‘No one asked for black money’: Amazon techie says buying a Bengaluru flat on two salaries was harder than buying a 3-BHK in the UK on one salary

No matter what entails in people's bucket list there is one thing common in everyone's- buying a house. A place that's all your own, that has been created by you piece by piece and whose comfort you seek all the time. However, with the rising prices and corruption, many are unable to fulfil this dream.

Recently, a Bengaluru-based founder sparked a conversation online after she revealed how she wasn't able to buy a flat in Bengaluru with two incomes, but eventually purchased a home in the United Kingdom with just one. Neha Sharma, 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, an Amazon techie and founder of JSLovers, said the experience of buying a house in UK was far smoother and more transparent. Within two years of moving to the country, she was able to buy an independent 3 bedroom house in the country, that too on a single income.

She compared the same with Bengaluru where even a small apartment seemed unaffordable. However, her UK house had 3 bedrooms, a backyard, dedicated parking, good views, and every kitchen appliance she could need. “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 shocking points in the techie's post was her criticism of the lack of transparency she found in the Indian home-buying process. “No one asked for black money. 100% transparency,” she wrote while describing her UK experience. She also noted that she got a “first buyer” discount in the UK.

Black money in the Indian context is commonly referred to as unaccounted cash transactions that are at times 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 and hidden costs had spoiled the Indian property market.

"Exactly. Buy in foreign and if not possible - Live on rent here. Let property buyers and builders bleed for sometime," wrote one user.

"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," added another.

"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" suggested one.