Many people interested in purchasing houses in the Tiruvannamalai area, are under the mistaken belief that house prices will reflect this rustic area. Nothing could be further from the truth. In Tiruvannamalai and what is regarded in State demographics as a "backward area," prices are in no way backward. Unfortunately even though building artisans and workers are now demanding salaries comparable to the metro areas of Chennai, their standard of work is no better than one would expect of a quiet village spot. Thus it is commonplace for people with the financial means to actually import craftsmen from Chennai, Pondicherry and Kerala for various projects including house building, bamboo work, and speciality crafts such as lime work and mud work.
The photograph of the recently completed house shows a newly constructed home of 720 sq feet (compound size 900 sq ft) built from standard material that cost a staggering Rs.10 Lakhs (not including plot cost). A house of comparable size and material could have been built even three years ago at a cost of only Rs.6 Lakhs. The increase in material cost and wages has now made the price of house construction in this area start from a low of Rs.1,000 a square foot to up to Rs.2,000 a square foot for homes made from with more expensive materials.
