My Journey Through Flat Hunting in Pune

Ah, flat hunting in Pune — an experience that can be as daunting as it is exciting. I recently had the pleasure (and pain) of going through this adventure myself, and I’ve come out on the other side with stories, tips to share.

Let me walk you through my experience. If you’re on the same boat (or rather, in the same auto-rickshaw navigating through traffic), I’m sure you’ll relate

The First Step: Fixing the Area You Want to Live In

If you’ve ever searched for a flat in Pune, you’ll know the city offers an overwhelming range of options. But here’s a pro tip: one of the first things you should do is fix the area you want to live in. Pune has many vibrant neighbourhoods, each with its own vibe. From the leafy lanes of Koregaon Park to the IT hub of Hinjewadi, and the quieter parts of Kothrud, each locality has its own personality.

But for me, right from the start, I was very clear — I wanted to live in Bavdhan. Why Bavdhan, you ask? It’s the perfect balance of city life and nature. Nestled near the hills, with easy access to both the Pune-Mumbai highway and the city, Bavdhan offers just the right mix of urban convenience and peaceful living. Plus, the area is growing fast, and I figured it would give me a home where I could escape the craziness of Pune traffic but still not feel too far from the action.

Having this area decided made things slightly easier — or so I thought. As it turns out, even when you’ve narrowed down the location, there’s still a rollercoaster of surprises waiting for you.

The Initial Excitement

It all started with high hopes, like it always does. "We’ll find a place quickly," I thought. "There are so many options in Bavdhan alone!" With a mix of online listings, broker contacts, and recommendations from friends, I felt pretty confident. After all, how hard could it be?

I had visions of finding the perfect flat within days, a place with a balcony overlooking lush green hills, and enough space to create my Pinterest-inspired living room. But as we started viewing houses, reality slowly began to set in.

The First Few House Visits

With Bavdhan locked in as our dream location, we were specifically looking for a 2BHK apartment in a gated society. Simple enough, right? Well, not quite. Our priorities were clear — we wanted a decent amount of space and, of course, a reasonable budget. But as we started visiting flats, things got a little more complicated.

House 1: A 2BHK with breathtaking views of the Bavdhan hills and two large balconies. I could already picture myself sipping chai during sunset. But then the light started flickering — ghost? No, just a bad lightbulb! The real issue? I didn’t get the feeling of “This is the one.” You get that, right? No matter how nice it looked, it didn’t feel like home.

House 2: A fully furnished flat — jackpot, right? Well, not quite. This place had all the furniture included, but let’s just say the furniture was, um, interesting. Picture velvet sofas in bright pink and a dining set that looked like it belonged in a 1970s horror film. And to make matters worse, it would have been even more expensive to remove the existing furniture and redo the interiors. I couldn’t get past the idea of those neon cushions staring at me. I still have nightmares about that couch.

House 3: This one was almost too perfect. It had everything — a spacious living room, dining space, modern amenities, and even a lovely society with a park. I was already imagining our new life there. There was just one tiny, insignificant detail: it was way over our budget. Like, "we-would-have-to-live-on-Maggi-for-the-next-two-years" over budget. We tried to convince ourselves that maybe we could make it work, but eventually had to admit defeat. As much as we loved the flat, we didn’t love it enough to give up eating out... forever.

Home is the starting place of love, hope, and dreams

The Broker

Speaking of brokers, they deserve their own special mention in the flat-hunting saga. Pune’s brokers have a unique way of making even the quirkiest flats sound like they’ve come straight out of a luxury real estate magazine.

I remember one broker proudly showing us a flat he described as "spacious." Turns out, "spacious" meant the living room was just big enough to fit a single couch, provided you didn’t also want a coffee table. Another one insisted that the small, dimly-lit kitchen was "modern." I’m still trying to figure out how the 1980s appliances counted as modern.

Brokers also have a knack for completely ignoring your budget. If I told them my budget was X, they would show me properties worth X + Y + Z, as if they were trying to convince me to rob a bank before signing the papers.

The Society Drama

Now, finding a flat is one thing. But finding a flat in a society that you can actually live in without feeling like you're in a reality show is a whole different ballgame. Pune’s societies can be, well, let’s say interesting.

In one society, I was greeted by an overly enthusiastic security guard who gave me a list of the do’s and don’ts before I even saw the flat. No loud music after 9 PM, no drying clothes on the balcony, no visitors past 10 PM. I wasn’t sure if I was renting an apartment or joining some kind of military regiment.

Another place seemed perfect, but the society had a reputation. Apparently, they had regular community meetings, and by regular, I mean twice a week. Also, if you didn’t attend, you’d be politely reminded — several times. I could already imagine the society aunties chasing me down the street asking why I skipped the "Monsoon Gardening" session.

How We Ended Up Right Next Door

After months of flat-hunting exhaustion, dealing with quirky brokers, and visiting what felt like half the flats in Pune, we were almost ready to give up. My partner and I had seen more houses than I thought possible, and Bavdhan, though still our dream location, was starting to test our patience. Just when we were on the verge of giving up on house hunting altogether, the broker casually mentioned something that made us stop in our tracks

He said, "You know, there’s a flat available right across the street from where you’re currently staying." Wait, what? After all the endless scrolling through listings, driving across town to see flats in person, and trying to negotiate, could it really be that the perfect home was right under our noses the whole time?

Turns out, it was. We decided to take a look, more out of curiosity than anything else. And to our surprise, it was the perfect flat. Spacious, well-lit, with a huge balcony that practically called out for lazy Sunday mornings with tea. And here's the best part: my long-held dream of having a walk-in closet was finally coming true! The bedroom had enough space for me to set up a closet area, and the window seating? It was like it was plucked right out of my imagination. I had always wanted a cozy nook by the window, where I could sit and read with the sunlight pouring in — and there it was, in this flat. It was like the universe had been listening to me the whole time.

So, after weeks of chaos, we bought the flat! It had everything we had been searching for. It’s funny how things work out sometimes — we spent so much time searching far and wide, only to end up right where we started, literally across the street.

The Best Part

This house holds an extra special place in our hearts because it’s the first one my husband and I bought together, ticking off one of our major goals — buying a home before 30.

And you know the best part of moving just across the street? No awkward conversations about finding a new maid! Ours just crossed the road with us — crisis averted. Pheww!!

Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter — the real adventure begins with transforming the space! From interior design dreams to the chaos of setting up our perfect home, you won’t want to miss it.