the only residential neighbourhood of its kind in the region.

FacILITIeS & amenITIeS Let’s take a look at the good stuff on offer at The Grand City. The ultimate goal of the development is to provide dwellers a holistic living experience, and to that end, amenities are aplenty at The Grand City. Residents have full access to gymnasiums, jogging tracks, parks for children, swimming pools, sports facilities, indoor games, cafeterias, spa services, beauty parlours, and group exercise classes under certified fitness instructors. At The Grand City, you can forget about the load-shedding woes of the rest of the country as you enjoy a dedicated standby power generation system that ensures uninterrupted flow of electrical power. With underground electricity wiring, a clear skyline free of unsightly poles and wires gives you a pleasant view every time you set foot in the society.

whaT IS The Grand cITY? The Grand City is aimed at creating a home or oﬃce space based on a thorough understanding of the many and varied consumer needs and preferences. The developers begin work on

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Not only that, but the development also offers services such as pest control, insurance, intercoms and fire services and residents are given monthly demonstrations on fire safety

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and fire equipment handling to ensure that everyone is prepared in the unlikely event of an emergency. Wide carpeted roads, vast expanses of greenery, terriﬁc boulevards, magniﬁcent brickwork and pavements adorned with splendid streetlights make driving a pleasure in The Grand City as well. The extremely reliable and vigilant security system in place at this development, equipped with the latest CCTV camera technology, includes many conventional and modern security features, ensuring the complete safety and security of its residents. Then we have The Grand Community Club, which is the centre of all public activity at the development, drawing all residents together for seasonal events and exciting happenings. The Grand City also has a Grand Mosque with elaborate domes and minarets to provide a peaceful, pleasant place for Muslims to congregate for prayers. At the heart of the locality lies the spectacular Grand Park featuring a Rose Garden, a Bird Aviary, and an awe-inspiring Animal Kingdom. Also among the many charms of The Grand City are its Musical Fountains, which are spectacular miniature water and light shows synchronised to music.

PROPERTY TYPE

PRICE RANGE

1-Kanal Residential Plot

PKR 5,500,000

10-Marla Residential Plot

PKR 3,000,000

5-Marla Residential Plot

PKR 1,700,000

Please call for enquiries about commercial opportunities The Grand Mall is the premier shopping destination of the region. It boasts a series of major department stores, a food court, a play area and a diverse mix of over 100 specialty stores. Residents can also experience ﬁne dining in a series of chic restaurants that are part of The Grand City’s exquisite cuisine options. Finally, The Grand City also boasts a larger-than-life multiplex cinema with IMAX screens for the ultimate movie experience, so you will never miss the latest blockbusters. The prices are simply unreal, and with the convenient instalment plan, they get even better. We suggest you immediately pick up the phone and get yourself a place in this great thing going on just north of Kharian.

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CALL NOW +92-42-111-11-55-11 +92-42-7185231-5

zameen project listing Zameen ID: zameen.com/np/177 City: Kharian Construction Status: Under Construction Price: PKR 1,700,000 — PKR 5,500,000

Visit www.zameen.com for more information

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BHURBAN CONTINENTAL APARTMENTS Your ticket to a blissful summer getaway

There are no two ways about the weather these days. It is simply too hot to allow any level of human functionality or productivity, which basically means it is the perfect time for a well-earned vacation. Heading to popular vacation resorts in Pakistan in the peak season without prior booking can become very onerous very quickly. If only you had an apartment in a quiet, beautiful corner of one of Pakistan’s favourite hill stations. We assure you that despite our rather lame segue, the development we have in store for you is nothing short of completely awesome. Bhurban Continental Apartments, located in Pakistan’s most popular summer resort, are the realisation of a wonderful dream for the weatherwise less fortunate, sun-baked populace of Pakistan’s central and southern plains. Bhurbun, a short 9km drive from Murree, is known for its natural beauty and lovely weather. It is here that Smaks Builders have erected Bhurbun Continental Apartments, which are expertly designed 1- and 2-bedroom apartments

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nestled within seemingly endless stretches of cool green. From these earthquake resistant apartment compounds, you can savour the serene views of the beautiful valley, the magniﬁcent Jhelum River, and the majestic mountains of Kashmir. Just thinking about it makes us, sitting here in sunscorched Lahore, feel a little cooler. But let’s also look at the practicality of it. If you have ever visited Murree or Bhurban, you must be aware of how the many hotels there lack some very basic facilities such as uninterrupted water and electricity supply. What good is a vacation if you still have to fret about these basic things? At Bhurbun Continental Apartments, Smaks Builders have ensured uninterrupted, 24-hour supply of water and electricity. Given the region’s susceptibility to earthquakes, the developers have also paid special attention to making the structures completely earthquake resistant. Now comes the question of whether this is a savvy investment or not. You may be concerned that if you were to buy a summer home, the place would stay vacant most

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of the year and that property would just not be a safe bet. You can rest assured, however, that you are going to get steady returns from your property owing to a neat system offered by Smaks Builders: when you are not occupying your apartment at Bhurban Continental Apartments, it will be on a lease managed and monitored by the developers on your behalf, and you would be able to keep tabs on what’s going on. The location of Bhurbun Continental Apartments, at walking distance from Pearl Continental Hotel, is not the only charming factor about the project. The interior finishing of these apartments are also works of art, so you are basically looking at a luxury vacation home. Quality fittings in the kitchen and bathrooms, diyar wood doors, ICI paint finish according to the owner’s choice, independent sewerage and drainage, huge terraces facing the most beautiful parts of the valley, complete light and fan fixtures, and Alpine water supply systems mean that the residents of these apartments would only be required to do one thing: enjoy their vacation. The residents of Bhurbun Continental Apartments will also enjoy

membership of the exclusive golf course and health club oﬀered by the development. Other features of the project include laundry service, access to grocery shops and a mosque. Being the owner of one of these apartments with dedicated hiking tracks in Bhurban means you can forget worrying about deciding when to head to your favourite summer resort. The deal is pretty tempting, isn’t it? Many people have already claimed their summer homes at Bhurban Continental Apartments, and most of these 200-plus apartments have been booked. The good news is that Smaks Builders announced another apartment block in April 2014. This Executive Block is where a limited number of apartments are available for sale. So hurry up folks, because this is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can avail on an easy 2-year instalment plan.

PROPERTY TYPE

PRICE RANGE

1-Bedroom Apartment

PKR 2,800,000 - PKR 3,400,000

2-Bedroom Apartment

PKR 4,000,000 - PKR 5,500,000

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CALL NOW +92-300-5000836 +92-321-5000836 +92-333-8511512

zameen project listing Zameen ID: zameen.com/np/165 City: Bhurban, Murree Construction Status: Under Construction Price: PKR 2,800,000 - PKR 5,500,000 Visit www.zameen.com for more information

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marKeT REPORT

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property market cools as budget 2014-15 takes eﬀect Property prices across some of the most popular areas in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad mostly remained stable during 2014, with little or no change in prices. Although there was steady buying and selling activity in the market, it did nothing to cause major spikes (or dips, for that matter) in property prices for the most part. According to Zameen.com’s extensive statistical data, the housing sector around the country has performed steadily so far in 2014 in terms of sale and rental prices. Mr Zeeshan Ali Khan, Co-Founder & CEO of Zameen.com, believes that the bearish trend in the market is because of the fact that prices rose too much in such a short span of time last year that they are now effectively outside of most people’s buying power. “Prices cannot go on increasing forever,” he says. “The preand post-budget slump is likely to continue into Ramadan as well, which is generally a slow period for the property market in Pakistan. But 2014 is likely to end on a high – albeit a more controlled high than the preceding year – and growth is expected to remain within single digits.” The following performance roundup of 2014 shows how the market has fared this month.

Lahore TrundLeS aLonG In 2014 The year 2014 marked the start of a number of infrastructure development projects in Lahore – from overpasses and bridges to the construction and widening of roads in key areas of the city that the Punjab government has targeted for development work. Such rapid development generally triggers major jumps in property prices, but this was largely not the case in 2014. DHA Lahore, which remains the city’s hottest locality and the address of choice for the rich and the famous, registered a spike of only 5.31% in prices of 1-kanal plots between January and May 2014. Such meagre rises are something of an anomaly for high-end societies such as DHA, which generally enjoy far higher increases in this sort of time span.

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Things were no different in Bahria Town, where 1-kanal residential plots only managed to register a 1.81% rise during the first five months of 2014. Prices of plots of the same size in Wapda Town, on the other hand, registered a 3.22% drop in 2014. LDA Avenue I, surprisingly, remained one of the few localities in Lahore where plots performed well. The housing sector in Lahore was interestingly a better performer, and homes recorded much better numbers in both sale and rental prices during the year. One-kanal houses in DHA, for instance, showed increases of 7.72% and 18.19% in their sale and rental prices since January 2014 respectively. Similarly, houses of the same size in Bahria Town registered spikes of 9.41% and 17.50% in their sale and rental prices respectively during the same period of time.

Average Prices of 1-Kanal Houses in Lahore in 2014 Localities

Avg Sale Prices

Avg Monthly Rent

Rental Yield

Cantt

36,663,523

112,596

3.78%

DHA Lahore

33,811,418

122,804

4.36%

Johar Town

26,981,235

118,685

5.28%

Bahria Town

25,701,511

88,250

4.12%

With rental prices increasing at a much faster pace than sale prices, Johar Town retained its place as the neighbourhood with the top rental yield in the city so far in 2014, at 5.28%. For DHA, Bahria Town Lahore and Cantt, the rental yields in 2014 were 4.36%, 4.12% and 3.78% respectively.

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ISLamabad’S FamouS ouTLIer Islamabad painted a mixed picture that hinted towards the fact that the capital’s market might have had a bit of a tilt towards polarisation in 2014 as, in stark contrast to some of the localities where there was hardly any buying and selling recorded, there were neighbourhoods that performed brilliantly in terms of property prices.

Pakistan’s largest city and economic hub, tearing away investors’ focus from DHA City and leaving a dent in its property prices. Zameen.com’s statistics show that the value of 500 sq yard plots in DHA City suﬀered a blow of Rs 269,905 within two short months from January 2014 to February 2014. It took DHA City a few months to make a comeback and the prices of 1-kanal plots registered an 11.07% increase by May 2014.

One such area has been Islamabad’s famous outlier Sector F11, where prices have been consistently inching up. F-11, which is currently one of the hottest CDA sectors and has been performing well throughout 2014, continued its upward journey in May as well. While the Federal Budget 2014-15 brought every other notable area’s property market close to a halt, prices of 1-kanal plots in F-11 continued to climb and registered an 18.75% increase in 2014.

Bahria Town Karachi has steadily gained momentum and has eventually drawn investors from all over Pakistan, which some experts believe is partially responsible for the general slowdown in property markets in other cities of the country. Unlike DHA City however, investment in Bahria Town was largely based around registration forms, which ended up giving investors good short-term returns as the average price for forms jumped from Rs 110,000 to Rs 170,000 in a matter of days. In Bahria Town Islamabad, however, things looked very diﬀerent. Property prices in the community, which is generally perceived as ‘hot’ and was the epicentre of a major chunk of all the activity in 2013, prices seem to be cooling down. With a 14.68% drop in the sale prices of 1-kanal plots, it is safe to assume that the focus of investors has clearly shifted from Bahria Town. Sector E-11, another popular area, reacted to the Federal Budget with a small 1.07% drop in prices of 1-kanal plots. Islamabad’s housing market has fared better in terms of both sale and rental prices. The value of 1-kanal houses in Sector F-11 has increased by 4.00%, whereas rental prices rose 6.79%. The biggest rise in rental prices was noticed in E-11, where average rent for a 1-kanal house jumped from Rs 186,800 in January 2014 to Rs 198,333 in May 2014, a 6.17% increase. The rental yield for all the above mentioned sectors hovered around the 3.60% mark.

Average Prices of 1-Kanal Houses in Islamabad in 2014 Localities

Avg Sale Prices

Avg Monthly Rent

Rental Yield

F-11

63,459,180

191,433

3.62%

E-11

58,341,976

177,752

3.66%

G-11

56,418,167

173,133

3.69%

KarachI’S properTY baTTLeGround Bahria Town Karachi has been the highlight of the year in

Elsewhere in the city, other more established housing societies such as DHA Karachi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulistane-Jauhar saw steady rises in plot prices. One-kanal plots in DHA Karachi registered average price increases of 9.89% between January 2014 and May 2014, while their counterparts in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulistan-e-Jauhar saw price increases of 7.69% and 2.02% respectively.

whaT To eXpecT In and aFTer ramadan In all likelihood, the market is going to remain cool in Ramadan and this bearish trend may extend further given that the security situation in the country has taken a hit with recent events such as the Karachi airport attack and the start of the full-scale military operation in North Waziristan. In the short term, this is likely to halt foreign investment to a degree as investors attempt to gauge the situation from the outside, but in the long term things are going to look up as the operation inspires conﬁdence in the government and armed forces’ ability to deal with the militancy problem and the internally displaced people. The post-budget scenario is likely to gradually pick up steam with local investors and overseas Pakistanis, however, and the resulting monetary inﬂux around Eid is also expected to play a part in kick-starting the market.

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FeaTure STORY

USWA AMJAD

Historically speaking, Lahore is extolled as a city of gardens, with roughly 60 per cent of the area enclosed within its late colonial era borders being either vegetation or extensively developed and sprawling pleasure gardens of Mughal and, later, colonial birth. It is therefore not very surprising that Lahore’s early post-partition development stayed true to this spirit of arboreal consciousness. By the 1970s, the city’s most thriving residential communities consisted of Gulberg,

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Samanabad and Model Town, later going on to include Muslim and Garden Towns as well. All of these places were and remain to this day unabashedly green. During this period, Gulberg saw the rise of sprawling bungalows inspired directly from Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie houses. Spread out, low-lying, planar, and celebrating and framing the vegetation surrounding them, which returned the favour in kind. Hallmarks of this era were features like terrazzo ﬂoors, uncut stone exterior wall ﬁnishes, semi-covered and

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covered verandahs enclosed by wide parapets under elaborate trellises, and quaint personalised – usually curvy – features in concrete such as fountains, railings, balustrades, arches or whatever took the fancy of the owners, who poured themselves liberally and heartily into their dwellings. Although tending to spread more upwards than sideways in Samanabad, these facades displayed the same unassuming, plebeian attention to detail throughout. Given more decades, however, Lahore rapidly grew out to what were then the distant suburbs of DHA, Johar Town and Township, and eventually out to Raiwind Road, Bedian Road and the asphalt mayhem around the new airport. Suddenly, residents and visitors who could barely handle the concept of lanes and one-way streets now had the added benefits of what was the mental equivalent of a calculus problem. Underpasses, ring roads, exits, overpasses, and other transportational non-sequiturs all brought us tumbling awkwardly down the strange slope of progress to the 90s and the present. The 90s saw several local fauna vanish and some interesting design choices emerge. Wild rabbits, fireflies and several species of birds were eventually pushed out and replaced by kothi architecture featuring formidable facades (bearing MashAllah signs, ironically), most popularly entablatures consisting of Roman gables and fluted columns. This was also the interim period between the two approaches to air-conditioning: the one prevalent up to the early 90s, and the one prevalent now. The former featured the introduction of air-conditioners into the house’s more important rooms as a luxury, while the latter espoused unbridled use and unquestioning placement of the split AC as the altar of comfort to be placed in every room, with the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) logistics revolving purely around these cooling units. The latter design ideology single-handedly does away with the antiquated needs of our ancestors, namely indulging in the quiet, mindless wonder of lives significantly different from ours, and above and outside our narrow version of events and reality. Who wants to sit in verandas or courtyards or lawns

anymore? Who wants to open their windows at all? We’ve got our TVs and our internet, who wants to sit around watching the April showers or observe spring burst into its strange dance, or smell the ﬁrst spells of the monsoon? The average modern middle class home now consists of very little perforations and semi-open spaces, with rigid airtight segregation between the inside and outside. The spring and monsoon, which were once rewards of putting up with extreme winters and summers, are bypassed altogether. The more our building industry succumbs to the easymoney, quick-fix mantra of today, the more extensive the use of air-conditioning becomes. We all know that the more such cooling units there are in a given area, the more the temperatures will rise, and the more cooling devices we will need. It’s a vicious cycle, as vicious and banal as they come. Forget about the polar icecaps – these temperatures are felt varying from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. We may not always be able to control what the commercial sector has become and their dependencies on generators, glass and steel construction (easy recipes for disastrous heat generating infrastructure if not used intelligently), and ACs. But we can always be mindful the next time we’re in the market, whether looking to invest in real estate or buy a home, to pay attention to the kind of construction in the area. Is it glass and concrete boxes with a few decorative pergolas on the front? Giant windows that seem to disregard the summer sun and its ravaging effects altogether, in which case there are probably lots of ACs in the area? Is there vegetation, which is the only real force that can counter increasing neighbourhood temperatures? Lastly, look at the amount of traffic on the immediate and surrounding roads, ie whether it is near thoroughfares prone to traffic jams. You’ll be doing yourself and your children, and indeed their children after them, a huge favour.

Uswa Amjad is an NCA-trained architect based in Lahore with a traditional take on contemporary matters.

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FeaTure STORY

SAMRA ZULFIQAR

A luxury home is not just a huge house with a pretty exterior, standing out among its peers in a posh locality. It is also an interior designed to leave the beholder amazed and inspired. So if you are spending a decent sum to get your house designed by a good architect, you simply cannot forget to decorate its interior accordingly. There are some houses that are so plain-looking on the outside that you would never be able to guess that their interior is so gorgeous. And therein lies the rub: the exterior is all well and good, but it’s the interior of your home that ends up making the ﬁnal, lasting impression of your taste in home décor. A good interior is a reﬂection of the homeowner’s decoration and aesthetic sense. It also seems like a waste to spend tens of millions of rupees on building a home and then not extending your budget just a little bit to make it look good on the inside. While looking at recent trends in home interiors, I was surprised to see how designers are using their skills to make modern houses more functional and presentable in terms of usage and outlook. Let’s analyse a few of the prevailing home décor trends for the living

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room, which in my view is the most awesome space in any home.

coSY homeY LIvInG roomS? noT anYmore! Carpeted, overly decorated living rooms are out. Modern designers are instead following a more minimalistic approach where furniture, wall paint, floors and even decorative items are in harmony to offer a wider, more spacious and cleaner look. With less furniture and more space to move around, modern living rooms are designed to help the owner use the space more efficiently and adjust things as required at a moment’s notice. We all know that living rooms often end up serving as impromptu drawing rooms in informal family gatherings, and the latest trends keep this in mind by leaving enough space for standing room as well as extra furniture.

oLd-FaShIoned FurnITure IS, weLL, oLd-FaShIoned Leggy sofas and tables, which once looked classical and expensive, have no room in modern living rooms. Modern living rooms have clean lines and ﬂawless symmetry, and plush and ﬂoral upholstery these days is a no-no. A quick look at current trends in living room furniture in the market will tell you one thing: loud and showy furniture is out and clean, comfortable

FeaTure STORY and inviting designs rule the roost. Please remember, however, that while living rooms these days are furnished to give your eyes and mind a rest with subtle colours and minimalistic designs, formal drawings rooms are adorned in a completely diﬀerent fashion.

The FLoorS, The FLawLeSS ShInY FLoorS! Be it warm or cold, and despite the preferred colour scheme of your lounge, modern living rooms just don’t have wall-to-wall carpets anymore. Instead, they flaunt shiny and clear floors that perhaps cannot even be achieved with marble, which is why granite tiles and laminate floors have lately become favourites. In addition to offering a smooth and spacious look, they also have a long-lasting lustre which makes them look brand new every time they are carefully mopped.

The rIGhT LIGhTS Lighting has an important role to play in accentuating the interior of any room, and in case of a living room, it is of paramount importance to have the appropriate lights in the right spots. Tube lights, exposed energy savers and even lamps cannot offer your living room a modern look. What you need are recessed lights and track lights with even dispersion and a softer glow as opposed to tube lights, which are pretty indiscriminate in what and how much they light up. The subtle glow of these lights ensures that the focus remains on the interior of the room instead of the light source. Try them and you will instantly realise what was keeping your lounge from becoming a modern one. Another important thing to keep in mind when setting up lighting is that the ‘cool daylight’ variant of most lights is fine, but it doesn’t hold a candle (pun not intended) to the ‘warm’ variant, which is infinitely more preferable in achieving a beautiful, modern look.

wIndowS and doorS French doors and windows are an essential part of modern houses. For safety reasons, we don’t advise the use of French doors as the exterior doors in Pakistan, unfortunately, but the doors and windows of the living room can certainly be in this style. These windows are popular in modern interiors because they oﬀer a sophisticated look along with a clear view of the other side, making the room look even bigger and brighter. Having a modern living room is a matter of choice, and it is understandable that not everyone would be comfortable with its minimalistic setting because of the intentional lack of heavy woodwork and storage space. But for the aesthetic enthusiast, everything from furniture to decoration pieces and wall hangings to rugs has to follow the theme of the room, which means that hiring a professional interior designer would be a great investment in your most commonly used living space. Samra Zulﬁqar is the Assistant Editor at Zameen Media (Pvt) Ltd.

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Don’t hate — insulate ! ZAIN NADEEM

The intensity of weather and unscrupulous power outages may have become part of our lives as Pakistanis now, but that in no way means they are any easier to bear. When the sun is beating down on the roof and the airconditioners inside the house have no juice to run on, we tend to forget all about ‘getting used to’ all this. It is a fact that in recent years, summer temperatures have become much more extreme than ever before. Global warming is starting to seem much more than an abstract concept now, isn’t it? Anyway, that fact makes all this horriﬁc load-shedding so much harder to bear, and with no short-term solutions from the government on the horizon, how does one take matters into one’s own hands?

pLan b

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How about thoroughly insulating your home and just pretty much saying no to the sun? It has been a surprising discovery, for me at least, that not many people here are really familiar with the concept of insulating their home. So let’s have at it! How much does it cost to insulate your home and which technique and material should you use in the insulation process? Let’s find out.

poLYSTYrene InSuLaTIon Polystyrene insulation is a type of insulation that keeps houses warm in winters and cold in summers (and let’s face it, summers are the real culprits here). Expanded polystyrene insulation is well-known for its superior resistance to elemental forces such as heat, cold, and

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water. Polystyrene comes in the form of sheets of various sizes which are placed within the walls and topped with plaster, concrete, and/or cement.

THICKNESS OF SHEETS 35kg density/ft3 (2 inches) 30kgd/ft3 (1 inch) 25kgd/m3 (1 inch)

preFerred TIme For InSuLaTIon

beneFITS oF InSuLaTIon

The preferred time for the installation of polystyrene sheets is during the construction of the house. However, if you missed out on installing the sheets during construction, you can still add polystyrene sheets and top them up with the materials mentioned above.

Contractors in Pakistan tend to rule out insulation when building homes, but the fact of the matter is that it is highly beneﬁcial in the long run. Some of the major beneﬁts are: n

InSTaLLaTIon TechnIQueS Roof Installation First oﬀ, the concrete roof is cleaned of all dust and debris. Next, it is water-proofed by layering it with a bitumen coating followed by polythene sheets. Then the expanded polystyrene sheets are installed and topped oﬀ with another layer of polythene and mud mortar. The roof is then covered with tiles and/or grouted. Wall installation In the case of walls, the expanded polystyrene sheets are sandwiched between brick structures on both sides. The wall in then coated with plaster or cement depending upon personal preference.

coST oF poLYSTYrene InSuLaTIon The price of polystyrene sheets varies with thickness. The temperature inside the house changes with the thickness of the polystyrene sheets installed in the roof and walls with the rule of thumb that the thicker the sheet, the more protected the house will be from the cold or the heat. According to estimates provided to us by Industrial Enterprises, the makers of the famous Thermopore brand of expanded polystyrene and the leading insulation providers in Pakistan, the following is the cost of polystyrene insulation depending on the thickness of the sheets:

PRICE (RS PER FT2) 56 21.40 17.86

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Insulation is likely to make your home a more comfortable place to live. Having installed polystyrene sheets in the walls and roof, you do not have to bear the full intensity of the weather, as the insulation will keep your home far cooler in summer and much warmer in winter. This translates into great savings on your utility bills, especially electricity and gas. Your air-conditioner and heaters will take less time to get the rooms up (or down) to the desired temperatures if your home is insulated. Try to imagine the savings per year over the course of your home’s life? A pretty handsome figure, isn’t it? An insulated home is likely to have greater market value as compared to an uninsulated home. Insulation makes your home more eco-friendly because you use less air-conditioning and heating devices, both of which are environment killers. Insulation tends to reduce water seepage (provided water-proofing was opted for during installation). Lastly, insulation also acts as sound proofing to an extent.

Whenever you go about building your dream home, I recommend that you bear in mind all these great beneﬁts of insulation, which virtually guarantee you a much more comfortable home than those around you. Zain Nadeem is a Communications Executive at Zameen Media (Pvt) Ltd.

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