Purchasing an apartment is one of the most serious decisions in your life, that’s why it's worth taking the time to think it over properly. Hence, we have to define the most important criteria for us - what will make us feel good there? At the very beginning, however, it is good to consider what is the purpose of this investment ? Is it supposed to be a flat planned for starting a family? Then we will certainly focus on factors other than buying a space for rent, or just the place for ourselves. Therefore, if we define the purpose of the apartment well, it will be much easier for us to take the next steps.
A flat from the primary or secondary market:
This is one of the key decisions - the primary market guarantees us that we will be the first users of the purchased space. If, in addition, we decide to buy an apartment at the very beginning of a development investment, we will be able to find a flat that best suits our needs. Another advantage is the aesthetic determinant - first of all, apartments from the primary market are characterized by modern construction adapted to the current needs. It also gives us the opportunity to arrange the apartment in our own way - without throwing out, demolishing and cleaning the traces of use of previous tenants. Thanks to this solution, we can also count that the neighbours will be people with a similar lifestyle, those who are also looking for a new place for themselves. Finally, it is worth mentioning that it is much easier to sell an apartment from the primary market (assuming that we have properly cared for it). On the other hand, the secondary market is a proposal that is definitely more financially advantageous, it allows for greater flexibility in negotiations. The transaction is also carried out immediately, we do not have to wait (as in the case of a developer) for the completion of the investment. We can also get familiar with the immediate surroundings better - neighbuors or urban land development. Our apartment is also already furnished and ready to move in, which allows you to take advantage of it immediately, regardless of your tastes.
Both variants have their advantages and disadvantages, of course, it all depends on what we are looking for. The primary market is currantly a very popular proposal, along with developing urbanization, which is expanding the urban area with each passing year. On the other hand, the secondary market is often the only option to buy an apartment in a historic tenement house in the city center or another historic district.
Price:
It is the price that really determines what kind of apartment we can afford. However, we should allocate the amount that we will spend not only on the property itself, but also on the factor related to it - i.e. renovation, possible replacement of furniture or all other cleaning works. In fact, most of the investment will involve additional costs - when buying a new apartment, we have to furnish it, and the one from secondary market usually requires replacement, at least enough to adapt it to our preferences. The price also depends on other factors - location or number of rooms. Therefore, it is worth considering whether, for example, we want an apartment in a better district but with a smaller number of rooms, or in a theoretically worse location, but guaranteeing us more space.
Location:
Before purchasing a property, it is also worth taking a closer look around the area. First of all, check if there are (or are to be) points of interest nearby, such as a tram stop, gym or school, depending on what we need. The infrastructure should also be adapted to the lifestyle we lead - closer to the center we will find more places related to entertainment, or more broadly speaking, an active lifestyle, and by choosing investments on the outskirts, we will be able to enjoy greater peace and quiet. It is also worth reading what investments are planned in the coming years - because it may turn out that a beautiful view of the meadow will turn into a concrete desert or a cluster of blocks after a few years. The same applies to the construction of highways and railroads, before buying, you should check that the planned construction is not close to our final place of residence.
Rooms::
You should take into account the layout of the apartment and adjust it to your preferences. First of all, remember that if we decide for a combined common space, e.g. a kitchen with a living room, we will not be able to change it later. If in the future we want to sell an apartment or rent it, we will have to take this factor into consideration. You should also check which side of the world the different parts of the apartment face, e.g. the bedroom should usually face west, so that the sun does not wake us up in the morning, and the kitchen to the east, so as not to heat up in the evenings.
Therefore when choosing an apartment, it's not worth being guided by the first impression. Even if we like a flat very much, we also have to admit rational thoughts and check the things mentioned above.
