In attempts to accommodate the growing population and influx of people for better employment opportunities, many Indian cities are now growing vertically. As a result, which floor to buy a flat on has become one of the most pressing questions for prospective home buyers. Should you go for accessible lower floors or enjoy scenic views from the top floors? The answer is not always straightforward but can significantly impact your living experience.
So are you a home buyer contemplating which floor will be the best for you in a high-rise residential project? Here are some factors you should consider before making that choice:
Because of the perceived higher quality of life on top floors, many builders charge – anywhere between 15% and 25% – extra for flats on higher floors. The FRC is determined by the builder or the construction company and takes into account the overall construction costs, interests, and overheads. So if you want to live on higher floors, you will need to adjust your budget accordingly.
Lower floors are usually considered comparatively unsafe as they are easier for criminals and other anti-social elements to break into than upper floors. But if you are set on choosing a lower floor, be sure to verify the security arrangements in and around your high-rise complex.
Additionally, lower levels also offer less privacy, especially if the building is near a busy road. So if you want to enjoy a quiet and peaceful home, higher floors may be better suited for you.
Fire safety can be an issue for occupants on higher floors. An occupancy certificate from the local authorities can help you determine whether the building has received clearance from the fire department and meets the necessary safety criteria.
Ideally, high-rise buildings must offer at least two lifts and staircases so people can rely on another lift in case one fails. The number of lifts and backup systems becomes crucial when you consider your family members – especially elders and small children. In a case where both lifts fail, you have to rely on staircases and must consider whether they would be convenient to use and easy to access.
In many cases, builders deviate from the construction plans on the top floor, which can get you in trouble down the line. So if your heart is set on the top floor, make sure that the construction adheres to the approved plans and has all the necessary clearances.
You may experience spotty mobile network coverage as you go up in a high-rise building. Broadband facilities may also be unavailable on higher floors. So make sure you have adequate network coverage in the flat if you choose a higher floor.
Lower floors are generally cooler than top floors and require less energy – especially during summers when you must run AC units or coolers to keep your house cool. You need to keep the electricity costs in mind when choosing the floor, especially if your city experiences long and harsh summers.
The most obvious advantage of top floors is the vantage point and views you can experience from your windows or balconies. So if the high-rise is near a scenic place and you want to enjoy the view, go for the top floors.
Apart from the view, higher floors also have better natural light and ventilation, making your home feel light and airy. You will also be away from street-level disturbances if you opt for top floors rather than ground or lower floors.
If you are buying a flat as an investment, lower floors may fetch better rental returns. But make sure to understand how the climate affects renters’ choices. For example, renters in Mumbai or Bangalore prefer upper floors – away from the noises of the street, whereas renters in Delhi – NCR and Chennai prefer lower floors.
Still confused about what floor to choose? Squarea expert team can help you find the right luxury home for you. Get in touch with us today to find the home that fits your lifestyle.
For more details on this subject, please email hello@squarea.io
India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNIs) are refining their investment approach toward commercial real estate (CRE). The reassessment currently underway is a strategic recalibration of how capital is deployed, into what it is deployed, and the role commercial real estate plays in a future-proofed portfolio.
Several macro and structural trends are fuelling this shift:
Together, these forces represent a fundamental repositioning. CRE is no longer viewed in isolation as a high-yielding asset. It is now being evaluated as a strategic wealth tool, one that must perform across cycles, align with ESG norms, and support liquidity and succession planning. The reassessment is not about exiting the market, it is about upgrading the playbook. Let’s delve into each aspect shaping this transition.
The first visible shift is a clear move from aggressive expansion to strategic consolidation. Earlier, UHNIs were key participants in land aggregation and greenfield office investments. Today, they are narrowing their focus to high-performing, fully built, income-yielding Grade A assets.
This reflects not just a change in risk appetite, but in investment philosophy. Asset quality, tenant profile, and compliance readiness have taken precedence over speculative upside.
This recalibration is supported by market data. Capital deployment into Indian real estate reached USD 11.4 billion in 2024, a 54% year-on-year growth, largely driven by completed assets and well-located land acquisitions (CBRE).
The new mandate is clear: fewer assets, stronger fundamentals, and consistent rental performance. The next layer of this shift involves how UHNIs prefer to own these assets.
Alongside asset preference, the structure of ownership itself is transforming. UHNIs are moving away from direct, individually held assets or co-invested fragments in family partnerships. Instead, they are leaning into institutional models like REITs, Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), and managed discretionary platforms.
These structures offer several advantages:
A prime example of this evolution is the scale at which REITs are being capitalised. Embassy Office Parks REIT, India’s largest, has announced plans to raise USD 400 million to meet growing demand for institutional-grade office assets (Reuters).
For UHNIs, these platforms deliver transparency, reduced administrative burden, and exposure to well-performing assets without operational complexity. But ownership models are only one part of the equation, asset performance is increasingly being driven by sustainability metrics.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors have moved from being soft preferences to hard investment filters. Whether driven by SEBI’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) norms or global LP mandates, ESG now shapes portfolio construction.
As of end-2024, 66% of Grade A office stock across India’s top six cities was green-certified, amounting to 503 million sq ft. More notably, over 75% of all leasing in 2024 took place in green-certified buildings, underscoring a structural market shift, not a passing trend (Colliers).
This growing preference for sustainable assets is not confined to new supply. Developers are actively retrofitting older buildings to improve ESG scores, unlocking a market opportunity worth over INR 425 billion (Colliers). This ESG integration is not only about compliance. It is now a strategic lever for:
Air quality monitoring, energy efficiency systems, waste reduction, and wellness infrastructure are now prerequisites for future-ready CRE portfolios. This reorientation towards quality and compliance also aligns with a deeper concern: preparing assets for smooth intergenerational transfer.
A critical driver behind the reassessment is the growing need for estate readiness and wealth continuity. UHNIs are increasingly viewing CRE through the lens of transferability, ease of governance, and long-term asset hygiene.
Family offices are prioritising:
This is particularly relevant as the first generation of Indian wealth transitions to the next. Structures that offer transparency, liquidity, and minimal transfer friction are being favoured over legacy holdings that are operationally burdensome or non-compliant. CRE is no longer just a source of income, it is now also a critical estate planning tool.
As India's commercial real estate evolves, UHNIs are sharpening their lens, filtering for transparency, yield resilience, and ESG alignment. The shift is not about cutting exposure, but about elevating the quality of exposure.
At SQUAREA, we specialise in helping investors navigate this next cycle. From REIT entry strategies to pre-leased Grade A assets and co-investment platforms, our advisory ensures alignment with your long-term capital goals and risk appetite.
To learn more or build your next strategic CRE allocation, connect with us at hello@squarea.io or call +91 90 9641 9641.
Dubai is no longer just a regional powerhouse. It has become a magnet for global wealth migration. With over 7,200 millionaires relocating to the UAE in 2024 alone (Henley & Partners), the city continues to attract global citizens seeking more than just a residence. They are drawn by the promise of long-term value, enhanced security, and greater global mobility.
This movement is mirrored in Dubai’s real estate performance, particularly in the ultra-luxury space. From waterfront addresses like Palm Jumeirah to the estates of Emirates Hills, Dubai has emerged as one of the world’s most desirable second-home markets.
The continued inflow of global wealth is directly influencing Dubai’s prime real estate transactions. These are not short-term purchases, they are strategic moves by UHNWIs securing global bases for family and capital. Supporting this trend are record-setting figures:
These exceptional figures reflect not just transactional momentum but the deeper structural advantages that continue to position Dubai as the preferred second-home destination for global investors.
What makes Dubai stand out among other international hubs like London, Singapore, or New York? The answer lies in a combination of access, security, tax neutrality, and lifestyle quality, each carefully embedded into the city’s long-term master plan.
These frameworks offer the predictability, control, and legal clarity that high-net-worth individuals expect when allocating capital across borders.
This commitment to quality of life ensures Dubai meets the expectations of discerning residents seeking security, comfort, and day-to-day efficiency.
This strategic geographic positioning reinforces Dubai’s appeal as a seamlessly connected global hub, an essential factor for mobile, asset-diverse investors.
This foundation of monetary and legal stability makes Dubai a credible, future-ready base for strategic asset holding.
These elements make Dubai more than just a part-time residence. It becomes a second base for entertaining, living, and integrating family, leisure, and business with ease.
Dubai’s rise as a preferred second-home destination is no coincidence, it is the result of deliberate, long-term planning around ownership freedom, tax neutrality, and global connectivity. As millionaire migration and wealth redistribution accelerate globally, Dubai is setting a new benchmark for what a second home can represent.
At SQUAREA, we offer discerning investors access to Dubai’s most coveted residential assets, from waterfront villas to branded residences, curated to align with both lifestyle aspirations and capital strategy.
For bespoke opportunities, contact us at hello@squarea.io or call +91 90 9641 9641.
Is it possible to co-own a ₹10 crore vacation home in Goa with just ₹50 lakh, and still enjoy capital appreciation and rental returns? For a growing number of HNIs, the answer is yes. The model making this possible is fractional ownership, an investment framework that offers access to premium real estate without full asset commitment.
Once viewed with caution, this structure is now entering the mainstream. Backed by regulatory traction, it is rapidly gaining credibility, especially among high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) and global investors seeking access to marquee residential and commercial assets without committing disproportionate capital.
But as traction grows, the question remains: Is this evolution sustainable or simply a trend riding on short-term enthusiasm?
Fractional ownership allows multiple investors to co-own a high-value property by purchasing equity shares, either through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) or other legally compliant structures. This model enables access to trophy homes, luxury villas, vacation properties or Grade-A offices at a fraction of the cost while offering proportional returns on rental income, capital appreciation.
In residential formats, the model also allows for personal usage rights, typically scheduled in rotation or limited to specific days in a year. In commercial real estate, investors receive passive income in the form of lease rentals, while also benefiting from asset appreciation.
Unlike traditional timeshares, fractional ownership offers true equity ownership with defined rights, responsibilities, and resale potential. Most regulated platforms now offer:
As real estate strategies evolve, HNIs are gravitating toward asset models that offer both lifestyle alignment and capital preservation, a blend that fractional ownership is uniquely positioned to deliver.
The attraction goes beyond mere financial logic. For luxury property investors, fractional ownership presents a unique intersection of aspiration, access, and efficiency.
This format especially resonates with NRIs, CXOs, and HNIs who are seeking secondary homes for limited use, but still expect consistent value appreciation and operational ease. (Rustomjee).
With credibility building across investor categories, it becomes critical to assess how adoption patterns and regulatory evolution are shaping this emerging investment format.
Investor sentiment around fractional ownership is shifting from curiosity to confidence, backed by both market trends and regulatory tailwinds.
A 2024 survey by WiseX revealed that 64% of HNIs prefer the fractional ownership model for commercial real estate (CRE), and 60% of general investors echoed similar preferences (Financial Express). This trend is being reinforced by regulatory movement. SEBI is in the process of formalising norms for Fractional Ownership Platforms (FOPs), expected to significantly enhance transparency, compliance, and investor protection (Hindustan Times).
Equally important, market forecasts are turning bullish. The fractional ownership market in India is projected to grow over 10x to surpass USD 5 billion by 2030, according to a JLL-PropShare analysis (Hindustan Times).
As structures become standardised and disclosures more robust, fractional ownership is moving from an alternative concept to a credible asset allocation tool, especially for second homes in high-demand leisure destinations. However, with growing traction comes the need for a sharper focus on associated risks and governance discipline.
Despite its growing credibility, fractional ownership requires caution. The risks, if overlooked, can affect both yield and investor confidence.
These considerations underscore the need to work with established advisory partners, ensure rigorous legal diligence, and choose only those platforms with transparent processes and institutional-grade asset curation.
The future of fractional ownership, particularly in the luxury residential segment, depends on three key factors:
Given the market forecast to surpass USD 5 billion by 2030, this is no longer a passing trend but a fast-evolving asset class with increasing institutional interest. And at SQUAREA, we work closely with institutional platforms, legal experts, and asset managers to help you assess, vet, and execute luxury fractional ownership opportunities with precision and confidence.
To explore curated access to luxury homes and high-yield commercial properties, connect with us at hello@squarea.io or call +91 90 9641 9641.