For many people, purchasing an apartment is the first step on the ladder, and for many of these people, it is because they cannot stretch their finances far enough to purchase a house. However, unlike purchasing a house, which is relatively straightforward, purchasing an apartment can need a little more attention and thought.
#1 Security
Depending on whether you are looking to move into a converted building, or a purpose-built block of apartments will determine whether there are security measures in place. For many purpose-built apartments, there are already security measures in place, such as the gated entry on site and key code entry into the building itself. However, some older buildings that have been converted into apartments may not feature these luxuries.
#2 Parking
Checking out whether parking comes with the apartment is another area to look into as most couples or families have two or more vehicles, and of course, there is always the addition of where your visitors are going to be able to park when they come to see you.
Most apartments come with one or two allocated parking spaces and some also offer a very limited number of visitor parking slots, which are shared between the whole block, but some do not come with this at all. You will need to make sure that there is plenty of roadside parking available for your guests or a public parking lot nearby and that the roads surrounding your potential apartment are not restricted or parking permit only.
#3 Hidden Costs
For some apartments, there are hidden costs, such as maintenance charges, for communal areas like gardens, halls, stairwells, and the exterior of the building, along with parking lots. These charges can be extra monthly, quarterly, or yearly bills, separate from the purchase price that you will be paying, and could very well be inflated or increased with little notice, so be sure to check with the real estate agent before signing any contract.
#4 Moving In
Moving into an apartment can be a different and exhausting experience from moving into a house, regardless of whether there is an elevator or if it is just stairs. Dealing with narrow corridors can be overly stressful, especially when moving large items into your new home. This is where you can make your move easier with Shiply and their experienced and specialist apartment movers. This means that you will be able to relax and concentrate on the more exciting side of your move, such as the layout and how you are going to want your new home to look once everything is unpacked and in place.
Final Thoughts
There are vast differences between moving into a house and moving into an apartment. Being aware of some of the important factors when you are looking at apartments will save you the hassle and embarrassment of falling in love with a property, purchasing it, and then finding out that there are very limited parking facilities or none, and that the total lack of security is going to make you frantic with worry and not feel safe. Then, there are hidden costs that could very well fall at your feet and make a sound investment suddenly an unaffordable nightmare, should sign your contract with your eyes closed. Not only this, but you should think about how you are going to move into this new apartment, and whether you are going to need assistance or take the plunge and try to do it yourself.
