Islamabad Cooperative Housing Society: A long-term affordable investment

ICHS Town, Islamabad Cooperative Housing Society, located in Fateh Jang tehsil, has seen considerable popularity among the projects near Fateh Jang Road, as evidenced by Zameen Search Trends for plots on Fateh Jang Road. It became particularly popular during the airport inauguration hype that took over Islamabad earlier this year.

While far from Islamabad per se, it is not far from Islamabad International Airport. Another reason why it has been attracting attention is its incredible affordability so far, particularly in the Extension phase, though naturally, that phase is going to take a long time to be developed. These are the plots that can be bought by middle-income buyers looking to make a long-term investment.

Market and prices

The market has been slow, however, people looking to make affordable investments not far from Islamabad have upheld a steady interest in the housing scheme. The prices as a result have been relatively stable throughout the past, as a look at our updates on ICHS Town in January and July will show. There has, however, been some increase in the prices of the Extension according to Muhammad Naeem of Highland Marketing because it was first connected to Block A of Phase I and then it saw work on the unpaved, uncarpeted main road through the Extension. Currently, the prices stand as follows:

In Phase I, the 5-marla plots are priced between PKR 800,000 and PKR 1.1 million, while 1-kanal plots are priced around PKR 2.5 million and PKR 3.5 million.

In the Extension, the 5-marla plots are priced between PKR 300,000 and PKR 550,000, while , 1-kanal plots are available for around PKR 1.2- PKR 1.3 million.

Investment considerations for ICHS Town Phase I and Extension

The project is not really suitable for short-term investment, according to the experts interviewed. Mid-term investment is worth considering, however. Naeem explained that if you buy plots in the initial blocks of Phase I, you can expect decent returns in less than 2 years. Possession is already available along the main boulevard of Phase I and possession for 5-marla plots in the initial blocks is expected in 12 to 15 months.

However, his recommendation was to buy a plot and let it be for around half a decade. Let it mature on a slow burn until both CPEC and the surrounding areas, not to mention ICHS, is developed. Eventually, we will see a significant increase in prices. It is a cooperative housing scheme with a number of requisite NOCs, according to Tahir Associates CEO Waqas Tahir. These can be found in a previous update on ICHS Town.

Moreover, according to Naeem, a 100-foot road from the airport that is going to connect it to CPEC and is going to pass nearby, is going to be crucial for the development and interest of ICHS. When this road is built, ICHS Town is going to directly benefit from both megaprojects.

What is your opinion on ICHS? Do you have any questions about it? You can talk to us in the comments section. You can also head to the Zameen Forum for a detailed conversation.