Salam dear members
I have a budget of 2.25 crs to build my own house in islamabad/rwp
After considering many options such as d12, e11, g13, ill, f-17, g-15 and others, i have narrowed down my picks to
1. Dha2 10 marla
2. G-14/4 5 marla
The idea of buying an old livable 5-6 marla house in main cda sectors is also dropped
The reason i mainly searched for main cda sectors is that we have lived all our lives there; but after my father retires from his government job next year we must vacate the government residence.
I am living overseas, and will remain here for 5-6 years; my younger brother is in army, and a married sister lives in a main cda sector.
Parents are preferring g-14/4 but my opinion is in favor of dha2
Your valuable opinions please, i believe dha2 will be more liveable and quality of life will be better than g-14/4, with security issues, water issues etc. The only issue will be commuting from dha2 to islamabad to meet relatives etc.
30 views with no reply 
Brother, as you are looking to settle your parents in some nice place, the answer is simple "DHA".
G-14/4 is more suitable for people who have a daily commute to the city hub, for the person whose children are studying in universities, people who can afford the hassel to engage water tankers in case of water shortages.
For the people who want to enjoy peaceful living, well maintained infrastructure, utilities and life style DHA is the best.
For capital gains G-14 have more potential and will appreciate better due to its location. But the intrastructure and maintaince issues will never be fixed.
Thank you Khalid Sb,
I am looking for a plot both in G-14/4 and DHA phase 2
The prices are increased w/r/t my last visit in Dec 2019
Plus plots with proper size / dimensions and reasonable location have already exceeded 1.5Crs in the DHA
Ali sb
I fully second Khalid's advice. I am living in DHA-2 and luxury of life is no match to any other location in twin cities.
...Ample water supply due to extra deep water wells.
...Mega Malls at the door step.
...Fast foods
...Most importantly boundary wall.
...Real terms security
...Standard drinking water
...We do outside walk post midnight sometime but no robbery fears at all
...Put whatever you need to put near garbage outside location, it will be picked up b4 you know
...Maintenance services on one call.
...Most important and a unique facility: All testing centres right inside DHA-2, Shaoukat Khanam and all best ones in the country.
...Post office
...Nice high quality schools in the vicinity and if you do not need ultra high, Zaraj is offering a nice school for kids.
...Many more....
...Most of the banks and lockers inside.
...My house is 1 Kanal in a prime sector with basement and just out of curiosity, I checked for price at 6 crores, a man is after me to negotiate. I am sure after Islamabad highway gets signal free, the prices will challenge G-14/4.
...CDA sectors no doubt have an edge and will have an edge but quality of life is keeping improving in DHA-2 and sorry to say, so far only deteriorating in G-14/4 and all other non-VIP sectors.
Brother having said all that, DHA-2 is very expensive, a 10 marla good location will cost you 1.25 crores to even higher better settle for 10 marla make a basement and enjoy the life.
Best of luck
Ali,
I know as old Islamabadi, it is very hard to accept any vicinity outside zone 1 as true Islamabad. So my question is, did you consider Bahria Enclave? Though it is in zone 4 and quite far, but it still "feels" part of main Islamabad. Plus a 10 marla in a populated place would fit nicely in your budget (in fact save you some money). And it is live-able right now.
If not, then G-14/4 is a nice choice, make your move before it is too late. CDA sector prices hardly come back, so do not wait.
DHA 2 is no doubt a nice place. But it is another city from an old Islamabadi's perspective. You can chose it if you or your parents have nothing to do in zone 1 anymore.
Fresh wave of price hike is expected before December, Lahore DHA is already experiencing it, so probably this is the right time.
Islamabad has the beauty of Margalla hills.
DHA has done a great job but they have selected a very poor location which is too far from central Islamabad. I wish they had selected the Barakhu area instead. That would have been closer to Islamabad and more scenic. Even if Islamabad highway gets signal free one day, DHA may close the price gap further but will always remain behind the pricey sectors of Islamabad (Zone 1) in both Price and Rental value. If the price and rental value would be the same then why would companies and individuals want to be in DHA instead of Islamabad? So the price gap will remain there.
I agree to all the respected members regarding the factor DHA is quite far from Islamabad and CDA Sectors will keep on appreciating but one thing is far more important than that which is "Peace of Mind".
Trust me no one have the peace of mind better than DHA living.
Regarding Encalve, it is a good place to live as well but it is still not approved from CDA, no Gas and Bahria is keep on rolling back in terms of provision of utilities and security.
I myself experienced living in CDA Sectors and Bahria Town, and suffered a lot in terms of security in BT.
There is no comparison to DHA in terms of living quality and peace of mind. If you can compromise on Peace of mind, then every other sector of CDA will give you better ROIs. Choice is yours, but realistically specking if you are looking for your parents and family, CDA is a big NO.
You are right Khalid sb but peace of mind is in stress management and not in traveling so far from one city to another in a heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic and especially when one has to commute two times a day (morning and evening). Outside DHA boundary wall on the roads, is a horror story
Ammar sb
No doubt Islamabad will be always on plus side being capital.
But rental value is directly proportional to the worth of the property!
Just imagine price difference between CDA one Kanal in F sectors and DHA-2 blocks then ROI could be worked out in rental prospective.
There are people who want scenic views and there are ones who want social amenities, security, cleanliness.......
D and E sectors must have been best places in twin cities, to some still do, but we know these sectors can never ever reach DHAs /BTstandards.
I can tell you 10s of friends who worked with me in gulf and now came back home, selected bahria or dhas after being considerate between E @ D of CDA.
Looking over all the time on hills is ok but does not suffice for a sustained and an aesthetic living.
Abdul Qayyum sb, sir you are right. Your comments are always the best guide for all of us.
Security situation is not bad in Islamabad either while few issues/exceptions exist everywhere. There is no doubt that infrastructure of DHA is better and well planned. Islamabad is expanding towards Fateh Jang, other DHA/BT like options near to center are Faisal Town, etc. I was simply pointing out that most jobs are, and future jobs will be in Islamabad being center of power. Driving distance will be an issue for many DHA residents/tenants and therefore will have a strong bearing on rental value. This does not make DHA a terrible place. I love DHA-2's quality of development.
Gents to me, the time and circumstances we are living in, the bottom line lies with 3 critical factors, as far as personal living:
A. Uninterrupted Power Supply in Summer
B. No disruptions of Gas in Winters
C. No shortage of water in Jun - Aug
To may, a week's extended drives are still preferable than a painful summer night with no power or water!
Whichever tick marks these just go for that. Good Location is icing on the cake! Yes, traditionally speaking Location is being the King but with road infrastructures, distance could be compensated if A class utilities are there virtually 24 x 7.
For our generation that is at cross roads and often indecisive about CDA vs BT/DH, here is the way out of this Catch-22:
1. Buy in CDA and Rent Out
2. Pay that Rent to maintain your living in DH/BTs
3. CDA property appreciates better and easy to sell off.
4. If you realise 1 is your thing, move in, it's yours after all
5. If you realise 2 is your thing, dispose off 1 & acquire 2.
It involves hassle of 2X buy sell but somehow could give you best of both!
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I wonder why no mention of Gulberg that actually offers the better of both, i.e., location + amenities. Yes, it needs to get populated more, construction activity in quite good pace and quite a lot of Commercial being there already and more mushrooming up soon! For 2+ yrs I see significant population there and not to forget the big guns already have farm houses there ...
The bits and pieces that makes a housing community/society to be super hit are there in Gulberg. Me inclusive, we are a nation obsessed with CDAs & GLIs, no matter how pathetic they get with time, never disappoints you @ time of selling!
Very True AQ sb and Imtiaz Sb.
Choice is to choose between Peaceful living of elderly parents (as per original query) or to estimate the ROIs after few years.
If you choose peaceful living for Parents and Family with ROI factor on least priority, DHA will be the best choice.
If one want to do mathematics every year or two, CDA would be the choice.
Its a correct approch to have both the buckets filled if one can afford, that is to live in DHAs and Invest in CDA so that you have every bottled filled to the top.
Gulberg will be the best choice but I just not mention that before considering the fact that the question context which was to choose the best location as per today for hassel free living for the Parents.
Agreed to Imtiaz sb. Gulberg offers good in future in residentia but not an immediate option, unless it is gulberg green, for the subject query.
I know one friend who booked an apartment in green, paying Installments and being offered good profit in resale.
My point is only for the retirees parents who need peaceful living in a protected environments and non-drive/short drive spproach to fetch supplies.
Not many people could fill both bottles.
Plus century old saying of our ancestors still works:
قدر کھو دیتا ہے روز کا آنا جانا
Beleive me having relatives not in exact neighbourhood have some positivity as well.
Yes during emergency, it is not convenient to reach in time but in this busy life normally weekends only could make family gathering possible.
Gulberg residentia needs at least 5 years where respected member's parents can have living on par with DHA/BT/CDA.
Yes, CDA also has no match to the federal public schools and public transport system.
For retired parents, an immediate assistance from the community itself is a must facility, such as clogged drains, pest problems, garbage disposals, sector Masjids, banks, as I said b4, the lab collection centres ......
Thank you Khalid Sb, AQ Sb, Isloo1, Ammar Khan, Imtiaz Sb, really appreciate the precious time you guys take out to answer queries by the members.
Enclave was dropped from the list due to its access, and Gulberg is less populated at the moment but is being reconsidered
Buying in CDA and living in DHA is actually a very good idea
But one wishes to contruct a house one time with customized design and according to ones requirement
If ROI difference is within 10% range; then it seems fine
@AQ Sb, DHA-2 10marla good plots are no more in the range of 1.25 range; its around 1.5 now; plus I recently chose a plot in Sec A St11 corner but it got sold before I could decide
Plus, kindly confirm how much will it cost currently to construct a 10marla with basement
Is there any condition to get house completion from DHA within 1.5years
And what is the rental value
Thanks again to all for your valuable inputs
Ali sb
There are 10 marla plots less price but not at the best locations. Yes, 10 marlas are short in DHA-2 so expensive ones.
Sir, if you opt for class between A & B quality, not A+ and if you want a full basement, meaning bathrooms and kitchen with forced drain pumping of course then it will cost you at least 2 crores and 60 lacs, no diyar wood, doors frame of steel but nice quality fittings, non-grohe, in baths and kitchens, pak made tiles but frontage with Spanisg tiles, pitch black granite all along staircases, marble or tiles on flooring, Spanish tiles in car porche, Pak cables, Quality Aliminum windows, expensive polish on woodwork, nicely looking kitchen cabinets, quality false ceiling all around, PPR plumbing, no centralize HVAC, top class painting....
Sir, there are numerous activities ...hard to mention all here...
We just finished a 10 marla house in phase-8 and put on sale, you can visit and see without any monetary or moral commitment.
We are making houses, plazas, small units at 10-12% of the house cost.
Regarding construction constraint, it was when we made ours in DHA, let me check now.
Just a suggestion Ali sb. If you are keen for quality lifestyle and basic facilitates why you not opting for phase 8 BT, Overseas Sector or Sector B and C with good population and all the facilities at door step. It will cost you much less as compared with DHA-2.
Living Standard, Environment and Utilities are comparable with DHA and its much less on price.
If one can travel up to DHA from the city then adding few more kilometer is not the big ask.
Khalid sb
Overseas no doubt most hot in phase-8 but far from GT road, then extra drive to Rawat enroute to the capital.
If phase-8 then DHA-3 serene city seems nearer comparatively.
Phase-8, a 10 marks nice location also touching 1 crore 15 lacs and house construction on bahria standards may break even if placed beside DHA-2 construction standards.
Right AQ sb.
I think Sector B and Sector C or Sector I and H closer to Roots School is also a nice place where one can buy a plot around 6 to 7 million budget.
Regarding construction standards you are right that one should keep in mind the construction cost overhead complying to BT.
260 only the construction cost?
Yes, I have asked my family to visit BT 8 also