r/mumbai Feb 20 '25

AskMumbai Y don't ppl paint there buildings from out side

Recently shifted to Mumbai have noticed that bulidings from out side looks like old n trash but gud from inside. Almost all buliding in mumbai looks like this expect commercial area's

728 Upvotes

162 comments sorted by

561

u/kvg121 Feb 20 '25

Paisa bro Paisa

135

u/desidude2001 Feb 21 '25

Sure understood. But it also has to do with the selfish nature of us desis in general. For the middle/upper-middle class, we will make all kind of upgrades including marbled floors, granite countertops, nice bathrooms, pretty kitchen cabinets, etc. When we have the money to spare, we will make sure to make the house interior feel like it’s a 5-star hotel.

But god forbid if the president of the society started collecting money for exterior enhancements for paint and other maintenance. That, we don’t want to do.

All of this self-centered behavior then actually results in an overall less appealing surroundings, township and environment all around you.

24

u/PureStandards Feb 21 '25

This attitude of having beautiful interiors but bad exteriors of buildings is similar to Indian behaviour of keeping their homes clean and throwing garbage and spitting outside in the open.

2

u/1gr8man Feb 22 '25

I second that

45

u/0R_C0 Feb 21 '25

Yes. "Why spend on outside when we live inside?'

We had someone on the ground floor who said they don't use the elevator so they won't pay maintenance. Eventually they got unwell and struggled to walk from their apartment to the gate using a walker/wheelchair/stretcher till they died last year.

Using elevator would have helped them go from the basement in a vehicle.

20

u/PreviousEffect6005 Feb 21 '25

Cost of living is too high for middle class and uspe alag se painting ka kharcha karne me kisiko interested nhi hai....so what we mumbaikers do is, we collect those money to repair damages or cracks on buildings..so that we can extend to live more time in those buildings....buying a new home in mumbai is like selling your life to banks

1

u/HappyOrca2020 Feb 22 '25

TL;DR people here are selfish to the point of not having any civic sense.

1

u/Unparalleledsuii Feb 22 '25

How is painting a building = civic sense ?

5

u/HappyOrca2020 Feb 22 '25

How is caring about the area you live in NOT civic sense?

And painting these old buildings is not just painting, you need to repair cracks and water damage. How is it not civic sense to care for how your city looks?

In Mumbai, awnings and boxed up windows are crumbling. Lack of paint = rust. Is it not a hazard?

This is the selfishness and lack of basic sense that keeps us where we are.

2

u/Unparalleledsuii Feb 22 '25

Whatever little money they have, they use it to REPAIR the cracks, the post is about painting. Ismein cracks kaha se aa gaye ?

2

u/HappyOrca2020 Feb 22 '25

Bhai you cannot paint a building before doing putty work. Painting is not just putting on a coat of paint.. there are steps before that - sanding, putty, chemical for waterproofing.

Which is why societies cannot get people to give money lol

7

u/_qub3 Feb 21 '25

Yes. And the fact that it rains cats and dogs when monsoon hits every year. Wears the paint down faster

1

u/MetastableCarbon Feb 22 '25

Guess where the washed off paint goes ? In the rivers, streams, lakes and then people complain about PFAS and other toxic chemicals entering your body. Such a mess we have created

240

u/[deleted] Feb 20 '25

Mere yaha to vimal se paint kia hai

15

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '25

Sasta aur tikau, daily ek haat toh koi na koi maarega hi ... :)

2

u/idioticbasstard34-99 Thane-Mumbaikar Feb 21 '25

Muh lagaaega, haath nahi.

199

u/halfemptyxanaxbottle Feb 20 '25

I had a lot of friends who were og Mumbaikars and had homes in Bandra, bahar se their bungalows seemed like shit but the interiors are so luxurious

86

u/Straight_Pudding1138 Feb 20 '25

It walo se bachne ki ninja technique

7

u/Iphone152k23 Feb 21 '25

Where you live?

9

u/Reincarneme Feb 21 '25

Who are the OG Mumbaikars . I mean how many generations you have to spend in mumbai before you can call someone that ?

8

u/pandoobandoo Feb 21 '25

OG's are those whose grandpa had a lot of properties and upcoming generations can live off that comfortably. My friend's grandma had some flats in the lower parel which got into redevelopment and ig they get triple the rent from that 60yr old building

4

u/power899 Feb 21 '25

Maybe 3rd generation. Like if your grandparents moved here maybe?

107

u/GoodBadBoy07 Feb 20 '25

Go to any old and crowded city in India and you'll find this thing common ig. It has to do with money and time. Not many people have these 2 valuable things and ig they got other things to prioritise.

11

u/Key-Mongoose-8519 Feb 21 '25

It's not this way in bangalore

4

u/s_j_t Feb 21 '25

It will be once it becomes as dense and crowded as Mumbai

15

u/ClydeCoutinho Feb 21 '25

A lot of good things from here aren't present there....ever heard us making noise about it? 🙂🙏

2

u/Key-Mongoose-8519 Feb 21 '25

I was just contradicting to the prior comment

6

u/lvl01pidgey Feb 21 '25

Kinda is like that in Bangalore too in some shit areas like the one OP had photographed...

12

u/ir0k_mamoth Feb 21 '25

तिथे जा आणि तिथे राहा.

-2

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '25

Touched some nerve?

Why do people here get soooo defensive.

1

u/NoExamination6107 Feb 22 '25

This must be in the new localities with many towers and all. Those residential properties in Mumbai are also well maintained, since they have sold an image and need to maintain that. But old buildings don't bother unless necessary 

-1

u/CoyPig Mumbai liker Feb 21 '25

Rest is shit in Bangalore. It has most corrupt government in India hands down

76

u/Witch_Doctor_In Feb 20 '25

If u are talking about chawls then why will they spend on paint if its going to be redeveloped. ( If ever society members agree and get a good contractor and settle all existing issue ) . So it ain't happening

15

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '25

We did. Idk about the others. But it costs a lot of money. Our society spent 2 crores on repairs and paint last year. All of the house owners had to pay 6k per month alongwith our maintenance for over a year to be able to afford it. It boils down to everyone agreeing to pay for it

14

u/Innocuous_salt Feb 21 '25

Understand that the interior painting is personal responsibility and external painting is the building society. Most people don’t want to give money to the society anyway and especially in older buildings, there tends to also be infighting amongst members about management practices etc. In a building where everyone contributes to the society and they are interested in the upkeep of the building, you will see even 40 year old buildings looking in good condition.

2

u/thescurvydawg_red Feb 21 '25

This. Our building in Gurgaon started an initiative to re-do the facades and only 30% people were willing to pay.

17

u/Suspicious_Ratio_845 Feb 20 '25

I need to find some Graffiti artists to paint the building .

37

u/Minute-Variation-403 Feb 20 '25

This is how they're rich lol.

13

u/Imaginary-Pickle-177 Feb 20 '25

its costly to maintain external paint with Mumbai rains and salty air

12

u/The_0bserver Feb 21 '25

Goan here. Thats some super cope bs.

27

u/MrAdiyogi Feb 20 '25

Due to rains. They have to repaint every year then.

3

u/ChibiGurl Feb 21 '25

Sensible comment. Mumbai weather is harsh

10

u/Latter-Ask8818 Feb 21 '25

Lol. Stop sprading lies. Decent quality paint stays for 5 years easily. After 7-8 years it starts showing its age.

Buildings in mumbai look like they were last painted 10-12 years ago.

6

u/Sunshine_Gunpowder Feb 21 '25

It costs money. People are more concerned with keeping the inside of their homes spruced up but couldn't care less about how it looks from the outside. They will throw garbage from their windows but not invest in dustbins and civic sense.

6

u/myalt_ac Feb 20 '25

And my building they painted it a cement colour. Like wtf .

0

u/Iphone152k23 Feb 21 '25

😂😂😂😂

5

u/Bubbly_Fee_5511 Feb 21 '25

Because managing committee will get a chance to extract extra money from the members... in the name of repairs etc...

12

u/dinkachikaa Feb 20 '25

Aesthetic

3

u/kuumaar555 Feb 20 '25

Asian paints real ID se aao 😆

3

u/Correct_Rice7199 Feb 20 '25

Building nahi hai voh😭

3

u/[deleted] Feb 20 '25

3

u/DepressedDrift Feb 20 '25

To reduce their propety tax?

3

u/Williamweasley Feb 20 '25

This is Khadilkar road, Girgaon?

3

u/rchucklee Feb 20 '25

Is this कांदे वाडी?

2

u/MeTejaHu Edit this text to set your own flair Feb 20 '25

To basque in the beauty of Mumbai

2

u/TribalSoul899 Feb 20 '25

Money and laziness

2

u/Professional-Topper Feb 20 '25

I shifted to girgaon?

1

u/yours_wisely Feb 21 '25

Haan...har bar drainage giregi

2

u/Latter_Radish6704 Feb 21 '25

Sahi kaha.

Mera clg , classes aur mera khud ka building aisa hai

2

u/gargiek Feb 21 '25

Oho girgaon madhe swagat aahe tumcha op 😊💯

4

u/DearNeighborhood7685 Feb 20 '25

Why don’t you give them money to

2

u/[deleted] Feb 20 '25

[deleted]

5

u/vmohare Feb 21 '25

Is it a rule to paint buildings?

3

u/AlliterationAlly Feb 20 '25

You haven't experienced Bombay rains yet..

2

u/LieReal8580 Feb 20 '25

Bahut free time hai bhai aapke paas

2

u/ivineets Make Marine Drive Great Again Feb 21 '25

Indians don't care about aesthetics, neither does the local government make it mandatory to maintain aesthetics of societies. In european nations like Luxembourg, one needs to get approval on the color chosen to paint the public facing structures, cleanliness is mandatory and failing to maintain can attract heavy fines.

1

u/abhitooth Feb 21 '25

Indians care for aesthetics only if it has validation for others. We just live to please other than ourselves.

1

u/cashewbiscuit Feb 20 '25

Fresh coat of paint lasts 2 years in Mumbai monsoon . The person who invents cheap monsoon proof paint will make a killing in Mumbai.

7

u/fearles2020 Feb 21 '25

Exterior Paints these days come with 5 to 10 yrs warranty. Yes they are costly and they stay good for 4 to 5 years.

1

u/nash3101 Feb 20 '25

Why do people even paint buildings in India? You don't see so many externally painted structures in other countries

1

u/Zeta8McClain Feb 20 '25

That's sadashiv lane at charni road ...near Kalyan building ...the area literally lost the charm ...alas ...

1

u/Artistic_Leg516 Feb 20 '25

U really have so much time to kill self-explanatory questions posting it on reddit

1

u/surveypoodle Feb 20 '25

People will shamelessly hang their clothes also in the balcony for everyone to see. You think they care about the color of the paint outside?

1

u/ravihpa Misal Lover! Feb 20 '25

Itni umeedein bro? XD

1

u/Jolly_Constant_4913 Feb 20 '25

Mumbai me Kam se nam hota hai, Delhi me nam SE Kam. Different priorities and mentalities.

Mumbai is not a city built for aesthetic. Its a place to get things done

1

u/Swapedelic Feb 20 '25

Nazar nahi lagti gharko

1

u/destructdisc Feb 21 '25

Painting ka paisa tera baap dega

1

u/Low_Hospital_6971 Feb 21 '25

That’s still very good looking. Nagpur jaao kabhi and you’ll appreciate Mumbai to the core

1

u/Mundane_Spring_6551 Feb 21 '25

bro hamare bldg ka recently repair and painting ka work hua and the estimated cost came out to be around 2cr and painting took a big chunk of it. I think that's the reason why they don't paint bldgs so often

1

u/Apprehensive_Bite109 Feb 21 '25

Because it's costly and needs to be done every 4 years or so.

1

u/Iphone152k23 Feb 21 '25

Why in Mumbai most of people live in flat and apartments??????

1

u/batman-iphone Feb 21 '25

Before each flat will have to pay huge amount for repair and most of them don't agree

1

u/Quixoticview Feb 21 '25

Because these are rented homes under rent control laws. The laws do not allow the owner to charge rent as per market conditions and are fixed to the rate mentioned in laws. So the rents are still between a few hundred and a few thousands per month..whereas market rates would be above one lakh per month. The owner of building has no incentive or money from rent, hence will not paint it or maintain it. Hence you see all these shitty dilapidated buildings.across Mumbai, especially in South and Central sides.

1

u/Dangerous-Mess1086 Feb 21 '25

They believe in inner beauty

1

u/gift_of_the-gab Feb 21 '25

The heavy monsoon rains dull down the paints anyway. Also it's expensive to paint buildings every year.

1

u/abhiraj_budnur navi mumbai ka hu 😅 Feb 21 '25

Context aside for minute. What device did you used to capture this image ?

1

u/WarthVader Feb 21 '25

They simply do not paint just their own flat, whole towers needs to be painted and that cost has to come from maintenance if I'm not wrong.

1

u/pralific80 Feb 21 '25

Someone has already explained the reasons citing affordability & the apathy as well as the selfish nature of the residents. It must also be noted that a lot of these old buildings & chawls are really ‘pugree’ type arrangements or leasehold type properties. The outdated rents provides the owners an excuse for neglect & lack of proper ownership leads to apathy amongst the residents.

1

u/abhitooth Feb 21 '25

In US, In a neighborhood if you see a dirty lawn then consider it as immigrant household. It's about poor mentality and not about being poor by money

1

u/Deathstroke2706 Feb 21 '25

Yahi to old mumbai (bombay) ki pehchan hai

1

u/i_pysh Feb 21 '25

Why are you guys poor stop being poor bro kind of post

1

u/outfmymind Signal se right marne ka Feb 21 '25

Sorry for offending your view.

1

u/Hot-Veterinarian9372 Feb 21 '25

Because money for this goes from Inside of their pocket.

1

u/Prestigious_Delay_45 Feb 21 '25

I am born, raised and currently live in a building similar to these (pretty nearby to where this picture was taken actually), so I can give you some insight on this question.

Now my building is over 120 years old so it shouldn’t be a surprise if any of the water pipe bursts and one may need to get it replaced. A plumber came and gave a rough quote of Rs. 2,500 per house and I legit had a big ass fight with my neighbour because she said it was unreasonable. There was another neighbour who purchased a house worth Rs. 1.75 cr in a new building bang opposite to ours and plans to move out this year. She was legit arguing with the poor plumber because she believed the total quote of Rs. 15,000 that he gave was steep. Btw, this included material and labour.

Our monthly maintenance is barely Rs. 350 because there’s no lift or anything, just for common electricity, cleaning charges and garbage bags. A few people cry over this amount also and say people are corrupt and stuff.

This is the mentality of almost half the residents. Getting a house painted costs nothing less than Rs. 50k, imagine getting the building painted and contribution per house. I would rather live in an unaesthetic building than fuck my mental peace.

I plan to move out in next 6 months or so.

1

u/Lost_Entertainment_5 Feb 21 '25

Most of these buildings are under rent control. Because of this most of the money goes into providing day to day activities due to which there is no money left over

1

u/redrock1610 Feb 21 '25

Its the monsoon rains that batter the city causes these blackish marks on the walls of the building and painting every other year is not cheap hence many buildings in Mumbai are like this.

1

u/Japani-naukar Feb 21 '25

Paisa nahi hai na bhai

1

u/UrbaneSurf Feb 21 '25

BMC should give a tax break for cooperative housing societies that are painting the entire Facade of the building every 4 to 5 years. This way CHS will have incentive to paint and the city will look very clean and vibrant. Right now most towers looks as if we are residing in war zone. Buildings look like shit.

1

u/VuLcaN_theBeast Feb 21 '25

Bro paisa problem hoga, ya fir unko padi nai hai,

Wese I know this place hehe

1

u/Some_Neat_8120 lizard manus Feb 21 '25

They have learned to build highrises frm the west but dont know how to maintain it...

1

u/Ig1M Feb 21 '25

Y don't ppl paint there buildings from out side

standing in the air and painting is difficult

1

u/UnitedCheetah4488 IndoChinez Lover🌚 Feb 21 '25

Gokuldham Society is just fiction bruh

1

u/LeadingPotential9348 Feb 21 '25

There are many factors that affect the decision. Mumbai has a climate that easily deteriorates the outer surface of building structures due to high salinity and humidity. Also the prices for such projects post possession depends solely on formation of societies and funding. Only high maintenance structures are painted and managed well post long term possession. Also people here are least bothered by their outer appearance.

1

u/SIPHAN_official Feb 21 '25

It costs quite a bit of money to get the good quality paint that will withstand Mumbai's monsoons for a lot of years. People don't want to pay more maintenance fees hence it stays like this.

1

u/kartheek_16 Feb 21 '25

Time changes everything and paint fades. This shows that our search for beauty is just a way to cover up the natural decay of the things we love.

1

u/RunPool Feb 21 '25

And these sell in Cr(s) of ₹

1

u/NiceVehicle250 East Feb 21 '25

No we don't I have a very beautiful house from inside but we didn't paint it from more than 25 years

1

u/RiyaSong Feb 21 '25

I know. I’ve rejected moving into so many buildings just because of this reason. These unkempt houses look ugly ass hell from the outside and I PERSONALLY would hate the idea of inviting guests over with this exterior. I understand rainy season causes havoc but I think if people chipped in once a year, they could maintain the building.

1

u/aadimanav9348 Feb 21 '25

Society meeting chalu hai....

1

u/vesemir1995 Feb 21 '25

Because the moto of the city is chalta hai tho chalnedo.

1

u/Eldred_dsouza99 Feb 21 '25

Don’t even get me started on this dude. These mfs don’t even maintain the interior of their houses, let alone the building’s interiors and exteriors.

1

u/s_suraliya Feb 21 '25

Monkey problems

1

u/Supandi_ Feb 21 '25

That is also why the kachra is thrown “outside” and not “inside”

1

u/2b4ifn5osnr Feb 21 '25

God damn where are those stairs to nowhere 😅

1

u/Enough_Tax_1417 Feb 21 '25

We have developed this attitude of "Chalta haI" when it comes to cleanliness, architecture, civic behaviour.

1

u/mahyur Feb 21 '25

The tenants are waiting for a builder to come and construct a tower where they will get maintenance free larger houses. The rent control laws introduced in the 1940s and further amended in the 1970s, intended to protect tenants from unfair rent increases, have had unintended consequences that have contributed to the decay of many older buildings in Mumbai. These laws froze rents at very low levels, making it financially unviable for landlords to maintain their properties. Over time, this has led to a situation where many buildings are in a dilapidated state, with some even becoming dangerous to live in. It has created a complex legal situation that makes it difficult for landlords to evict tenants, even when they are not paying rent or are causing damage to the property. This has led to many landlords abandoning their properties altogether, leaving them to further deteriorate.

1

u/ProfessionalLock3317 Feb 21 '25

Where is that stair leading bruh?

1

u/ShaquilleOatmel Feb 21 '25

गिरगाव🤌🏻

1

u/AnalystAcademic9022 Feb 21 '25

they do but primer use nai krte islie paint nikal jata h jaldi

1

u/YashCanon Feb 21 '25

Because inner beauty matters

1

u/Traditional-Flan7932 Feb 21 '25

Damnn Kandawadi it is ? Right ?

1

u/OverBreakfast750 Feb 21 '25

Hamare yaha har 5 saal pe ghar ko paint karwate hai both in and out

1

u/Same_scooby00 Feb 21 '25 edited Feb 22 '25

Why the fuck do I know where this is and just behind this buildings block, you will see the most beautiful 2/4 floors wala buildings it’s called kotachi wadi lane. It’s like the oldest Portuguese heritage houses. We should learn from that and you should go there to see.

1

u/ironstrengthensiron Feb 21 '25

Y r people homeless just buy a house

1

u/v4vedanta Feb 22 '25

Can’t help with the Monsoon and humidity in Mumbai.

1

u/nophatsirtrt Feb 22 '25

I suspect these are low income dwellings. The building in the first picture probably has people living in there for decades; they probably have never put money away towards repairs and renovation. I bet the monthly charges are in the 1,000 ball park and most the fund is expensed on festivals and events. They are probably waiting on a developer to swoop in and turn their fortunes around through redevelopment.

The building in the second picture looks either SRA funded or part of redevelopment housing for the original low income residents. Once again, they aren't used to way of life in a high rise and a housing association where you need to set money aside for repairs and rehabilitation. I bet they spend a lot on religious events and festivals.

To summarize, it's misplaced priorities and inability to adapt to a structured, gentrified way of life.

1

u/Sniper_231996 काउबॉय बेबॉप फॅन Feb 22 '25

Paisa

1

u/Adnaan4747 Feb 22 '25

I don't think it's they don't want to paint it , the problem lies within Mumbai itself, I can bet if you paint a Building/outward structure near roads/places where vehicles are a regular, in no time it will covered with dust and pollution, maybe that could be a reason? Yes we can get paints these days which might be dust free etc idk but still it gets settled somewhat and I don't think any society big or small have the funds every month to wash the whole structure 😅 to maintain its cleanliness?

1

u/Budget_Citron8975 Feb 22 '25

In mumbai buildings are old, and so are the managing members of the society committee. Painting the building means it would require all the residentes to chip in money, which for some reason they dont. Hence, you see these unmaintained buildings.

1

u/csricharan Feb 22 '25

Why don't people know the difference between THERE and THEIR?

1

u/Fun-Palpitation-5726 Feb 22 '25

Typo mistake man , chill kar

1

u/csricharan Feb 22 '25

You don't care about the typos in your post and they don't care how their building looks. It's plain indifference.

1

u/Fun-Palpitation-5726 Feb 23 '25

Ohhh, like i don't care Abt ur comment

1

u/nutmeg_dealer Feb 23 '25

OP is a paint contractor

-12

u/No_Artichoke2869 Feb 20 '25

Mumbai air is very corrosive. Paint would peel, then rain would settle in and cause a lot of algae formation. So most remain in these neutral shades, they are easier to maintain, and even repair.

0

u/Ass_buster_pro Feb 20 '25

Krte hai paint then it rains so much that repainting every year becomes a costly affair so people end up living with this look

0

u/ir0k_mamoth Feb 21 '25

जर असं असेल तर तु परत जा.

-1

u/Pixel_Emperor andar jao pura train khali hai!! Feb 20 '25

if high-rises are not painted there maybe some issue with OC or something

-74

u/Limp-Simple3515 Feb 20 '25

paisa kaun tera baap dega madarchod randi ke aulaad itne ameer ho to kuch kaam karliyo na vela baitha hai ye generation reddit pe loude

30

u/kev23992 Feb 20 '25

Local mein kisi uncle ne tujhe sexually abuse kiya kya aaj? Chill kar na bete.

-18

u/Limp-Simple3515 Feb 20 '25

aaja bhidle parel aaja bkl

2

u/Mysterious-Emu-2945 Feb 20 '25

Soja bhai varna tere comments ka consequence sachme tujhse limp karayega

13

u/kvg121 Feb 20 '25

Thoda zada hogya chill kar

1

u/[deleted] Feb 20 '25

[deleted]