No matter what is on people's bucket lists, there is one common dream: buying a house. A place that is all your own, created piece by piece, offering constant comfort. However, rising prices and corruption often hinder this dream.
Recently, a Bengaluru-based founder sparked an online conversation after revealing she could not buy a flat in Bengaluru with two incomes but eventually purchased a home in the United Kingdom with just one. Neha Sharma, an Amazon techie and founder of JSLovers, took to X (formerly Twitter) to write: 'In Bangalore, with 2 people's salary we had hard time to buy a flat (later we cancelled it).'
Bengaluru VS UK Home Buying Difference
Sharma said the experience of buying a house in the UK was far smoother and more transparent. Within two years of moving to the country, she bought an independent three-bedroom house on a single income. She compared this with Bengaluru, where even a small apartment seemed unaffordable. Her UK house features three bedrooms, a backyard, dedicated parking, good views, and all necessary kitchen appliances. '2 years after moving to UK bought an independent 3-bed house, with all kitchen appliances - gas, fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, oven, carpet, lighting, etc. with a backyard, good views, and parking,' Sharma said.
One of the most striking points in her post was criticism of the lack of transparency in the Indian home-buying process. 'No one asked for black money. 100% transparency,' she wrote about her UK experience. She also noted receiving a 'first buyer' discount in the UK.
Black money in the Indian context refers to unaccounted cash transactions allegedly demanded in real estate deals. A policy paper published by the Pune International Centre in 2017 described politics and real estate as the primary 'sources and sinks of black money in India.'
Social Media Reactions
Sharma's post ignited a debate online, with users claiming that transparency issues and hidden costs have spoiled the Indian property market. One user wrote, 'Exactly. Buy in foreign and if not possible - Live on rent here. Let property buyers and builders bleed for sometime.' Another added, 'The reason why it’s easier to buy a house in the UK is cause the down payment required is 5% the cost property and interest is 5%. Few years ago you could buy a house at 1% int. In India DP is 20% and int is 8% min.' A third user suggested, 'India is a nightmare for property buyers, we need a massive crash to reset this. A lot would be hurt but it’s needed with rooting out black money fully.'
