Buying an apartment can be very stressful for most people, since it is one of the most important decisions in your life. That’s why you need to make sure to gather as much information beforehand.
Here are some general questions you should always ask before buying an apartment:
-What are the ownership costs?
-Who is the developer and builder?
-Who is the strata manager?
-What’s the parking situation?
-What developments are being built nearby?
-How close is it to public transport?
-What local amenities are nearby?
-What is the quality of the internal fittings and fixtures?
-Is the building available for Airbnb?
QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN VIEWING AN APARTMENT
These can be even more important since in many cases, the apartment you’re buying is an used one and the last thing you want, after spending so much money on a property, is discovering that there are serious works that need doing to the property.
Ensure you ask:
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUILDING ITSELF:
-Year of construction of the building?
-Is the building earthquake-proof?
-Energy class of the building?
-What is the actual use of the building?
-Is the building planned to be a multi-apartment building?
-Is the apartment registered in the Land Registry?
-Is the Land Registry “clean”? Does it have any seals, mortgages, …?
-Does the building have any functional land?
-Is GURS data organized?
-Does the building have a garage? Does a parking spot also come with the apartment?
-Was the intended use always housing? If not, is there a construction permission to chance purpose?
-How big is the reserve fund? How much money is there?
-Have the façade and the roof been chanced?
-Who is the manager of the building and who takes care of the surroundings?
-What changes are expected in the near future regarding the building?
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APARTMENT:
-Who is the owner of the property and is he/she the sole owner?
-What is the total area and what is the usable area?
-Was the original floor plan the same? And if not, did you need to obtain construction permission and/or consent of other residents?
-What are the improvements that have been made and what was renovated (don’t forget about pipes, installations etc.)?
-In which direction of the sky is the apartment facing?
-Is the air conditioner installed the right way?
-What kind of heating does the apartment have? What is the sanitary water heated on?
-What are the average costs in winter and summer months?
-When will the apartment be ready to move in?
This might seem like a lot of information to gather, but you need to ask these questions. You have to garner as much information as possible, because it is a lot of money that you could potentially end up wasting.
