Shruti Chaturvedi on buying a home in Goa at 30: ‘It’s not an investment’

Shruti Chaturvedi is living what many millennials would call the dream — building a life in Goa on her own terms. Born and raised in Ahmedabad, the 32-year-old founder of two businesses moved to the coastal state in 2018 for a work project and never looked back. In a conversation with HT.com, she opens up about her unconventional move, the financial logic behind it, her decision to buy a home in Goa, and the realities — both perks and pitfalls — of living there as an outsider.Shruti Chaturvedi, 32, has put down roots in Goa after living in Gurgaon and MumbaiFrom Ahmedabad to Goa: A move that wasn’t plannedLast week, Chaturvedi shared in a LinkedIn post that despite setting up a home in Goa, she barely spends time there — often less than five days a month — as she travels frequently for work and spends time with her parents in Ahmedabad.So when I asked her why she decided to move to Goa, Chaturvedi candidly replied, “I was born, raised and educated in Ahmedabad. I also started my first company, Chaipaani, in Ahmedabad. So after two years, we had to raise funds. And I also wanted to get out of Ahmedabad once. Ek baar nikalna hai. I had to have a presence outside Gujarat.”Her transition out of Ahmedabad was gradual. She first moved to Gurgaon, then Mumbai. “So two years in Gurgaon, two years in Mumbai. Mumbai is where we closed our funding and grew our team,” she recalled.The turning point came in 2018 during a VC summit in Goa. “I was in Goa for that. I was cribbing about how life in Mumbai is difficult — not for me, but for my team members — and the then-IT miner Rohan Khaunte was passing . He heard me and said, ‘Why don’t you move to Goa?’”The suggestion quickly turned into an opportunity, especially as Chaturvedi’s company soon landed a Goa-based project. “I came here for a project and then the environment and everything was so good that it makes no sense to go anywhere else,” she said.(Also read: Why this Ahmedabad founder keeps a house in Goa despite rarely visiting the place: ‘Even if it’s just for 5 days’)Mumbai vs Goa: Cost, connectivity and quality of lifeBeyond the beaches, Chaturvedi says Goa works in her favour logically and financially — especially given how frequently she travels.“Good connectivity is one of the biggest benefits. I am always one flight away from anywhere in the country,” she said.She also highlighted the stark contrast with Mumbai’s pace. “In Bombay, the time it took for me to go to the airport from my house, in that time I can go anywhere from Goa.”“There are 5–6 flights a day to Ahmedabad every day, 5–6 flights to Mumbai. It made logical sense — you save so much on Mumbai real estate. Even if I take 5 flights a month and stay in a hotel, it’s still cheaper than living in Mumbai,” she said.The cost difference, she adds, is just as significant. Chaturvedi currently pays a little under ₹1 lakh for a 3BHK in Goa, while she paid over ₹2 lakh for a 2BHK in Mumbai back in 2016–17.Moving to Goa, said Chaturvedi, “just made financial sense.”Not an investmentShruti Chaturvedi spent several years living on rent in Goa before deciding to put down permanent roots in the state. “I was in Goa during the Covid lockdown. We also have a small office here for employees who moved to Goa,” she explained.It was about a year-and-a-half ago that she made the decision to buy a house in Goa. “The house I live in is still on rent, and I’ve bought another place which is under construction,” she revealed.The 32-year-old founder is clear on one thing — a house is something she wanted to have, but it’s not an investment.“I don’t consider a house an investment. I just ensured I could afford it,” she said. “My financial planner and my father both told me that the house in which you live cannot be considered an investment — because it’s not liquid money. If I want cash today, it’s not like I’ll be able to sell the house immediately,” she said.Shruti Chaturvedi’s advice to womenChaturvedi acknowledges that homeownership can be difficult for women in the face of familial opposition and societal norms.She also advises women to have an emergency fund in place before thinking of buying a house.“If you don’t have an emergency fund, if you don’t have savings in place, I would not recommend buying a house,” she said. “It is only after you have enough savings, then buy a house. Otherwise renting long term is a better option.”“A lot of women delay the idea of home ownership because they feel buying will be very very hard and very expensive – which is also true. Buying is a far off dream for most millennials and Gen Z with inflation, bad economy and lack of jobs.Renting vs buying“I’d say rent if possible..that is also your ownership, as long as you have autonomy – just living yourself helps you develop a sense of identity, self esteem, you learn all basic life skills, cooking, cleaning, maintaining house’s upkeep.“You make your own community in a new neighbourhood. All this is very important for the development of one’s personality. And preferably before getting married – because then you are not escaping one reality to another, you are choosing to build a certain life because you know what lifestyle you like and not, what you can provide for yourself,” she advised.(Also read: Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath takes a U-turn, buys a house after advocating staying on rent)On living in Goa as an ‘outsider’Chaturvedi is also cognizant of the fact that not all Goans welcome ‘outsiders’ to the state, and can see their point of view too. After her LinkedIn post went viral, she also faced backlash from locals who are opposed to ‘outsiders’ buying property in the state.“I understand their concern — real estate prices have gone up because of people like us,” she said. “We earn Bombay standards and pay Goa standards. But places in Goa then become unaffordable for Goans.”Chaturvedi has found several ways to give back to the state that she now calls her home. One of those ways is creating employment opportunities for locals.“When we came to Goa, we had a mandate that at least 20% of the people should Goans that we hire, she said.Another is giving back to the community.Giving back to Goa“During COVID, we launched a massive volunteer campaign, focusing on oxygen mitigation and other urgent needs. That way, Goans remember me as the ‘oxygen wali’,” said Chaturvedi. The entrepreneur also spends her time volunteering at local animal shelters.“You should be aware if you are living in a certain place and you have an impact on that place. You should try to give back,” she said. “I try to give back as much as possible. And people who move to Goa should also try to do that — don’t be a burden on the state.” and large, however, Chaturvedi’s experience with Goa and Goans has been great.“The air is great. City planning is beautiful. It feels like a cosmopolitan village. Goans are very welcoming, contrary to the narrative. As long as you don’t create nuisance or impose your culture, they are nice,” she said.