A contract with two ends
The standard Chembur brief is a family taking possession of a new tower flat and vacating a 1960s colony flat, often in the same compound. Most contractors treat only the new flat as their concern. In practice the two ends are one problem: what comes out of the old flat determines the storage the new one needs, the date the old flat has to be empty determines the handover date, and the week in between is when everything goes wrong if nobody has planned it.
- Inventory the old flat at surveyBefore any drawing, we count what is being moved: vessels, trunks, books, festival items, furniture worth keeping. It sets the storage brief and it tells both of us what will not fit.
- Agree what does not moveTypically a third of the contents. Deciding that in month one, in the old flat, is a calm conversation. Deciding it on moving day is not.
- Sequence the build to the vacating dateBedrooms and one bathroom finish first so the family can occupy while the living room and kitchen are snagged, if the dates are tight.
- Coordinate the move weekLift bookings at both ends, society intimation at both ends, a packing sequence matched to which rooms are ready, and a deep clean the day before.
Worked example: 900 sq ft turnkey possession
A redevelopment tower flat handed over with builder flooring, a token kitchen platform and one bathroom fitted out. A family of four moving from the 560 square foot flat that stood on the same plot, which has to be handed to the developer in fourteen weeks.
| Scope | ₹ lakh | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Design, drawings and society submissions | 0.79 | Full set; NOC file with a marked demolition drawing |
| Strip-out and debris removal | 0.85 | Builder platform, one bathroom, loose flooring |
| Civil work and plumbing | 1.28 | Dry balcony drain repositioned; both bathrooms re-plumbed |
| Joinery | 9.99 | Wardrobes, lofts over three doorways, TV unit, entry bench, utility wall |
| Modular kitchen | 3.17 | 11 running feet with a tall larder and a quartz counter |
| False ceiling and lighting | 1.95 | Living and dining only; bedrooms keep the slab |
| Electrical | 1.16 | New DB, 30 points, dry balcony circuit |
| Painting | 1.03 | Washable emulsion throughout |
| Two bathrooms | 1.64 | One rebuild, one refresh |
| Soft furnishing and loose pieces | 1.77 | Curtains, blinds, dining set, bed frames |
| Move coordination and deep clean | 0.34 | Lift bookings both ends, packing sequence, pre-occupation clean |
| Project management and contingency | 0.15 | Against the drain relocation |
| Total, ex-GST | 24.12 | ₹2,680 per sq ft carpet |
Add 18% GST. The move coordination line is small, explicit and the part clients tell us afterwards they valued most.
Two flats, one week, one contract
Working in a compound where three other flats are also being done
Redevelopment clusters mean several fit-outs running at once in the same building, and the constraints compound. One goods lift serving four contractors. A debris contractor booked out for a fortnight. A society committee that has already had a bad experience this year and has tightened the rules for everyone. What we do about it: agree a written delivery and lift schedule with the secretary before mobilising rather than competing for slots daily; bag debris the same day it is generated instead of stacking it on the landing, which is what causes the complaints; lodge the crew list and photo ID up front; and keep our materials inside the flat rather than in the common lobby. None of it is clever. All of it is why our crews are not the ones the secretary calls about.
What handover means
- A photographic snag list produced by us, worked through and signed off before you take the keys, rather than a list you compile in week two.
- A deep clean the day before occupation — floors, glass, joinery interiors, bathrooms, the balcony.
- A handover file: the material schedule, appliance and hardware warranties registered in your name, paint codes and batch numbers, and the electrical layout drawing showing where every concealed run is.
- Society deposit recovery, debris challans and the closing of the NOC file, handled by us.
- One named contact for twelve months, with a defined response time for a warranty call.
On payment, we invoice against completed and photographed stages rather than dates: ten per cent at signing, thirty on delivery of materials to site, twenty-five at first-fix completion, twenty-five when the joinery carcass is set, and ten at handover after the snag list is signed. On a possession contract with a hard vacating date, that structure also protects the client — a contractor billed against the calendar has no reason to finish, and finishing is the whole point here.
For Chembur as a whole, see interior designers in Chembur. For our contract structure, payment stages and warranty, see turnkey interior contractors in Mumbai.
Turnkey delivery by Greenbox Design Studio.
Frequently asked questions
Do you help with the move itself?+
We coordinate it: lift bookings and society intimation at both ends, a packing sequence matched to which rooms are finished, and a deep clean the day before occupation. We are not a packers-and-movers company and do not pretend to be, but the coordination is in the contract because the two ends are one problem.
Can we move in before everything is finished?+
Often, and we plan for it where the vacating date is tight. Bedrooms and one bathroom finish first, the kitchen next, and the living room and its joinery are completed around you with a dust barrier. It adds around ten days overall and it is far better than paying for temporary accommodation.
How do you deal with three other fit-outs in the same building?+
A written delivery and lift schedule agreed with the secretary before mobilising, debris bagged the same day rather than stacked on the landing, the crew list lodged up front and materials stored inside the flat. It is unglamorous and it is why our crews are not the ones the committee complains about.
What is in the handover file?+
The material schedule with brands and batch numbers, hardware and appliance warranties registered in your name, paint codes, and an electrical layout drawing showing every concealed run. That last one is what you will want in five years when someone drills into a wall, and almost nobody provides it.
Is a possession flat cheaper to fit out than an old flat?+
Slightly, but less than people expect. You save the rewire and the plumbing replacement; you pay for stripping out builder finishes and for a higher specification, because expectations in a new tower are higher. On a 900 square foot flat the two roughly cancel, with the possession running about 8% lower.