How to choose an apartment to buy
Due to high real estate prices, many Ukrainians buy an apartment once in a lifetime, and they save for it for many years. That's why buyers try to approach the issue of choosing an apartment with all the responsibility: they study the criteria, take into account all the nuances, etc. Thanks to the information in this article, you will be able to make the whole process a little easier and find out what exactly you should pay attention to when choosing an apartment to buy.
Planning to buy an apartment: what are the first steps?
The very first question you should ask yourself when you think about buying an apartment is why you are buying a home. The purpose of the purchase determines which option is better to choose. If it is a home for a family, you should look to the future and think about whether it is better to give preference to an apartment with a larger area. If the apartment is being bought for an adult child, then it won't hurt to let him or her in on the selection, since he or she will be living in the apartment. Real estate can also be purchased for rent, in which case the selection process will be different. Therefore, the purpose of the purchase is determined first, and then the selection criteria.
Another important point is budgeting. Potential buyers should immediately determine the optimal amount of money they can allocate to buy an apartment. It is best to calculate two amounts: the first is the desired amount for which they would like to buy a home, and the second is the maximum amount they are willing to spend if there is a good option at a higher cost. This will help avoid stress in the process of selecting real estate.
When determining your budget, it is also important to understand whether it meets your personal expectations of an apartment. To do this, it's a good idea to consult a realtor who can help you navigate the condition and location of the apartment you can buy for the specified amount.
Choosing a neighborhood to buy an apartment: three important criteria
There are people who know exactly what neighborhood they would like to live in. Most often, these are those who were born and raised in the neighborhood or have already lived there in a rented apartment. There are also those who are guided by the feedback of loved ones and trust their opinion. But still, many buyers are not so clear-cut when choosing a neighborhood for their future residence. In this case, you should pay attention to three important criteria that will help you decide on a location.
Infrastructure
Quite often, people choose an apartment based on certain infrastructure facilities. It is not at all uncommon for parents to buy a home near their children's school. However, it is also important that there are grocery stores and supermarkets, pharmacies, medical facilities, a kindergarten (if you have a small child), sports or playgrounds, parks, etc. near the future home. It does not hurt to pay attention to the availability of parking lots if the future homeowner has a car.
Transportation
For many people, transportation infrastructure can be a decisive factor: the proximity of a metro station or public transportation stop. If you have to commute to work five days a week, few people will want to walk a long way to the bus stop or take three transfers to get to the office. This criterion is especially important for those considering buying a home in the Kyiv suburbs.
Safety
When choosing a location, families with children take into account not only the level of infrastructure development and transport accessibility, but also safety. If a neighborhood is considered unreliable, it is unlikely that a couple with a child will want to settle there. If you like several residential areas, you should personally visit them several times at different times of the day and evaluate the number of passers-by, street lighting, proximity to a highway, the presence of sidewalks, high-voltage power lines, industrial enterprises, the saturation of the area with eateries and recycling centers, etc.
New building or secondary market: which is better to choose
The situation with housing demand differs in different regions of Ukraine. In Kyiv, the demand for primary real estate is growing, but many people still buy properties on the secondary market. Some people consider new buildings more comfortable for permanent residence, while others choose the secondary market because they think old houses are more reliable. Each option has its pros and cons.
Advantages of buying an apartment in a new building:
favorable cost per square meter when buying a home at the initial stage of construction;
high quality of construction with the right choice of object - with insulation, modern windows, new high-speed elevators;
new communications - no need to think about replacing pipes and wiring;
autonomous (from the boiler room) or individual (from the boiler in the apartment) heating and the opportunity to save on utility bills;
freshly renovated entrance and common areas;
landscaped territory.
Among the disadvantages of new buildings is the possible lack of infrastructure if the house is built in a new neighborhood. Also, when buying an apartment in a building under construction, there is a risk of construction delays. In addition, developers often sell apartments without any repairs or with a rough finish, meaning that you will have to spend time and money to bring the property into a habitable condition. In addition, the neighbors will do this as well, which guarantees noise and dust for a fairly long period of time.
Advantages of buying secondary housing:
more affordable real estate prices compared to similar properties in the primary and secondary markets in the same area;
quick move-in, as the apartment is already sold with renovation and often with furniture;
developed infrastructure;
wider choice of apartment options;
there is no constant noise from repairs.
There are also disadvantages - old houses were built 50-70 years ago, when no one insulated them, so the apartment may be cold. Second-hand houses have already worn out communications, so you may need expensive repairs to pipes or wiring, which may not be able to withstand a large number of modern electrical appliances. Heating in an apartment on the secondary market is often centralized, so you have to pay a significant amount for it in winter. The condition of entrances, elevators and grounds often leaves much to be desired.
Apartment parameters: what plays an important role when buying a home
Location, year of construction, and nearby infrastructure are not all the criteria that are important when choosing an apartment to buy. There are many other parameters that will help you decide whether you should opt for this apartment or look for other options.
What characteristics play an important role when choosing a home to buy?
Number of rooms. When choosing the number of rooms, you need to consider how many people will live in the apartment, whether you are planning to have a child or may already have children, and how old they are, whether they are of the same sex or different. A one-room apartment is suitable for single people, students, young couples and parents of adult children. Families planning to have a child most often choose 2-room housing. If there are 2-3 children, 3-room real estate remains a popular solution.
Layout. When evaluating a particular apartment, it's best to try to imagine how to live in it - whether there is enough space for everyone, how you can put furniture, where someone's room will be, whether there is a corner for working remotely, whether it will be convenient with a combined bathroom, whether you need a balcony, etc.
Floor. Middle floors remain the most popular solution. But because of this, prices for apartments on the middle floors are usually the highest. You can find good deals on the first and last floors, but you need to be prepared for the fact that it can be cold downstairs in winter and hot upstairs in summer. However, these floors also have advantages, for example, the first floor is not tied to an elevator, and the last floor can offer a beautiful view.
The view from the window. This parameter is not important for everyone. More rational buyers are more likely to pay attention to the state of repair and the size of the property, while for more emotional people, the atmosphere of the apartment and the ability to watch the sunrise play an important role.
The state of repair. If the buyer plans to renovate in the near future to create an interior that matches his or her vision, then you can choose an apartment with old renovations, thereby saving money. If you want to move in and not think about renovations in the coming years, it is better to overpay a little, but find an option in good condition.
In addition to these parameters, you should also pay attention to the condition of the entrance, the availability of parking in the yard, the possibility of playing with children in the area near the house, etc. If possible, you should find out who lives in the neighboring apartments to avoid potential conflicts with noisy and dysfunctional neighbors.
Inspecting an apartment: what to look for
When inspecting an apartment, you should be especially careful because sellers often try to distract the buyer and hide the flaws in the property so that they don't have to give up the price. Here's what to look for:
the general condition of the home - whether there are signs of flooding by neighbors from above, mold on the walls, unpleasant odors, etc;
communications - whether you will have to change pipes, plumbing, heating radiators, electrical wiring;
lighting - which side of the light the windows face, whether the apartment will have enough natural light;
insulation - whether the owners have insulated the apartment and with what material, whether the insulation is not coming off when viewed from the street;
entrance doors - how long ago they were installed, how reliable and warm they are;
furniture and appliances - what furniture and appliances are left to the buyer and what the seller plans to take away.
If you like the apartment in general, but have doubts about the quality of communications, you can negotiate with the seller and invite specialists to assess the future financial investment in the renovation.
Preparing for the transaction: what documents to check before buying
Regardless of whether you are buying an apartment in a new building or on the secondary market, it is important to properly prepare for the transaction, i.e., check all the seller's documents. The seller may be a developer or a private individual.
When buying an apartment on the primary market, there is a risk of getting an unreliable developer, so it is important to check the documents carefully. It is worth asking the seller to show a license and permit for construction work, a lease agreement, or a land plot ownership certificate. It is also important to ask the developer about financing schemes. The best way to assess the risks of working with a particular developer is to contact a real estate lawyer.
If you like an apartment on the secondary market, you should ask the seller to show the following documents
passport and identification code (if there is more than one owner, passports and TINs of all owners);
documents of ownership - purchase and sale agreement, certificate of ownership, certificate of inheritance, inheritance agreement, life care agreement, exchange agreement or court decision;
technical passport;
certificate of registered persons;
extract from the Unified State Register;
a real estate appraisal report.
If the apartment was purchased in a marriage, you will also need your spouse's written consent to the sale of the property. Additional documents are also required if you have minor children registered in the apartment or if the property is mortgaged.
Buying an apartment: why it is better to contact a real estate agency
Buying a home on your own without the involvement of specialists is not uncommon. However, in the absence of experience in buying real estate, there is a serious risk of missing important points and ending up buying the wrong home. At the same time, people turn to a real estate agency not only to reduce risks but also to save their time.
Here are some of the main reasons to entrust the selection and purchase of an apartment to an agency:
Saving time - the buyer voices all the parameters that are important to him, and the realtor looks for suitable options, studies them and only then invites the client to view;
Saving money - the agency has its own database of objects, which is often not publicly available, which increases the chances of finding interesting and profitable offers;
minimum risks - the agency employs not only realtors, but also lawyers who are responsible for the legal purity of the transaction and reducing the risk of fraud.
If an apartment is purchased as an investment for subsequent resale or lease, the agency can provide a full range of services: arrange the purchase, and then find a buyer or tenant on favorable terms for the client.
Contact Mayak Real Estate Agency to make the process of choosing an apartment in Kyiv or Kyiv region as comfortable and fast as possible.
