27 things you must know before buying or renting an apartment

Finding a house for rent  needs lot to plan, In the case your are planning to buy an will need more planning and precaution. Here are the things which you need to plan before selecting an house for rent or buying it.


#1. Check the Location.
     First check the location where the house is located and how well it is popular. Check if it is in a too remote place or in the heart of the city, the reason being you have to travel that much distance from your work and other places.


#2. Distance from the city.
     Calculate the distance to reach from your house to the city. If the distance is too high, Check whether you have the mode of transport to reach your house. How will it affect your children. It will  be better if your house is some distance away from the city but not in remote area.


#3. Shops & Restaurents.
     Check  the local nearby restaurants and shops available near to your house. Calculate how long will it take to reach your house. This will be important to you for deciding whether to purchase grocerries once a week or often. This will also be applicable for other things also to determine whether you can reach it  easily.
  
#4. Drainage.
    Check whether proper drainage system is available in the roads nereby where you plan to purchase your home. If proper drainage system is not available, then during rainy seasons your area may get floodded with rain water which will make your transportation to your home harder. It will also bring more diseases due to rainwater stagination. The worst  factor is these water  may enter into your home sometimes if your house is in ground floor.


#5. Pleasantness of location
   Also consider whether the area you plan to buy is pleasant. Also check whether it will be more pleased to live for your kids also and to playa round, cycle around. Check whether it is safe for them to move around freely in neighbourhoods.


#6. Security.
     This is a very important factor you have to consider before selecting a house. Check whether the apartment has a security guard hired or not. If not hired then you have to discuss with other tenants to hire one for safety. Check about the current thefts in the area for further evaluation.


#7.  Pollution
   Check the amount of pollution in the area. if the area is in the heart of the city then there will be more pollution. If it is in the outskirt of city pollution will be less. The pollution affects your health also. In the case ofmetropolitan city the pollutions are very high.


#8. Land value appreciation
   Calculate the value of the area after certain years in  future and whether there is a scope for better appreciation should also be considered before finalising the purchase of house. Also check the land value of the nereby flats.


#9. Access to Bus or Train.
      If Bus or train acess is nearer to the house  then it adds more value to the house. Many people find houses near by to bus or train access so that it would be easy for them to move from a place to another. You can also sell it in the future.


#10. Which Floor 
     In these days you cannot build individual houses in a metropolitan city. It consists of apartments mostly. So if your apartment is in the last floor, In hot countries during summer it is hard to live with. So the floor where your flat should also be considered.


#11. Maintainance Charges
   If you are planning to move to apartment, then check on the maintainance cost of the apartment. Usually the more the no of flats in an apartment, the maintanance charges becomes less and vice versa. So this also needs to be considered. Maintainance cost also include water taxes, security fees, other general utilities available in flat,lift electricity, other lightning available in general.


#12. How old is the buiding.
  If the building is older then you should compare it with the price you give and see whether it is worth or not. If you buy some old building you will be stuck up with too much costs to modify the place to make it working. There may be leaked pipes or burnout wires which we will  be able to know when checked in detail.
  
#13. Disturbances nearby.
       Also check whether there are other disturbances nereby. For example there was a bar nereby to my friend apartment which was too much disturbance where always noises and fights are there.


#14. Transportation mode.
    Transportation is a very important factor. You should find whether the house you are moving to and the transportation you have can take you across the city. If you cant be able to reach your place with the mode of transportation you have within the time, then you cannot live there.


#15. Gyms, hospitals, schools nereby.
   If gym, hospitals, school facilities are available nere to your house you plan to move to, then it would be much easier for you to take your childrens to the school, attend in time of sickness and go to gym without too much to travel.


#16. Traffic density.
  Look at the traffic density of the area where you plan to buy the house. If it is more traffic then the time to reach your home from your work. It will also take more time to reach from your place to other places.


#17. Gardens, parks.
    If gardens, parks are in the area where you live then it will be more pleasant to live by. The more greener it is the more pleasent the place will be to live. Childrens will also find it more happier the place to play.


#18. Lifts facility

   If your house is not in ground or first floor, not all the time you can take lifts. So lift facility should be there and also backup generators should be there in the time of power failiures.


#19. Car Parking available.
   Check whether car parking is available and the no of cars which can be parked if you are purchasing a flat. Also check whether it is roof covered and whether it is a common area or a specific place. Common area will be problem in many times, it is better to move to a specific car parking area. In some area you have to pay for the car parking an extra fee while you buy a flat.


#20. Water supply and other amneties.
  You should also check whether water supply is comming correctly in the new area or not. Also check how it is handled if due to some problem there is a big water shortage.


#21. Enquire your Neighbours.
    Before moving just have a casual visit to the flat and enquire about the flats and any problems they are currently facing etc... This will give you a more clear cut idea before moving in.


#22. Enquire about the builders and about the agrement proof.
    If it is a new flat then enquire about the builders of the flat and other details. If you are buying an old one enquire about the agrement and whether it is original or not.


#23. Resale Value/Rent Increase.
  The house you are going to buy should have a good return for you in future. This you can get  by calculating the resale value of the flat after a certain years. If your are renting then there should not be increasing in rent more often which will hit your budget.


#24. Is the sqft enough for your family.
   Will the sqft of the house you are going to move to will accomodate your family now and also in your future. This should be considered before selecting the house. You should not decide this with your current family count, but also with your future family count.


#25. Ask the experts.
   It is better to ask the persons who are expertise in this field before proceeding to move. Just ask for an advise by giving the location and the house you are going to move in.

#26. Write down the features you need first.
   Be clear in what you want and note it down. So while you are visiting a house you can ask them all the points and get clarified, Or else you may forgot some points and remember late only.

#27. Don't compromise too much.
    Don't get compromised after seeing some flats and finalizing the one even if it meets only part of your requirements. Accept only if the features you want is there or else you can always search for another one.


If you have some tips other than this then please put on comments.

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