Your own flat/apartment is a sacred thing, so before buying it you should make sure that nothing disturbs this holiness. For this to happen, we should take care of the basic things and check them before signing the purchase document. Therefore, we are publishing a short guide for you, what should be checked so that nothing comes as a surprise.
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General condition - from the staircase to the basement. In the apartment itself, you should first of all check the condition of electrical installations, walls and parquet. In the case of new apartments, this is not a problem, but if we buy from the secondary market, we should take a good look at it. Heating deserves a separate look, especially in tenement houses or older buildings, the newer ones are mostly connected to the municipal network. So if we decide to purchase an apartment from the secondary market, we should ask what kind of cooker is in it - electric or gas, or another. Each of them has different characteristics, and thus entails different consequences.
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Location and planned investments - first of all, the closer to the city center, the price per square meter will be much higher. Secondly, it is worth reviewing what are the expansion plans for the area in which we want to live. It may happen that there will be a highway or railroad tracks near our block. It is also worth checking the proximity of basic points, such as: grocery stores, tram stops, swimming pools and gyms. Location very often defines what we really need.
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Rent - we must remember that we will pay administrative costs regularly, therefore we should add them to the cost of housing. If the price per square meter seems low, let's check the cost of the rent - it may turn out to be much higher than we assumed. It is worth asking the ownerof the flat to provide monthly costs for heating, water or electricity. In addition, you also need to check what fees are charged by the housing community - these amounts may vary by up to several hundred zlotys.
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Possibility of expansion - not every room layout can be changed, and this is an important factor if we are going to convert or modify the apartment in the future - for rent, or if the number of tenants changes. Therefore, in order to facilitate future renovations and extensions, it is worth checking how far we can go in our plans so as not to damage any structure. If we are also interested in a garage, parking space or some common space - e.g. a garden, we should also communicate it.
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Neighbours - the possibility of checking this factor exists mainly in the case of secondary market apartments, when purchasing the property from a developer, we do not know who will live next to us. This is important because, as you know, it is worth living in harmony with your neighbour - a good neighbour can be invaluable help in many matters. On the other hand, a troublesome neighbour can effectively hinder living and functioning in this common space. It will therefore be a good practice to talk to your neighbours before buying and read more generally about the district or specific building.
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Reliability of the seller - this is an extremely important point, although it seems obvious. If we buy an apartment from a developer, it should be carefully checked how many projects have been completed, what are the clients opinions, generally everything that will help us maintain the conviction that it will fulfill its obligations in accordance with the conditions set out in the construction contract. In the case of a real estate agency or a private seller, you should do the same - read reviews, check previous transactions (if possible), and rely on your own intuition - just judge whether we trust a given representative.
