Only at first glance it seems that the main thing when buying an apartment is to find an opportunity for this. When it comes to the selection process, it turns out that you have to keep in mind dozens of nuances that can affect the final decision. To make it easier to inspect apartments and then compare the options you like, use the checklist. It takes into account the most important points that you should pay attention to when buying an apartment in a new building and on the secondary market.

General checklist for choosing an apartment
Regardless of whether you are interested in an apartment in a new building or on the secondary market, there are general tips for choosing real estate.

Selecting an area
One of the most important issues is the choice of area. You need to take into account not only the cost of apartments in different parts of the city, but also your lifestyle and the characteristics of a particular location.

1. Transport accessibility. Is it convenient to get to the city center, frequent places you visit: work, favorite shopping centers, places of residence of loved ones. Is public transport developed? Are there frequent traffic jams?
2. Ecology. Are there parks and squares, are there any industrial enterprises nearby, what is the level of air pollution.
3. Security. Level of crime, number of fire stations, ambulance stations and clinics.
4. Infrastructure. Are there large shopping, entertainment and sports centers, supermarkets, consumer service centers, cafes and restaurants, kindergartens and schools nearby?
5. Social composition. Is the area densely populated or quiet, are there many new buildings and their number of floors, is there social housing.

We evaluate the house and yard area
If you have decided on an area and started searching, it is important to pay attention not only to a specific apartment, but also to the house in which it is located. These points are equally relevant for the primary and secondary markets.

6. Condition of the house. Are there any cracks on it, wet spots, are there any unpleasant odors, what is the condition of the façade. What is important is the quality of the material of the walls and ceilings, the features of water, electricity and gas supply, the energy efficiency class, and the implementation of the “smart home” system. For the secondary - the year of construction and last major repair, the percentage of wear.
7. Security. Does the house have security, a concierge, surveillance cameras, intercoms, what is the procedure for admitting guests. Fire safety is important: smoke detectors, fire hydrants, ease of evacuation in case of an emergency, the presence of a fire escape.
8. Parking. Is there paid parking, free parking spaces for residents and guests, a “yard without cars” format. In the secondary – how full parking spaces are at different times of the day.
9. Condition of the yard. Is there a children's playground, a dog walking area, places to relax, comprehensive landscaping. Is it clean here: this applies to removing snow, filling bins and trash cans.
10. “Trash question.” Does the house have a garbage chute, how far is the container site from the house and is it fenced, is there separate waste collection, modern buried bins, trash cans in front of the entrance.
11. Elevator. Its presence in principle, whether there is a cargo one, what condition it is in, whether it works quietly.
12. Apartment sites. How many apartments are there on a floor? Are they located in blocks or in a corridor layout format? Are there storage areas (bicycles, tires) on the floor or in other parts of the house. Is there light in the entrance?
13. Management company. Read reviews on the Internet, whether they often complain about high utility bills, whether the management company is associated with scandals or litigation.
14. Compare with other offers. Cost, payment options - is a mortgage possible and on what terms, availability of discounts, functionality of layouts, for new buildings - delivery date.

Purchase of secondary real estate
Buying an apartment on the secondary market has its own peculiarities. It is important to assess the technical condition of the house and apartment and pay attention to the neighbors.

15. Assessment of social homogeneity. This is one of the most important issues, because life even in the most beautiful apartment can be poisoned by neighbors. This can be done based on external signs of the condition of the house: cleanliness on the stairs and in the elevator, the presence of smoking areas, the appearance of windows and doors. If you like the apartment, visit the chosen house at different times of the day and days of the week, observe the life in the yard and at home.

16. General condition of the apartment. How long ago and what type of renovation was done, and what condition it is in now. Assessing the layout, ceiling heights and views from the windows. Is redevelopment possible?
17. Electrics. Check the functionality of sockets and switches.
18. Heating, water supply, sewerage, ventilation. The presence of leaks in radiators and pipes, the condition of plumbing, the quality and quantity of radiators, whether there are heat regulators, whether the meters are automated. Check the operation of the ventilation windows: if you apply a sheet of paper to them with the windows closed, it should “stick”.
19. Windows and doors. Wooden or plastic, panoramic or standard, operability of mechanisms, presence of drafts. Is there a balcony or loggia, its insulation and/or glazing. Is there a metal entrance door and will it be easy? Replace the lock, what is the condition of the interior locks: creaking, swelling, adherence to the jamb.
20. If the apartment is on the first or last floor, gain access to the basement or attic.
21. Equipment. Clarify what remains in the apartment. There have been cases when former residents took away everything, even the toilet.
22. Cost. Clarify whether bargaining is possible, as well as how costs will be divided if the transaction is completed by a notary.

Buying an apartment in a new building
Many of the checklist items listed above are also suitable for evaluating an apartment in a new building, however, there are no less important features on the primary market. For example, choosing the right developer and assessing the potential of the property. There are also frequent cases when, at first glance, a reliable developer actually performs the work poorly, and the declared finishing or technical equipment of the apartment does not correspond to those specified in the contract. In order not to correct the developer’s mistakes at your own expense, at the acceptance stage it is important to conduct a thorough inspection and not sign the act if you are not satisfied with something. In addition to the checklist, take with you to the inspection a flashlight, tape measure, pen, notepad, sheet of A4 paper, marker or piece of chalk, level, photo and video recording equipment. It is better to carry out the inspection during daylight hours so that possible defects are better visible.

23. Reliability of the developer. Basic and one of the decisive questions. It is important to go to the construction site yourself and, if possible, talk informally with the workers.
24. Finishing options. Apartments with finishing are usually more expensive than similar offers without it. On the one hand, this is a good way to save on repairs, on the other hand, you won’t be able to realize your design fantasies.
25. Measuring the area of the apartment and compliance with the finishing documentation.
26. Tightness of double-glazed windows, entrance and interior doors, serviceability of locks and mechanisms, absence of mechanical damage.
27. Quality of plaster, absence of cracks, chips, mold, condensation, distortions.
28. Checking ventilation, plumbing, condition of radiators and pipes.
29. Checking sockets, switches, automatic machines.

30. Listen in the apartment to how noisy the elevator, ventilation, sewerage, and water pipes are. Noise from the street with open windows.

To facilitate and systematize the process of choosing an apartment, such a checklist is simply irreplaceable. You can print it out and take it to each inspection: this will increase the likelihood of a more informed decision.