Growing up in a better space

Have you ever considered investing in a home that is child-centric? If you have never heard of the concept, don’t fret.

A relatively new development that is making inroads in the realty world, the concept is gaining a lot of attention now. And make no mistake, I am not just talking of a swimming pool or a badminton court. Rather, these are homes that are completely child-centric and are finding much acceptance in the market.

“As developers, we have the privilege of building a relationship with people around their most precious asset — the home. Every parent wants their child to grow up in a happy and holistic environment as the memories created there will last for life. Keeping this in mind, we have Disney-themed rooms, designed to create a memorable childhood for every child residing at Prestige Lakeside Habitat in Varthur, Whitefield,” says Irfan Razack, CMD, Prestige Group. The project has Disney-branded furnishing, home decor products, colour palettes and more.

Wholesome livingMany parents of young children are enthusiastic and keen to explore and visit residential projects that offer wholesome living for the entire family. “By providing facilities that foster a child’s development through various activities, we can tap into the budding talent in the children of today.

If you observe the trajectories of great personalities closely, you’re likely to come across a similarity. Most often, it’s the environment at home that would have played a significant role in shaping their future,” says Ashish Puravankara, managing director, Puravankara Projects Ltd. At the Rays of Dawn, the second phase of Provident Sunworth, the culture club has a variety of amenities for children that are culturally and academically based. “For instance, it hosts a mini music studio, ballet room and a tinkering room that kindles an interest in science among children,” elaborates Ashish.

Rohit Gera, managing director, Gera Developments Pvt Ltd, says that they came up with the concept of offering a child-centric abode that goes beyond the needs of a conventional home. “It aims to give  children a holistic approach to learning and development, while the parents enjoy the convenience of availing these opportunities right at their doorstep. The key offering of child-centric homes is having world-class tie-ups that facilitate learning as per your child’s interest and convenience in the safety of your home,” he maintains.

Trend watch

The concept of child-centric homes is a revolutionary and innovative solution that creates a new category in the residential real estate industry and establishes a benchmark in the product and services model, empowering today’s young home buyers. These homes have been witnessing a good demand, with many customers responding well to such initiatives as these offer the convenience of having the best of everything at their doorstep.

“The responses from home buyers, particularly working parents, have been highly encouraging. Such working parents want to provide the best of the facilities and care to their kids with a personal touch — which they are simply unable to offer to their kids due to their busy schedule and so, such home buyers are keen on this concept. All our child-centric facilities and amenities are run under the caring supervision of specialised staff only,” says Arjunpreet Singh Sahni, executive director, Solitairian Group.

Projects are now moving away from offering limited facilities for children to offering a whole lot more at the same price in a child-centric development. These are also seen as a place where children can build upon their talent and be the heroes of tomorrow, of course with ample encouragement from young parents.

For instance, a lot of the developers are collaborating with various celebrities and experts from various fields to provide specialised training and coaching to the children residing in their projects. Gera Developments, for instance, has signed up top personalities such as Shankar Mahadevan, Shiamak Davar and Viswanathan Anand to offer the best intellectual, physical and vocational coaching to their young residents. “Moreover, developers have also started conducting special workshops for the kids at their residential complex,” adds Arjunpreet.

While keeping in mind the facilities, it is also important to take a look at making the interiors child-friendly, especially areas like the kitchen. “Ensure that there are no sharp edges in any part of your kitchen. All the edges have to be rounded, which thereby prevents any form of cuts. Bacteria-friendly materials are available today for kitchens cabinetries, shutters and countertops,” shares Khanindra Burman, CEO, Wurfel.

Challenges galore

As with anything new, there is a lack of awareness of such a unique concept as child-friendly homes. “We are on the pursuit to ensure that home buying customers are given the opportunity to explore and experience this whole-some living. As an extension of our marketing activities, we are also planning to tie-up with schools to identify and attract young talent,” says Ashish.

One of the main challenges that this concept faces is its narrow market as these homes are targeted towards a specific group. “Child-centric homes are a specialist product for limited people rather than a mass market home. Getting people to appreciate this poses the biggest challenge,” agrees Rohit.

As child-centric homes are still at a nascent stage, many homebuyers remain unconvinced and are doubtful about how such a project can fulfill their children’s requirements for a holistic development. “This may be because some parents think that their investment in a child-centric development may go in vain if the available trainers in various fields are not up to the mark. As a result, we have to indulge in mind-boggling discussions with the home buyers to convince them about the importance of investing in such a project,” confides Arjunpreet.

Whether you are apprehensive or not, it is a trend that is definitely taking the residential realty space by storm right now.