Did you know that of the 33.8 lakh buildings in Delhi, over 31 lakh face medium risk from an earthquake, while 1.46 lakh are at high risk? Given that the capital falls in seismic zone IV, this claim by the Vulnerability Atlas of India 2007 is not far-fetched. A similar story of neglect and deliberate flouting of housing laws plays out across the country, which is why the onus of checking the structural soundness of any property lies firmly on the buyer. After all, buying real estate involves a lot of your hard-earned money, and the least you can do is to ensure that the property you and your family plan to reside in is safe.

Of course, any newly constructed property will seem neat and strong at first glance. Hence, the trick is to look beyond the cosmetics and check the safety quotient of the project you are considering investing in. To help you do so, here are a few tricks gleaned from real estate experts.

Construction quality

According to experts, the construction quality of a building can be judged through various parameters, such as its architectural design and the quality of interior design, the brands used for electrical and bathroom fixtures, and the grade and finishing of windows, to name a few.