Buying an apartment, tips please

john the one

i'm hopefully going to be looking at apartments to buy within the next 3 months and need some advice.

Is it ok to knock into the neighboring apartments without the estate agent to ask them about the sound proofing, area etc?

Should i try and pet viewings when the other apartment owners are likely to be in so i can try listen out for noise leaking through.

I know that a late night drive by on a Saturday is a must to see if any teens or kids hang around etc but what else should i be looking for that will turn me off or on to an apartment?

I'll most likely have a plumber with me to check on boilers etc but whats the best type of heating system?

Finally, do first time buyers still not pay stamp duty??

Thanks in advance!

riclad

http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/stamp-duty/rates.html

try and get a unit in the corner of the building ,less neighbours =less noise.
Maybe on the top floor ,
no one lives above you so theres less noise.
Go after 6pm, see can you tvs, noise from neighbours .
I think gas central heating is best ,
boiler should be serviced every 2 years.
see what tv service is there, upc,sky,
is there broadband ,is there a phone line connection in each unit.
is there security doors, intercom door system.
Some places have a communal satellite dish on the roof,
one connection to each apartment .

awec

You should figure out what rooms it is that are connecting, i.e. does your bedroom share a wall with the neighbours bedroom or what is the exact floor plan.

Obviously figure out what way the balcony faces, and whether or not there are other high buildings nearby that are going to block your sun.

john the one

awec wrote: »

You should figure out what rooms it is that are connecting, i.e. does your bedroom share a wall with the neighbours bedroom or what is the exact floor plan.

Would i want a bedroom connected to another bedroom or to a sitting room?

awec

john the one wrote: »

Would i want a bedroom connected to another bedroom or to a sitting room?

Hard to say. Depends on insulation and noise I guess. Do you want to hear your neighbours headboard banging off the wall?

Our apartment (we don't own it) only joins kitchen to kitchen which IMO is perfect.

john the one

awec wrote: »

Hard to say. Depends on insulation and noise I guess. Do you want to hear your neighbours headboard banging off the wall?

Our apartment (we don't own it) only joins kitchen to kitchen which IMO is perfect.

depends on if shes good looking....guffaw!

I suppose kitchen to kitchen is the ideal set up.

Is it ok to knock on the nieghbours door to sus them out, ask them if they rent or own etc?

awec

john the one wrote: »

depends on if shes good looking....guffaw!

I suppose kitchen to kitchen is the ideal set up.

Is it ok to knock on the nieghbours door to sus them out, ask them if they rent or own etc?

The person selling should be able to tell you the floor layout I'd have thought.

Things I would personally also look at based on years of apartment living:

1. is there storage of any kind, cause most Irish apartments truly suck at this
2. does it come with parking and is the space allocated or a free-for-all (also is the car park secure or accessible to anyone)
3. Is the washing machine connection in the kitchen? If the kitchen / living room is open space will this be annoying when the washing machine is on and you are trying to watch TV or have guests?

A minor one for me would be the availability of guest parking. Also whether or not you can open any external doors from within your apartment via an intercom, or if you'll have to go down and open it yourself (could get annoying!).

Mrs OBumble

What are the annual management fees?

Who is the management company, what level of service do they provide?

What information is provided about the financial status of the management company, and the size of their sinking fund. (especially important if the place has a lift). I don't know what, if any, information you're entitled to here, but this sort of stuff is critical to find out, IMHO. Even if the answer is "ahh, there isn't one" - you need to make sure that the apartment price reflects any risks you might face around this.

tom_tarbucket

john the one wrote: »

Finally, do first time buyers still not pay stamp duty??

Thanks in advance!

First time buyers have to pay stamp duty now - at the rate of 1% up to 1 million.

athtrasna

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Who is the management company, what level of service do they provide?

Pretty sure you mean who is the management agent

riclad

Whats the level of security.
can anyone walk thru the main entrance,
is there car parking,
can you get a car parking space ,in sight of where you live.
do you have to pay for your own parking space.
is the building being maintained properly.
is the grass cut.
places with lifts and underground garages tend to have high service fees ,
vs a smaller
place with 5 storeys,
stairs and no lift .

P. Breathnach

I'd look for the latest accounts of the management company. Personally, I'm comfortable with reading and interpreting financial documents, but if that is not your realm, ask the advice of somebody who understands that stuff. Look in particular at the size of the sinking fund and the level of arrears of management charges.

Check on the parking arrangements, and don't take the EA's word for it. They often don't know, and rather than admit it, give the wrong answer.

I wouldn't be comfortable with knocking on a random neighbour's door. It might annoy them, and you might ask the wrong neighbour anyway. I have stopped people who are moving around the development, asked them if they were residents, and engaged them in conversation. The best informants (most forthcoming) tend to be those who are a little older - say 40+. The twenty-somethings might be the problem neighbours.

In general, I prefer developments where the number of units sharing one entrance is small.

Most Irish apartment developments are not really suitable for families. If you are looking in such a development, be cautious if you see much evidence of children.

P. Breathnach

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

...
What information is provided about the financial status of the management company, and the size of their sinking fund. (especially important if the place has a lift). I don't know what, if any, information you're entitled to here, but this sort of stuff is critical to find out, IMHO. Even if the answer is "ahh, there isn't one" - you need to make sure that the apartment price reflects any risks you might face around this.

Most EAs are not good about supplying financial information about OMCs, but the accounts can be obtained from the CRO for a nominal fee.

johnnyskeleton

Have you lived in an apartment before? If not, id advise you do so to get a feel for it. Ideally, you should try to rent in a block that you might buy in.

With airbnb all over the place now, you cojld easily get a room for a few nights in mist apartment blocks for a few hundred quid and this will give you a good feel for the place as well as a potential neighbour to chat to about any problems etc.

I lived in 4 different apartments in the same development before I bought. Needless to say I fairly well had the measure of them!

john the one

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Have you lived in an apartment before? If not, id advise you do so to get a feel for it. Ideally, you should try to rent in a block that you might buy in.

With airbnb all over the place now, you cojld easily get a room for a few nights in mist apartment blocks for a few hundred quid and this will give you a good feel for the place as well as a potential neighbour to chat to about any problems etc.

I lived in 4 different apartments in the same development before I bought. Needless to say I fairly well had the measure of them!

thanks for the answers guys. I have lived in a few apartments so i know what to expect really, im not looking for much, somewhere clean, quiet and in a nice enough area is all, Using Airbnb is a very interesting idea! i may just do that!

Carawaystick

Have a read of the leasehold contract. Understand all the obligations you will take on.

Mrs OBumble

athtrasna wrote: »

Pretty sure you mean who is the management agent

I agreed with you at first.

But thinking again, I mean both.

The agent matters.

But knowing how the management company is functioning matters. Knowing who are the directors matters.