[rohan_iitr]

Hi Friends,

I have moved into my new apartment a few months back and I am facing this dilemma of buying an additional car parking slot.

I have been allotted a covered car parking in the basement (-1 level). The apartment has 2 basements (-1 and -2).

My existing car is about to be 15 years, hence the itch to upgrade. Also, my wife has shown interest in learning to drive, hence I want to buy an automatic/automated car now.

The problem is that my existing car, even though 15 years old, is in excellent condition and I don't want to let go of it for a meagre sum. Hence the need for a second car parking slot.

When I checked with the builder for purchasing a second car parking slot, he mentioned that he doesn't have an independent parking slot available. But he can sell me a double car parking slot and I would have to surrender my existing parking slot.

The double car parking slot is not parallel, but sequential. Meaning - the cars would be parked one behind the other. To remove the inner car, one must first remove the outer car.

The price quoted for such a parking slot is around 3L+taxes. (Builder will sell me this parking slot legally with registration) This is over and above the price which I have already paid for my existing parking slot.

Please help me with my dilemma:
1. Is it practical to have a sequential car parking in an apartment ? (I will be using one car to go to the office - 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. So the other slot would generally be easily accessible for my wife.)
2. Is the price of the double car parking slot justified ? (This is a good locality, at walking distance from IT park. Builder is quite reputed.)
3. Am I being a fool in trying to hold on to a 15 year old car ? Does it make more sense to just buy one bigger and better car ?
4. My current usage doesn't really call for having 2 cars. My office is only 3 kms from my apartment and my wife doesn't really need a car for herself. (But I want her to learn driving and be independent)
5. The apartment association has started a drive against residents who are parking their second car in the visitor parking slots. Such cars are being locked and fined.

Most people buy a Royal Enfield in their mid-life crisis. I am trying a buy an additional car parking.

Rohan

[Vid6639]

I have the same parking setup in my apartment. 2 cars back to back.

I have had no issues.

I keep the daily errands car in front and less used one at the back. HArdly takes 3-4 mins to swap the cars around.

I have 4 parking slots in 2+2 format. Sometimes I end up taking the car I didn't plan if in a tearing rush but usually not an issue.

You can comfortably go for it.

[androdev]

Absolutely go for it. Even if you don’t ever plan to keep a second car. If you ever find yourself renting or selling the apartment, 2nd car park will help immensely. Price also seems reasonable. To be honest, most apartment owners consider it very lucky to get an extra parking slot - the demand far exceeds supply in most cases

[Malyaj]

If funds is not an issue, think of it as an addition to your apartment's value. It won't be a waste for sure. From what I can understand, parking lots are exhausted in your complex, so you may never get an additional one, unless someone agrees to rent out their lot to you. This will deter you from buying an additional vehicle and make you and your wife dependent on each other. For peace of mind, go for it. Handle the occasional annoyance when it comes to it. Plenty of people living in independent houses have to deal with it.

[narayans80]

If there are 2 drivers, it is easy. Problem is if one driver has to do the exercise. This is nearly day-day affair at my parents' place, which has been a passage parking for decades.

If the price is paid is one-time, it seems ok. As long as you use the slot. You won't feel the pinch of paying.

Buying a second car or buying a larger car are entirely different use cases. You need more real estate for a growing family, get a bigger car. You need simultaneous car usage on a daily basis, get a second car.

From what you describe, you don't need a second car. If you foresee the same in the near future. Just don't go for a second slot. Buying and maintaining a second car is an overhead when you have very less usage for the first.

The problem with buying a slot and not using, is someone will end up abusing the slot because its not in regular use.

[montsa007]

If you can afford it, consider buying it. Sooner or later you may end up buying a second car looking around for parking spots or parking at odd places.

Just ensure the parking spot doesn't get flooded during monsoon season (Since you haven't mentioned if the sequential parking is at -1 or -2 level & your location is mentioned as Bangalore, which I've seen is a sibling to Mumbai rains)

Also a few queries & suggestions,

1. Is the sequential parking walled? (Closed like a garage, or just lines drawn on the ground to mark the spots being sold?)
2. If possible, please post a picture of the sequential parking, surrounding so as to give a better input
3. An old gentlemen in my society had written on his agreement with the builder stating "I can park a 4 wheeler, 2 wheeler, or both in my parking & society cannot supersede this agreement" (He does park his 2 wheeler in the covered car parking slot during monsoon, management does make a fuss but he has himself covered with the agreement, do consider incorporating something like that if possible, in legal wordings ofcourse)

Also agree to the point made by @Androdev on selling/renting part, it can fetch some premium.

[Rajeevraj]

Few comments based on my experience.

• 2 slots are always better than one. Even if you never have 2 cars. Will be useful at some point. Even something like friends/relatives visiting/staying over. Visitors parking in most complexes are never sufficient for the demand. Always better to buy it at the initial stages.
  
• The pricing is what you can expect, so no concerns there.
  
• I personally don't like this one behind the other parking due to the hassles involved. My complex had plenty of slots, so I was able to buy 2 independent ones. Recently a friend in the apartment was in the same situation. Builder wanted him to give up one slot and take the sequential double parking. Only difference was that he was willing to give a 2nd independent one at a higher price. I recommended going for that even if it cost a premium and that is what he did. Gives you the flexibility to rent it out which you cannot do with a sequential parking
  

Suggest to push the builder once more. I am sure he will have slots but maybe trying to push the sequential one as they are the hardest to sell while getting an independent slot in return. He will sell that at a premium.

If there is no choice, Make sure you can park 2 full sized cars one behind the other without any issues and there is no size compromise. Also check the practicality of the space when compared to your current one.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

... Also check the practicality of the space when compared to your current one.

A most critical point

Even if the slot dimensions can hold two full-sized cars, manueverability in & out of the slots often becomes a limiting factor.

One should be able to park, exit or swap the cars around without blocking passageways and needing to do car-gymnastics beyond a reasonable time/effort limit.

Two independent (even if not adjacent) slots are worth it, even at a premium. It pays for itself in convenience, long-term.

[rohan_iitr]

Thanks for all the wonderful responses. I knew I could count on team-bhp to convince myself to buy a double parking slot.

I will try to answer all the queries.

1. I have been pestering the builder for an independent parking slot since the last 3-4 months. I also walked around the entire parking area to check the availability of parking slots. I think he is not fooling me, there really is a scarcity of extra parking slots. He gave me 2 options for sequential double parking slots. The other one is a bit cramped.

2. The double parking slot is also in the basement -1 level, which is the reason I am considering it. There is a basement -2 level also, which will get flooded first.

3. The parking spaces for all residents are located in the basements. There are no walls in the parking slots. It is similar to parking space in malls. The parking slots (empty spaces between the pillars) are marked with yellow lines and the flat number to which the parking slot is allocated is mentioned on the pillar. The builder also provides a parking slot allocation letter which clearly mentions the parking slot allocated to the resident.

4. All open parking slots (dozens of them) around the periphery of the apartment complex are designated as visitor parking slots.

5. The parking slots are reasonably sized (2.5x5 metres each). Each slot can easily accommodate an Innova size vehicle.

6. Since the parking slots are sequential in nature, I would not be able to rent out the second slot even if I am not using it. But the very purpose of buying a double slot is that I intend to have 2 cars.

7. I have checked the practicality of the proposed double parking slot. The accessibility is actually better compared to my existing parking slot.

8. I do understand that maintaining 2 cars does not make any sense financially. I will try to balance the financial burden by having one new car and another old/used car in my garage.

[ReventonLover]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Hi Friends,

The price quoted for such a parking slot is around 3L+taxes. (Builder will sell me this parking slot legally with registration) This is over and above the price which I have already paid for my existing parking slot.

Rohan

If I may ask, what did you pay for the current parking slot?

Not to sound like a drab guy, but 3L seems expensive over and above the currently paid one. Try to negotiate it down a notch (unless it's one of those swanky building where it's the brand and not the space). And make a choice for the second parking lot if and only if you are 100% sure about buying a second vehicle and not a replacement of the current one. In all fairness, I tend to err on the side of caution, hence the deterring voice.

Our family purchased an apartment in 2021 and we paid 1L for it. It seemed expensive to me at that time as well. Plus, this is something which won't have a relatively standard square footage based on the city or locality.

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by ReventonLover

If I may ask, what did you pay for the current parking slot?

Not to sound like a drab guy, but 3L seems expensive over and above the currently paid one. Try to negotiate it down a notch (unless it's one of those swanky building where it's the brand and not the space). And make a choice for the second parking lot if and only if you are 100% sure about buying a second vehicle and not a replacement of the current one. In all fairness, I tend to err on the side of caution, hence the deterring voice.

Our family purchased an apartment in 2021 and we paid 1L for it. It seemed expensive to me at that time as well. Plus, this is something which won't have a relatively standard square footage based on the city or locality.

Thanks for your point of view, I really appreciate it.

If I remember correctly, I also paid around 1L for the included car parking. But there is a catch - the first car parking is a necessity, whereas the second/double car parking is a luxury in a tier 1 city and a tier 1 developer.

To give you an idea, a 3BHK apartment (ready to occupy) in my society is going upwards or 1Cr. Compared to this, 3L for the additional car parking seems like a fair price.

I will try to negotiate, but I don't think I my position is very strong. The builder is cash rich and doesn't mind loosing a customer. But I don't want to let go of this once in a lifetime chance, considering that there is a supply-demand gap.

[speed79]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

If I remember correctly, I also paid around 1L for the included car parking. But there is a catch - the first car parking is a necessity, whereas the second/double car parking is a luxury in a tier 1 city and a tier 1 developer.

3L for additional car park seems reasonable. I do remember a single car parking available for 2.5L way back in 2010/2011 in Brigade Metropolis. Other builders too were providing car park for 2L+. I had bought additional parking (my adjacent plot) just to park Tata Safari which I wanted to buy which would not fit parking space in my house, and it costed me a little more than current cost of the 3BHK apartment in your society. So go for it. 3L is quite reasonable for second car park.

Regarding sequential parking, it is little bit of a hassle, but it is always better that you have option of having 2 cars parked. My Hexa (office ride) and Punch (wife's car) are parked side-by-side in shade, and the beater car Vista is parked behind them. I need to take Vista out to take out or park either of the cars. But your case seems easier if your office ride would be parked for easy take-out.

[DCEite]

Have you considering renting a car parking slot ? Generally, individual owners do let out their vacant parking slots (typically, senior citizens living alone or locked house). Charges vary according to society, but is generally between 1500 INR to 3500 INR per month.

Advantage of renting the car parking is that you'll get independent car parking slots. And if at all in future the need for second car ceases, you have the option to discontinue the second car park.

And believe me, back to back car parking or extra car parking does not increase valuation of your apartment unless you find a specific buyer who is keen for double parking (its not always the case).

[Bhargav7]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

When I checked with the builder for purchasing a second car parking slot, he mentioned that he doesn't have an independent parking slot available. But he can sell me a double car parking slot and I would have to surrender my existing parking slot.
.
.
.
The price quoted for such a parking slot is around 3L+taxes. (Builder will sell me this parking slot legally with registration) This is over and above the price which I have already paid for my existing parking slot.

If I understood correctly, you are being charged 3L + taxes to swap for a bigger parking space. I would probably pay something extra and retain the existing slot as well, provided such an option exists.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Please help me with my dilemma:

I was in similar dilemma few years back and finally went ahead and purchased the back to back (this builder used to call as Linked) parking.

A background on the decision, I have an Alto (regular office drive vehicle) & and XUV ( Only for outstation drives and some rare weekend in the city drives). At that time, Alto was near to 9 years old second hand vehicle and XUV was 3 year old vehicle.

1. Is it practical to have a sequential car parking in an apartment ? (I will be using one car to go to the office - 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. So the other slot would generally be easily accessible for my wife.)

Depends on your usage. There will be times when you will have to take vehicles our and park again. Example, you are on leave / returned early while your wife has to take her car out / returning late etc. It will be less of a hassle if you and wife are okay in using either of the cars.

2. Is the price of the double car parking slot justified ? (This is a good locality, at walking distance from IT park. Builder is quite reputed.)

That is always a matter of demand and supply, heck, if one was to ask if the residential prices in Bangalore was justified, I would say no. But its a different topic for discussion.

I paid similarly for a parking to Prestige constructions. So that may give you a ballpark figure.

3. Am I being a fool in trying to hold on to a 15 year old car ? Does it make more sense to just buy one bigger and better car ?

Unless you plan not to own a second car in future, it does not make sense in relating price of parking with age of car.

4. My current usage doesn't really call for having 2 cars. My office is only 3 kms from my apartment and my wife doesn't really need a car for herself. (But I want her to learn driving and be independent)

Related to point 3, again, if you don't want to have a second car, yes it makes sense.

5. The apartment association has started a drive against residents who are parking their second car in the visitor parking slots. Such cars are being locked and fined.

Kudos to your association. That's not an easy task.