Sometimes it seems that to buy an apartment you only need to find financial means. However, when it comes time to choose the future housing, it turns out that you need to remember a lot of nuances. If nothing is taken into account, it is fraught with problems in the future.
In order to buy future housing was easier to navigate and do not forget anything important, use these tips that take into account all the most important aspects of the process.
General tips for choosing an apartment
It does not matter where you are going to buy an apartment – in a new building or on the secondary market: everywhere there are advantages. In addition, there is also a list of common moments that should be taken into account.
Area selection
First of all you need to choose the area where you want to live in the future. Here you should take into account not only the cost of housing, but also the characteristics of living in a particular place. Such factors should be noted:
- Traffic interchange. How convenient it will be to go to the city center, to work, to friends and relatives. It is necessary to study the features of public transport, traffic in peak hours.
- Environmental situation. Whether nearby there are green areas, parks, places for walking. How far away are the plants, what is the index of pollution in the area.
- Safety. Crime rates, fire brigades, emergency medical facilities and hospitals.
- District infrastructure. Presence of large malls, fitness clubs, shops, repair shops, cafes, nurseries, kindergartens and schools.
- Density of the district, contingent of residents. This affects the number of new houses and their floors, the availability of social housing.
Study the house and the near area
After you have chosen the area, you should start looking for a house in which you would like to live. Here you should pay attention to:
- The condition of the building. To study whether the house has cracks and wet spots, to valuate the condition of the facade. Separately it is worth inspecting the walls and floors, study the features of communications, energy efficiency indicators, the presence of a smart home system. In the case of buying an apartment on the secondary market, you need to know the year of construction of the building, clarify the percentage of wear, find out when the last time major repairs were made.
- Safety. You should find out if there is security or concierge. Also important is the presence of video surveillance and intercom. Smoke detectors, fire hydrants and emergency escape ladders should be installed in the house.
- Free parking. Paid parking may be available nearby. Please clarify whether there are free parking spaces for residents. Or in the yard you can not park at all. When choosing an apartment on the secondary market, you should pay attention to the capacity of parking.
- The condition of the local area. Near the house should be a playground, a place for walking dogs. It would be nice to have a place to rest, a green zone. It is also necessary to understand how often the garbage is removed, how and who is engaged in snow clearing, who is watching the territory.
- It is necessary to clarify whether there is a garbage chute, how far away is the garbage collection place, whether it is fenced. Take note of such factors as the ability to sort garbage, the installation of modern tanks, the presence of urns before the entrance.
- Does the house have an elevator, its condition and noise level during work.
- The platforms in the entrance should be clean and well maintained. Mandatory lighting. Is there a vestibule in front of the entrance to the apartment, is there a storage room between the floors.
- If the house has a contract with the management company, then you need to study the information about it, find out the cost of payment for the utility, the quality of the work of the workers of this house in general.
- You do not need to hurry to buy the first available option, it will be better to study other. If necessary, you need to clarify the possibility of buying an apartment in mortgage.
Buying an apartment on the secondary market
When buying an apartment on the secondary market you need to remember many aspects:
- Who lives in the house. Be sure to know everything about future neighbors. For this you can inspect the house from the outside, valuate its well-being. There should be no unpleasant smell in the entrance. If you like any apartment, it is recommended to talk to your neighbors first. And also inspect the house and the entrance at different times of the day and night to make sure the right choice.
- There should be no problem with the deed to the apartment. It would be useful to know how many people had been registered and discharged from the apartment, who was the owner and whether the children were registered. It is also necessary to clarify the existence of utility bills and possible unregistered rehousing.
- It is necessary to valuate the condition of the housing. See the height of the ceiling and the view from the windows. Find out if it is possible to make a redevelopment.
- Valuate wiring status and needs to replace.
- Should carefully check the performance of all communication systems in the apartment.
- Valuate doors and windows, make sure that they do not need to be replaced. If the apartment has a loggia or balcony, they should be insulated and glazed. It is desirable that a reliable and robust front door be installed, on which a new lock can be placed in the future.
- In case the housing is located in first or last floor, it is also necessary to inspect the attic and basement. It is necessary to make sure that the pipes and roof do not leak, no mold.
- You should know what the owner will leave after the sale. Often there are cases when leaving the apartment, the former owners remove interior doors and even sockets. Meanwhile, availability and condition of furniture and household appliances directly affects on market value of the apartment.
- Find out the price, evaluate the apartment. Talk to the owner about whether he can discount the price. It is also necessary to clarify who and how will pay for the execution of the transaction. It is not always better to share all the associated costs equally. After all, the seller’s taxes can be significantly higher than the mandatory payments of the buyer of the property.
Housing purchase in the primary market
Most of the tips given are also relevant for choosing an apartment on the primary market. But there are important nuances about how to evaluate the apartment in the new building, that need to be considered. For example, you should choose a reliable developer, and conduct not only real estate evaluation as such, but also its potential.
It often happens that the developer makes poor-quality repairs, uses cheap materials. In this case, the interior decoration is not done in the way specified in the text of the contract. In order not to do repeated repairs yourself, you do not need to sign the contract of reception of the apartment, if anything is not satisfied. In order not to correct the errors of the developer at your own expense, it is important to carry out a thorough inspection at the stage of the apartment. After all, as you know, the condition of the apartment directly affects on its market value.
When buying an apartment in a new building you need to:
- Choose a reliable developer. You should learn as much as possible about it, so that in the future there were no unpleasant surprises. You can personally visit the site. If there is an opportunity to communicate with the builders.
- You can profitably buy an apartment as with repair, as without it. In this situation, everything depends on the personal wishes of the buyer. The apartment with finishing can be moved in immediately. But, if you do the repair yourself, you can realize unique design solutions, make the redesign and use only the best materials.
- Measure the area of the dwelling, check whether the repairs and materials used for the fit-out conform to the original contract.
- Check the tightness of windows, smooth opening and closing of doors, the quality of operation of locks. There should be no visible defects or damage.
- Check the quality of the finishing work, no different chipping or cracks. Walls, floor and ceiling should be level. There should be no condensation or mold in the apartment.
- Test ventilation system performance, check plumbing, batteries and evaluate all other communications.
- Check the quality of installation and operation of all switches and sockets.
When buying an apartment the main thing is not to rush. Weigh all the pros and cons of each of the options. Guided by these simple tips, you will easily be able to evaluate and choose a good and reliable apartment that will become a comfy home.
