A kitchen is not just the place for cooking and preparing meals it is often the place where one spends a lot of his/her time whether it be chatting with friends or sitting down for a solitary cup of tea.  A kitchen can really be the hub of activity in a household. So having a kitchen that one feel comfortable with and at home is very important.

The phase of spacious modern and minimalistic interiors has become more popular for bachelor pads but for a family kitchen that has warmth and character going back to rustic roots with neutral colours are often more appealing than stainless steel, chrome and state of the art technology.

To make it feel as homely and special as possible, the best new way of doing so is to design the kitchen in a way that suits oneself.

For example, for a person who may like to enthuse a feel like being in a country cottage despite actually living in the heart of a busy metropolis city, the best way to design or remodel his/her kitchen is to have exposed beams and cute fabric patterns for the table and the curtains.

All said and done, it is also obviously important for one's kitchen to be intelligently functional and environment-friendly as well. Many a people,  who though initially prefer the idea of using the real wood for making the kitchen utilities and storage elements, ultimately decide to use the modern kitchen doors made out of environment friendly engineered wood which not only maintain a plush wood effect but are also easier to clean besides being long lasting in terms of looks and age.

To sum it up-- Country, rustic, more romantic and French style kitchens have now become more preferable designs for family kitchens just like appliances such as ranges and Aga’s and antique pieces in a home are preferable to flat screens and pristine touch control hobs. One definitely would prefer reading the paper while sipping a steaming cup of his/her coffee in a tranquil cozy space rather than in a mere kitchen without personality.

Received this query from Marc Wilson- a university student in Tennessee, United States of America- who has sent across his query primarily about Oil Derricks, their utility and allied questions like where do many small and big scale companies source these Oil Derricks from.

It somehow seems from Marc's query that he became interested to know more about this topic after he read an article recently about some fellow alumni who became an enterprising entrepreneur having set up a successful Oil Derricks hire and use business. We plainly are guessing, Marc, that you have started pursuing a similar dream in your ambitious eyes, isn't it? Anyways, our entire team wish you success in your endeavors. We would surely assist you in letting know more about Oil Derricks and their utility.

Q:  What are Oil Derricks?   What is their function in the Oil, Gas & Energy Sector?   Does one need to invest exorbitant amount of money in procuring these equipment if one need to use it to start up a business?

BricksnMortar Edesk answers:

A:  In simple terms, Oil Derricks are essentially the enabling equipment structures that function primarily as a combination of stationary cranes or lifting hoists and the oil rigs that drill pump out the oil & gas from deep within the earth's mantle.

In technical terms, Oil Derricks comprise of a sturdy structural framework (steel portal, tower, etc.) designed to hold an upright stationary shaft section together with a movable boom that is utilized to function vertically in repeated thrust-and-lift motion. It derives its name from Thomas Derrick, a British hangman during the Elizabethan era who invented a type of gallows using a movable beam and pulley system giving it much a resemblance to modern day Oil Derricks.

The function of an Oil Derrick can be understood well by visualizing a four legged tower, firmly stationed at the desired location of oil/gas under-bed, with a vertical and co-axial core drill and pump that is sequentially and repeatedly raised to higher heights centrally and then punched/ drilled into the earth's core slowly and steadily until it reaches the bed that is enriched with crude or gas. The structure of the Derrick performs like a fulcrum-lever utility and thereafter pulls & pumps back the crude or gas.

All of us know how important a commodity the crude and gas have become for the mankind. Umpteen resources are therefore required in the Oil, Gas and Energy sector across the globe wherever this fuel is available. Scores of countries, companies, manpower, plant & machinery are involved in this sector; but still the demand always and always outstrips the supply.

With countless options available for everyone interested in this field, innumerable enterprising  people like your fellow alumni, and now possibly you, keep looking forward to knock the door of opportunity. One need the appropriate technical soundness of the field and functionalities together with confidence, will and guts to start up a successful venture of their own.

As you asked, ofcourse it requires substantial amounts of funds to own even a couple of Oil Derricks that one needs to push-start his/her/their venture. But, luckily, thanks to numerable companies and agencies present across the world that provide assistance and services to even hire/ rent/ lease the desired types and numbers of Oil Derricks and other related equipment/ setups. In fact, a quick search across the internet popped up useful results of websites and agencies that provide such services enabling one to hire/ lease/ purchase used and new Oil Derrick as well as other Oilfield equipment. You may explore one such e-marketplace offering such services that is in fact located in your very area of interest as well.

Last but not the least, we all again wish you success and luck in this endeavor of yours. Hope you would find the content and link useful that we are extending based on our meticulous desk-based research. Do share your ideas and experiences sometime.

It seems the recent series of posts here on this blog-- pertaining to Property Circle Rates; e-Stamping;  Stamp duty and Registration fee; etc.-- have struck a deeper note with our subscribers, readers and blog visitors.

Umpteen number of messages, tweets, facebook comments have been received by us since we published our last two posts sometime during last week with many a readers asking the meaning of certain terminologies that were used in the said blog posts.

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Though we have answered most of the queries raised by our esteemed subscribers and readers individually, we think it to be prudent to summarize the same here in the form of a new post itself for the benefit of all.

The essential comments and queries were from those who had asked for the meanings and/or definitions of the usual terminologies used in the posts regarding Property Bazaar & Real estate sector.

Commonly Used Definitions & Terminologies in Real Estate Sector

"Property"

It can be termed synonymously for all those realty elements which essentially refers to property of any kind, whether movable or immovable, tangible or intangible, and includes any right or interest in such property.

As described in the website- LegalServicesIndia, some of the prevalent theories that are usually referred to for the purpose of understanding the concept of property are:

1. Historical Theory of Property
2. Labour Theory (Spencer)
3. Psychological Theory (Bentham)
4. Functional Theory ( Jenks, Laski)
5. Philosophical Theories–
(i) Property as a means to Ethnical Ends
(ii) Property as an End in itself

[PS: Check LegalServicesIndia's website for a detailed account on Property clicking here]

"Immovable Property"

It can be termed synonymously for all those realty elements which include land, buildings, hereditary allowances, rights to ways, lights, ferries, fisheries or any other benefit to arise out of land, and things attached to the earth or permanently fastened to anything which is attached to the earth, but not standing timber, growing crops nor grass.   [as per Indian Property Registration Act -1908, mentioned in Part-I (Preliminary section) of the same]

In simple words, Immovable Property is the property that has a fixed location and cannot be moved or transferred elsewhere. It can be built upon or affixed to the ground. Immovable property has a fixed address, determined by the jurisdiction where it is located.

By definition, immovable property is permanent, and it may include buildings, improvements and natural features. Immovable property does not normally include livestock, crops or botanical species including trees or hedges.   [as per California Civil Code Section 658]

"Movable Property"

It includes standing timber, growing crops and grass, fruit upon and juice in trees, and property of every other description, except immovable property.   [as per Indian Property Registration Act -1908, mentioned in Part-I (Preliminary section) of the same]

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Click here to send us a query

Should you have any other query or doubt regarding these or other similar terminologies used in real estate jargon, do shoot your query to us. We would be glad to provide you the answers.  :-)

This refers to at least a dozen of queries received from our readers pertaining to our previous post here on bricks-n-mortar.com (titled: "Delhi Government Moots Increasing Circle Rates again towards Sale & Purchase of Property in Delhi, India")

While all appreciated the piece of news that we had shared, the crux of the common question asked by some of our readers thereafter was:

WHAT ARE CIRCLE RATES & WHAT DO THEY SIGNIFY?

Explaining in simple layman terminology, CIRCLE RATE is the minimum designated valuation amount in terms of rate per unit plan area of the land, property, flat, etc. that can be termed as 'Saleable and Immovable Property'.

In other words, Circle Rates are the minimum rates per unit land or floor area that the respective Governments and/or Municipal Corporations/ Bodies fix for particular areas and localities based on various factors to list a few like--

• Categorization of colonies in terms of importance of place and its locality, plushness,services & amenities available there and nearby
  
• Demarcation through actual/pseudo boundaries and municipal limits in terms of population and/or status of people living there and nearby (reflecting the status index of living)
  
• Cost of construction coupled with kind and type of aesthetics adopted in the respective areas (reflecting the average monetary worth of people living there and nearby)
  
• Applicable 'Usage' factors (primarily reflecting whether the properties in such localities on an average are used for residential/ commercial/ social/ educational/ other purposes)
  
• Depending upon whether the localities are primarily developed privately or by government/ semi-government/ public sector units
  
• Demand/Supply ratio of land and the amenities the place offers to its inhabitants signifying the 'Market dynamics and trends' associated in terms of abundant availability and scarcity as compared to the demand for it. Higher the scarcity, higher the demand; and therefore, higher the cost associated to land per unit area (meaning higher circle rate of the area)

As such, one can easily comprehend by now that the Immovable Properties are usually registered by respective governments and local municipal bodies in terms of Circle Rates thereby defining the base rate per unit area for the respective sale & purchase of immovable properties, and in turn generating revenues for the government in terms of the preset Registration fee and Stamp duty that are calculated as a percentage of the registered price of a property.


A quick useful footnote here in the end...
The Circle Rates are the minimum rates per unit area for the respective areas below which officially no realty market deal is supposed to happen and be legalized. The actual property rates per unit area in the real world usually are higher than the benchmark circle rates, and that is how and where black money changes hands among the property sellers & buyers who tend to show lower valuations of the properties thereby trying to save the quantum of registration fee and stamp duty that one need to pay to the government.

Let all of us pledge not to use cheap tactics and gimmicks to show undervalued property transactions, whenever we enter into one, and pay the government its valid dues.
What do you say? 
YES / NO / PERHAPS YES / PERHAPS NO / CAN'T SAY

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Related posts:
-  Delhi Government Moots Increasing Circle Rates again towards Sale & Purchase of Property in Delhi, India
-  MCD Property Tax | Online submission of MCD Property Tax | FAQs about MCD Property Tax

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/new-circle-rates-bode-well-for-end-consumer/1/158816.html

Aiming to tame the wild horse symbolizing the prevalent under-valuation of the land/ property prices in realty deals, the Delhi Government is going to increase the Property Circle Rates yet again within a short span of less than a calender year.

The primary aim of the Delhi Government is to ensure that the property bazaar deals involving sale-purchase of realty (involving land, flats, builder floors, independent houses, duplexes, rooftop penthouses, farm houses, commercial properties like shops, godowns, multiplexes, shopping arcades, business centers, banquet halls, party grounds, et al.) do not go entirely undervalued the way it is done presently wherein only a small portion of the actual transaction amount is done in white money, while major chunk of the deal is in black money in the form of cash. The state exchequer looses the registration tax money, stamp duty , etc. in such deals as this is paid on white money portion only.

As TOI puts it, "The move is likely to improve the health of state exchequer and mitigate 'flow of black money' in such transactions."

The Circle Rates were hiked last during February 2011 vide 'Notification No. F.l( 281)/Regn.Br./HQlDiv.Com./09/45' dated 04/Feb/2011 that was incorporated in Part-IV of the Delhi Gazette Extraordinary under the Revenue Department, Govt. of Delhi. The notification was then issued in the name of 'Lt. Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi'.

The previous hike in Circle Rates in February 2011 had fixed the Circle Rates for residential properties as:

Minimum rates for Residential Properties:

Category of Locality	Minimum Rate for Valuation (Rs. per sqm area)
A	86,000
B	68,200
C	54,600
D	43,600
E	36,800
F	32,200
G	27,400
H	13,800

The Delhi Cabinet on Monday gave its nod to further increase these Circle Rates to the tune of 15 to 250 percent for Sale and Purchase of property depending upon the respective property category.
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Readers may further surf through the following external weblinks that may be relating to this topic and helpful to readers in assimilating the entire facts/ information: