Every year during winters, India wakes up to a familiar haze. Smog from air pollution due to winter inversion pushes AQI levels up across the region and suddenly a question many buyers never asked before becomes the first one on their list – Will my family breathe easier in this home? No apartment can make you completely immune to regional air pollution however, the home you choose can make a real difference to your daily comfort, not just indoors but also outdoors within the vicinity of your gated community or highrise. 

Here are 4 things worth checking before you buy – 

• Ventilation – Good airflow is the foundation of a healthy home. Stale indoor air traps moisture, cooking fumes and dust so a flat that lets fresh air move through matters more than most buyers realise. Check if the window panels and balcony doors provided are large enough to let air easily flow through the home. Do check if the kitchen and bathrooms have ventilation or exhaust provisions. 

• Buffer From The Main Road – Busy roads are one of the biggest local sources of dust, vehicle exhaust and noise. Distance, a setback or a green belt between the road and your highrise helps in not letting it reach your home. Do visit at different times, including morning, afternoon and even evening to judge the air pollution from traffic. 

• Greenery, Landscaping & Open Spaces – Trees and landscaped areas will not clear the regional smog, but they do help cool the surroundings, trap some dust and give residents places to spend time outdoors to enjoy clean and fresh air. Do check what percentage of the project area is open space and landscaping. 

• Construction Quality, Maintenance & Clean Common Areas – Air quality inside a building is also about how it is built and looked after. Damp walls, poor waterproofing and weak maintenance lead to mold, dust and musty air. Do check the sample apartment walls, ceilings and bathrooms for signs of dampness or seepage. 

A simple checklist to carry on your site visit – 

1. Window panels and balcony doors are large enough for good airflow. 
2. Buffer from the main road. 
3. Total stated open space and landscaped areas. 
4. Construction quality with signs of dampness. 

The Honest Takeaway 

Regional air pollution affects many homes in India and even the best of the best projects cannot fully shut it out. However, thoughtful design, such as good ventilation, a buffer from the main road, generous open space with well planned layouts offering landscaped areas and good construction quality can make life noticeably more comfortable through the smog months and across the rest of the year too. 

See it Yourself

We always encourage buyers to visit, ask questions and judge for themselves. Want to see how these points play out in a real project? See it for yourself at JLPL Falcon View. Spread across 34 acres of grandeur, JLPL Falcon View dedicates 18 acres to lush green landscape, with a wide variety of trees, shrubs and open lawns that act as natural air purifiers. These greens bring down dust and heat and keep the air fresh and clean, along with wide open spaces and tree-lined pathways let fresh air flow through the project. Every morning begins with cleaner air, cooler breezes and the calm of nature right outside your door. Book your private site visit today.