Maintaining a home is a daily job that befalls everyone, however, common house maintenance is not just limited to vacuuming and mopping. There are several minor cleaning tasks that we may forget and major home maintenance duties that we may ignore due to lack of time. 

The main pitfall would be not having a maintenance checklist of repair and replacement tasks so it’s always advisable to not make mental notes but have a proper list of items to check, inspect and replace.

Let’s take a look at house maintenance pitfalls:

Not having a toolkit

It’s only natural you’ll need to repair and restore little things here and there. You must have a basic toolbox which should include different sized hammers, nails, screwdrivers (Phillips, spotted, square drive assortments) drill (for bigger DIY projects), tape measure, scissors, power glue, utility knife, woodworking tools like saws, adjustable squares, clamps, etc. for advanced users. You can assemble it on your own or simply order a kit online.

Not checking infrequently used faucets for leaks

Sometimes we overlook this seemingly minor detail but leaky faucets cause wastage of water and can leave marks on the tiles which lead to more expenses in repairs. Other plumbing defects include slow drain flow over time, faulty water heaters due to operating roughly, rattling pipes due to imbalanced water pressure. 

Avoiding clogged gutters

If you don’t clear out the regular and storm drain pipes, overflowing water/filthy mulch could lead to erosion of the foundation, and waterlogging could lead to flooding in basements, parking lots, and society pathways. You can hire professional services for cleaning the gutters twice a year at least.

Appliance maintenance not done

Refrigerators, ACs, fans, air filters, and other appliances in your kitchen and home should be serviced regularly including the refrigerator coils and exhaust fans/chimneys, or else they will break down and lead to replacement expenses.

Leaky roofs and ill-maintained overhead tanks

Old pipes, water damage to the foundation of the roof, damaged shingles, and incorrect flashing can cause the roof to leak in different places. Faulty roofing material or storm, wind damage can also cause leaky roofs. These should be examined especially before monsoons. Overhead tanks should be cleaned regularly so that they don’t collect rust, dead bugs, dirt, and algae. Make sure there are no broken tiles or snags in the drain pipes. 

Faulty electrical wiring

Signs of broken wiring are too many extension cords, burning smell or blackouts. This could happen due to frayed wires, poor quality switches, or even dead bugs inside the switchboards. Examine circuit breakers, if rats have chewed off wires, and always buy a trusted brand of electrical wires and switches. 

Skipping exterior care of the property

The exterior conditions of the house can worsen rapidly than the interiors due to weather conditions and lack of weatherproof paint, and poor caulking. If you fail to give a good inspection to drain pipes, siding mildewing/weather damage, can lead to rot and pests. Another thing to check is the exterior of the air-conditioning system installed outside to see if it holds strongly and get it bolstered before monsoons or storm predictions. Inspect the exterior walls for chipping or cracks and seal them and touch them up with rainproof paint or else water may seep in through the walls. 

Neglecting windows and doors

Creaky, loose windows and doors are often ignored as they don’t pose an immediate threat, yet you must tighten up the hinges, oil them to prevent termite damage at the very first instance of creaking, or if you notice termite dust on the floor. Exterior shutters and mesh installed in balconies should be cleaned and inspected as well or else rodents and birds may fly in.

Maintaining lofts, attics, and basements

Clean out the debris from different unattended parts of the home since the dirt (or mold) accumulated in the corners, crevices, and walls can pile up and breed insects, reptiles, rodents. 

Seasonal maintenance

Other than daily cleaning, it’s imperative that you take preventive maintenance care before each season like spring cleaning, cleaning vents, servicing washing machines as per the manual, unclogging tiny drain outlets in the pantry, bathrooms, storage room, etc every month or two, check and clean the kitchen sink fixtures underneath for rust, dirt and debris. 

Not choosing the right cleaning agents

Soap and water alone won’t do.

You must keep in stock the right tools and supplies for daily or monthly maintenance, such as rubber gloves, squeegees for countertops, microfiber cloth for glass surfaces, along with the right mix of acids (to remove hard water deposits and rust), soft and hard fabric detergents, abrasives for excessive debris, sanitizers, and mild alkalies like baking soda for oil and other sticky residues. 

If any of the above are ignored, it defeats the entire purpose of comprehensive home maintenance. 

As society approaches an age of progressive thinking with increased emphasis on individual freedom, more single parents are considering being homeowners and fortunately enough, it’s become easier than before for working parents to buy a property whether they’re a single mother or a father. According to a report by the UN, roughly “4.5% of all Indian households are run by single mothers.” A single parent buying a house has to be extra cautious as the entire responsibility of the home buying process (no matter with help from family and friends), is still befalling a lone pair of shoulders. 

Let’s explore some critical perspectives. 

Get your finances in order

If you have the following, you can be an eligible single parent candidate for a home loan: 

• A regular source of income upon which a loan can be granted along with good credit ratings.
• (Or a stable business/self-employment).
• Single mothers qualify if their age at the time of sanction is between 18-70. 
• Possess the required documents such as –
  • PAN CARD, AADHAR Card, completed loan application
  • Govt issued ID proofs such as driver’s license, voter ID, passport
  • Residential proof like electricity and utilities bills, bank account statements, other relevant documents like birth certificates, etc.
  • Declaration and proof of personal assets, collateral 

However, you’d have to create savings to make the down payment. 

Financial tips for single parents before buying a home

Invest in a child education plan (with professional consulting) so that the child’s educational benefits are guaranteed even during potential unstable financial conditions. Make sure the insurance cover increases over years based on the number of children you have. 

Consider investing in security and wealth baskets monitored by professionals and choosing to spread your investments in different SIPs/equity funds. If your savings are limited, you can try different low-yield insurance policies as well. 

Figuring out the priorities of what you need from the property

As a parent, you’d need to live where your child has access to good schools, public transport, cultural spots, and other factors according to your lifestyle. You’d also need to consider the apartment’s location (which floor, how many bedrooms, bathrooms, and other amenities that you might expect in the housing societies like a nursery, gym, swimming pool, tennis courtyard, and others). 

Other points to consider are the distance from home to school, especially when residing in urban cities where the commute is a factor and the availability of immediate medical care/clinics around the house. 

If you’re taking a home loan, it’s wise to keep the installment at around 30% of your total salary so that you can live comfortably with the remaining amount and be able to save. 

Learn – How Home loans help you save on income tax

Look for a stable and welcoming community

Whether you’re widowed, divorced, or separated, you’d need to surround yourself with a support system that not just includes family and friends, but also neighbors and community. As the adage goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. The housing community where you decide to live should have supportive and understanding neighbors. If a society has an end to end security and society management app like MyGate, it’s great news for single parents as it works on a passcode verification system of gatekeeping so that the premises are completely safe and child safety protocol, where a child is not allowed to leave the premises unaccompanied without prior permission from the parent. 

Does the house have a good resale value?

As a single parent, do not be pressured to buy a property without a future potential even though it may come cheap. You need to factor in the market value of the property, its location, its size, proximity to public utilities, shopping malls, etc, and get a professional appraisal done in case you’re not buying a brand new home.

Look for grants and aids

As a single mother, you can avail the benefits of low-interest rates on home loans from nationalised banks like SBI and others. Some states may even provide exemption on stamp duty and registration charges, sale deeds, conveyance deeds if the buyer is a woman. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, if you’re a (single parent included) household with an annual income between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 12 lakh fall under MIG (middle income groups) I while households with an annual income between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 18 lakh fall under MIG II category hence you’re eligible for interest subsidies of 4% and 3% on loan amount up to Rs 9 lakh and Rs 12 lakh (MIG I and MIG II categories only). More details.

It is recommended that as a single parent without prior experience in property purchase, you should hire a reliable estate agent who can help you navigate through the entire proceedings with expert guidance. 

India’s elderly citizen population is growing at 3% annually and is estimated to reach around 319 million in 2050. With a shift towards nuclear family and dismantling of the traditional joint family system, more senior citizens are considering living independently post-retirement. Age is not a factor when it comes to buying property even nearing retirement, however, it’s always wise to know the implications and technicalities of property purchase in any case so that you’re aware of what applies to senior citizens specifically. 

What are the features of senior citizen /retirement community living?

• The concept has now taken off in India as we see many retirement community homes being launched by a handful of builders who are the first movers. 
• Senior living means living in a community of residents above the age of 55 who may or may not be still actively working. 
• The establishment has senior-citizen-friendly features like safe premises, housekeeping services, emergency health care services, and medical assistance. 
• The design features that make living easier also include wide hallways with flat passageways to accommodate wheelchair access, skid-free floors, continuous grab rails, etc.
• There are amenities and facilities for recreational and group activities, along with concierge services that assist with paperwork, bill payments, hiring on-demand services, lounges, clubhouse, laundry, and cafe services.

What is the price range? 

Usually, retirement homes are available in low income (Rs 10-20 lakh), middle-income range (Rs 25-50 lakh), and above. The top cities to look for a retirement home are Lavasa near Pune, Bhiwandi on NH8 in Rajasthan, Jaipur, Chennai, Delhi/NCR, Goa, Puducherry, and Coimbatore. 

Factors to consider before buying property as a senior citizen

1. How old is the buyer?

If you already post 70 years of age or younger but are not in the prime of your health, you might want to choose a retirement home that can take care of you 24/7. However, if you are independent enough and can take care of your basic needs, you can own property in regular housing societies as well. Senior citizens are usually well taken care of by friendly neighbors and good samaritans if you scout the community beforehand to make sure that the neighbours are congenial. 

2. Availability of healthcare & infrastructure

It’s the age of telemedicine consultation and on-demand medical services (like blood test, thyroid test) delivery reports which can be received at home. It’s also preferable to look for property that is located close to clinics and hospitals in case of emergency health services. There should be access to roads and cabs. 

3. Peaceful surroundings

Elderly citizens like to enjoy their peace and quiet and may not enjoy living in a community with hyperactive kids and loud get-togethers occurring frequently. In such cases, you can opt for a property situated on the outskirts of the city or an apartment location that can provide heightened privacy. 

4. Complex amenities

It’s always a preferred option for senior citizens to occupy a home on the lower floors, or else the apartment complex should have elevators, along with CCTV surveillance with security guards trained in fire safety and first aid. Another feature to seek is safety handlebars installed in bathrooms, balconies and no unnecessary complicated furniture/application customisation inside the apartment should be allowed. Many retirement communities have tie-ups with nearby health facilities, ambulances for cashless treatments. 

5. Financial planning

It’s commonly known that senior citizens above 50 may not get a housing loan from a lending bank as easily as a working professional, however, with proper financial planning, owning a property in your golden years is achievable.

If you’re receiving a regular pension, getting a home loan is easier. In most cases, banks offer home loans to senior citizens for maximum repayment duration of 15-20 years or up until they turn 70-75 years of age, whichever comes first and the EMI is set accordingly. Banks like SBI, PNB, LIC (and other leading national banks) offer home loans to senior citizens starting from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh (others can go even higher). 

Senior citizens can even choose to invest in a property and rent it out to earn 5-10% of the total price. 

An important factor to consider is Loan To Value Ratio. For instance, if the total price of the house is Rs 10 lakh and you’re making a down payment of Rs 1 lakh, you’re actually borrowing Rs 9 lakh, so the LTV is 90%. Choose a loan with a low LTV ratio so that the EMI is not too high every month. 

6. Cultural phenomenon

Retirement Community Living is a growing trend among city dwellers and it reduces the impact of loneliness among elderly residents as they are well occupied throughout the day. Premium retirement homes in urban areas provide acres of land for leisurely lifestyle and pursuit of hobbies among various high-end amenities like mini-golf courses and outpatient clinics. 

All in all, investing in a property in your elder years is a step in the right direction if planned correctly in advance with the help of family, friends, or even professional realtors. 

Disclaimer: Thank you for visiting our site. The information provided by MyGate (“we,” “us” or “our”) on https://www.mygates.techletsolutions.com (the “Site”) is for general informational purposes only. We strive to provide our readers with accurate information that helps them learn more about the topics. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. We do not accept responsibility for the accuracy of information sourced from an external entity or take personal/ legal responsibility for your use of this information.

Paying your society charges, and keeping track of past payments, can be a hassle. MyGate puts an end to these problems by offering a quick and easy way to pay and manage your charges via the app. Also, stand a chance to win amazing cashback and boost your household savings every month.

Pay Now

Benefits of paying on MyGate

• Home savings with exciting monthly cashback and bank offers
• Contactless one-click digital society charges payment 
• View charges by date, month, and year on the dashboard 
• Download receipts of paid chargess and other society bills 
• Pay via credit cards, debit cards, UPI, or e-wallet options 
• Payments will be acknowledged via SMS/Email 
• Access entire transaction history in a single place
• Get updates on the current status of your payment
• Connect with MyGate support for payment related queries
• NRI Customers can transfer funds at the domestic rate for Credit Cards

Here’s how you can pay…

1. Tap on the ‘Community’ tab
2. Click on the ‘Society Charges’ card
3. Click on ‘Pay Now’ on the invoice raised
4. Select the mode of transaction – UPI, Debit/Credit Card, Net Banking, Wallet and click on ‘Checkout’
5. Enter the details and click on ‘Pay’ STEP-5
– For UPI, enter the UPI ID For Debit/Credit Card, enter the card details
– For Net Banking, select the bank and login
– For wallet, select the wallet and login
6. The convenience charges are displayed on the screen. Click on ‘Continue’ to make the payment

You can now avail of cashback benefits even if your society is not using MyGate ERP package. Learn more.

Benefits for the Management Committee:

• Avoid manual receipt entry for payment collection
• Ensure zero physical interaction between residents & society office
• Avoid the hurdle of cheque deposit & clearance, save time and effort
• Effectively manage collection from residents
• Save bank interest while dealing with cash & cheque
• Flat numbers in the society bank statements simplify the reconciliation process and save time during auditing.
• Helps aggregate category-based payments to selected bank accounts
• Avoid confusion & complications around collection date & late fee
• Reduces the dependency with accountants, which saves cost & ensures transparency
• Saves cost during yearly auditing

What’s new on MyGate

Your house rent is probably one of the biggest spends you make in a month. You may not have the liberty to skip paying the amount since it’s essential to make timely rent payments. This is why Mygate has introduced RentPay on the app. You can now pay your house rent via Credit Cards and get exciting monthly Credit Card rewards and 0% fee via UPI & Rupay Debit cards.

Pay Now

Why pay your rent using Mygate?

• Home savings with exciting monthly cashback and bank offers
• Free up cash and get a 45 to 60-day interest-free credit period
• Enjoy the lowest transaction charges on payments via credit cards
• Make UPI payments at zero transaction cost
• Set reminders so you never miss a due date
• Manage all your household payments in one place
• Download rent receipts to claim maximum HRA tax benefits

Here’s how you can get started….

1. Click on the Rent Payment widget on the app
2. Click on ‘Pay Rent’
3. Add the Landlord’s name, the property address, the Landlord’s Bank account details and click on ‘Next’

4. Add a note, enter the amount that has to be paid. You can check ‘Payment reminder’ and edit the date. Click on ‘Proceed to Payment’

5. Select the payment mode and click on ‘Pay now’
– For UPI, enter the UPI ID 
– For Debit/Credit Card, enter the card details

6. View the payment status and download the receipt

For more details please contact your management committee. 

Terms and conditions

It’s the start of the month, there are a lot of bills to settle, and domestic staff salaries to pay. The process is equally scattered across cash, cards, notes, and reminders as much as it is scattered in your head. But not anymore, thanks to MyGate Payments – a quick and easy way to pay and manage your home and community bills via a single app, with INR 4 charges for payments via UPI, and to also enjoy cashback and Credit Card offers every month.

Why MyGate Payments?

• Exciting cashback, rewards, and bank offers every month
• Pay and manage home & community bills in a single place
• Pay rent using a credit card & get an interest-free credit period*
• Options to pay securely via credit cards, debit cards, UPI, or e-wallets
• Transaction history of all your utility payments
• Download receipts of paid charges and society bills
• Payments acknowledged via SMS/Email
• Updates on the current status of your payment
• MyGate support for payment related queries

Let’s get started…

A. How to pay for your house rent

1. Click on the Rent Payment widget on the app
2. Click on ‘Pay Rent’
3. Add the Landlord’s name, the property address, the Landlord’s Bank account details and click on ‘Next’
4. Add a note, enter the amount that has to be paid. You can check ‘Payment reminder’ and edit the date. Click on ‘Proceed to Payment’
5. Select the payment mode and click on ‘Pay now’
– For UPI, select the preferred UPI app 
– For Credit Card, enter the card details
6. View the payment status and download the receipt

Enjoy 0% fee via UPI on your house rent. Pay Now!

B. How to pay your society dues

1. Click on ‘Society Dues’ under the Community tab
2. Click on ‘Pay Now’ on the invoice raised
3. Select the mode of transaction – UPI, Debit/Credit Card, Net Banking, Wallet and click on ‘Checkout’
4. Enter the details and click on ‘Pay’ STEP-5
– For UPI, select the preferred UPI app
– For Net Banking, select the bank and login
– For wallet, select the wallet and login
5. The convenience charges are displayed on the screen. Click on ‘Continue’ to make the payment

Watch the video below for a complete walkthrough…

Enjoy SBI Credit Card & MobiKwik offer on your July society charges. Pay Now!

MyGate’s ERP Package is an end-to-end community management system that comes with a number of other useful features including quick access to essentials, healthcare at home, digital society updates, and emergency alerts in case of crisis. To enable it, contact your management committee or MyGate relationship manager.

C. How to pay for your utility bills

1. Click on the Utility widget on the app
2. Sign up and validate your mobile number
3. Select the payment you want to make – mobile, DTH, Electricity, Gas, or others – and proceed. You will remain signed in to the ‘Utility Payments’ section for 90 days.
4. Post 90 days, validate your mobile number again with OTP for security reasons
5. Transaction History for all the Utility Payments is available in the top right corner

Open the app link to pay your bills today!

D. How to pay your domestic help salaries

1. Select the ‘Household’ tab on the app home screen
2. Got to your domestic help’s profile and hit the ‘RECORD PAYMENT’ button
3. Enter the amount to be paid and the transaction description
4. Choose payment mode as UPI
5. Click on ‘Proceed to Payment’

Get started with MyGate today and unlock the convenience of one-click payments! Get in touch with your society admin for details.

*Interest-free credit period is different for all banks.

What’s new on MyGate