Premium Amenities, Permanent Bills: What Makes Lifestyle Housing Worth The Price?

A gym downstairs or a swimming pool within the complex may seem like a good deal when buying a home. Add a clubhouse, landscaped gardens and round-the-clock security, and the project becomes even more appealing. For many buyers, these facilities are part of what makes a premium home worth the higher price.

The costs, however, don't end with the purchase. The pool has to be cleaned, equipment in the gym needs servicing, gardens need tending and common areas have to be maintained. All this adds to the monthly maintenance bill. And residents have to pay their share even if they hardly use these facilities.

For homebuyers, therefore, the question is not just what a housing project offers, but how much it will cost to maintain that lifestyle year after year.

That is the dilemma facing buyers considering lifestyle housing. Are they paying for amenities that genuinely improve everyday life, or for features that look impressive during a site visit but add to the monthly bill for years?

More buyers are now willing to spend over Rs 1 crore on a home. A JLL analysis, done in March 2026, found that such homes accounted for 63 per cent of residential sales in 2025, much higher that 46 per cent in 2023. Sales in this price bracket grew 6 per cent over the year, while the overall housing market saw an 11 per cent decline.

Developers have taken note. Many are adding gyms, clubhouses, green spaces and wellness facilities to attract buyers willing to pay more. But buying the home is only part of the expense. These facilities need to be maintained year after year, and that cost falls on residents. Buyers would do well to ask a simple question before signing the cheque: will they use these amenities enough to justify what they will have to pay for them?

Amenities That Make A Difference

For Adrija Agarwal, President of Sattva Group, the appeal of lifestyle housing lies in how well a residential community meets the needs of its occupants.

“The next evolution of lifestyle housing is being shaped by a fundamental shift in what homebuyers value,” she says, pointing to the growing importance of open spaces, landscaped environments, wellness facilities and everyday conveniences.

She also sees a shift towards service-led living, with concierge assistance, hospitality-inspired offerings, smart-home features and better-managed community facilities making everyday life more comfortable.

There is a practical case for this approach. A gym within the complex can save residents a daily commute. A well-maintained garden offers space for children to play and older residents to walk. Reliable security and accessible common areas can make a difference to the entire household.

But not every amenity offers the same value to every buyer.

Devanshu Bansal, Director of UK Realty, believes homebuyers often overlook this distinction. “Lifestyle housing is worth the price only if you’ll use what you’re paying for, and most buyers don’t work that out before booking,” he says.

He draws a distinction between facilities residents use regularly and those that look attractive in a sales presentation but see little use after possession.

At Celestique Gardens, the company's project in Goregaon East, Bansal points to an in-building creche as an example of a facility that can meet a practical need. For working parents, it can save time on daily drop-offs and pickups and potentially reduce their dependence on external childcare.

“I’d take that over a mini theatre any day,” he says.

The point is not that a mini theatre or swimming pool has little value. Rather, buyers should assess amenities against their own needs instead of assuming that a longer list automatically makes a home better.

Bigger Homes, Higher Expectations

Homebuyer preferences help explain why developers are investing in the overall residential experience.

ANAROCK's H1 2025 Homebuyer Sentiment Survey, which covered more than 8,200 respondents across 14 cities, found that 45 per cent preferred three-bedroom homes, while 7 per cent favoured homes with four or more bedrooms. The share preferring four or more bedrooms had risen from around 4 per cent in H1 2022. The survey also found that 36 per cent of respondents preferred homes priced between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.5 crore.

For many buyers, the decision is increasingly about the complete living experience: the apartment, the common areas, security, recreation and convenience.

Yet the budget cannot be ignored. ANAROCK's H1 2025 survey found that 81 per cent of property seekers were concerned about rising home prices.

When the purchase itself stretches household finances, the cost of maintaining the property deserves as much attention as the initial price.

The Bill After Possession

Maintenance is often a secondary consideration during the buying process. It should be part of the calculation from the start.

Depending on the project, monthly charges may cover security, housekeeping, common-area electricity, lift maintenance, landscaping, swimming-pool upkeep, staff salaries and contributions to future repairs. The amount and calculation method vary across developments.

Housing.com cites an indicative maintenance range of Rs 2–25 per sq ft per month, depending on the property and its facilities. This is, however, not a standard rate for every project.

For a 2,000 sq ft apartment, that works out to Rs 4,000–Rs 50,000 a month, or Rs 48,000–Rs 6 lakh a year. The upper end represents a high-cost scenario, not a typical bill, and actual expenses will depend on the project's operating model and facilities.

Bansal advises buyers to ask for the projected maintenance charge per square foot, understand what the sinking fund covers and establish how many homes will share the cost of common facilities.

The number of homes sharing these expenses matters. An elaborate clubhouse serving a large, occupied complex may be easier to sustain than a similar facility shared by fewer residents. Low occupancy can also put pressure on the funds available for common expenses, depending on the project's arrangements.

Therefore, apart from taking a look at the quoted charge, buyers should also examine how it has been calculated and whether it is likely to remain sustainable.

Who Will Maintain The Lifestyle?

If its facilities are not maintained properly, even a well-designed residential complex may lose its appeal. A swimming pool that is poorly managed, outdated gym equipment or neglected landscaping can leave residents paying for amenities that no longer deliver the promised experience.

Purvesh Sarnaik, Director of Vihang Ahead, says lifestyle housing should be judged by the benefits it delivers rather than the number of facilities on offer.

Fitness centres, parks, recreational zones and community spaces can improve residents' quality of life, he says. Universal design is equally important, allowing children, senior citizens and people with physical disabilities to use shared facilities comfortably.

But premium living also brings recurring expenses, including maintenance, energy consumption and the upkeep of common areas.

“Operational efficiency, durable materials and responsible resource management are essential to keeping these costs sustainable. Efficient lighting, sensible water management and durable equipment may offer better long-term value than extravagant facilities that are expensive to operate,” says Sarnaik.

Buyers should also find out who will manage the complex after possession, how maintenance contracts will be handled, how major repairs will be funded and whether residents will have access to expense statements.

Will The Premium Pay Off When You Sell?

Amenities can improve a property's appeal, but buyers should not assume that every additional feature will translate into a higher resale price.

A buyer looks at more than just the location. Connectivity, construction quality, the apartment’s layout and the developer’s track record all matter. The building’s upkeep and the maintenance costs it entails can also affect how attractive the property is to a future buyer.

Bansal says prospective buyers are likely to ask about maintenance costs during resale discussions. A clubhouse that residents rarely use may not add much appeal if keeping it operational is expensive.

A well-managed complex, by contrast, offers a stronger proposition: functional facilities, transparent accounts, reasonable running costs and common areas that have been maintained over time.

The real value of an amenity lies in the benefit it delivers, not simply in its presence on a brochure.

A Lifestyle Worth Paying For

For homebuyers, the best approach is to separate essential facilities from those they may use only occasionally. Security, reliable lifts, green spaces and children's play areas may be priorities for one household, while a creche or concierge service may be more valuable to another.

Before booking, buyers should ask themselves three questions: Will we use these facilities regularly? Could they save us time or replace an expense we already incur? And are we comfortable paying for their upkeep over the long term?

As Agarwal points out, lifestyle housing is increasingly about bringing amenities, services and technology together to enrich everyday life. Sarnaik’s point is that amenities should be practical and easy to maintain over the years.

In the end, a premium home is worth paying for if it makes daily life better without adding too much to the monthly bills. A well-maintained garden, dependable security or a creche that helps working parents may deliver more lasting value than a long list of rarely used amenities.

The test is not how impressive the clubhouse looks during a site visit. It is whether residents continue to benefit from the facilities years after they have received the keys - and whether the monthly bills remain manageable.