calling all apartment owners - any advice appreciated.

easy guv'nor

Hi All,

I'm considering buying an apartment in a complex of about 20-40 (I think).

What should I do research-wise before making an offer?

I'm considering door-stepping some residents of the complex over the next few days to ask about things like sound proofing levels in the walls and ceilings and whether they are happy over all with the development.

Is there any other research I should be doing?

Is there any major pitfalls you wish you were aware of before you bought your apartment?

All replies appreciated,

guv.

beller b

If you tell me the name of the complex & the property managers I'll seewhat I can find out for you. If its outside Dublin I might not be much help though!

Homer J Simpson

easy guv'nor wrote:

Hi All,

I'm considering buying an apartment in a complex of about 20-40 (I think).

What should I do research-wise before making an offer?

I'm considering door-stepping some residents of the complex over the next few days to ask about things like sound proofing levels in the walls and ceilings and whether they are happy over all with the development.

Is there any other research I should be doing?

Is there any major pitfalls you wish you were aware of before you bought your apartment?

All replies appreciated,

guv.

Hi Guv,

My brother owns an apartment and has awful trouble with lack of soundproofing. Maybe a bit of advice would be to view the property after 6/7pm when the neighbours are home from work would give you an idea of noise levels.
From what I have read here on "Boards".... noise pollution in apartments is a big issue.

He also pays 850eur in management fees per year. I know this is standard for all apartment owners but in my opinion could pay for a 1 month's mortgage repayment.

A house may be the better option in the long term.

Regards.

Andrew Duffy

I don't own an apartment, but have lived in them for a long time:

- What type of heating does it have? Electric storage heating is incredibly expensive.
- Have a look at the management company's accounts to see how the fees have been increasing. Have a look at the common areas; if they are clean, with working lights, there's a good chance the management company is up to scratch. If there is a security guard, talk to him - he's there more than most of the residents and will know how often things like gates and intercoms break and if there are problems with the private parking.
- Is the kitchen big enough to house a dishwasher, washing machine and dryer? A combination washer/dryer is annoying, prone to failure and expensive to run as it's pretty bad at both jobs.
- Is the bathroom freshly painted? Apartments rarely have bathroom windows, and this means mildew in copious quantities. It's ugly and unhealthy.
- Smell the built-in wardrobes and examine the walls around windows for mildew. There is a small ventilation strip at the top of the standard steel double-glazed window used in apartments that is meant to be open all the time, but in a city the noise makes a lot of people close them (guilty), leading to mildew problems.
- What type of fire protection does the building have? You'll normally have private detectors in various rooms, but you will probably also have a detector belonging to the building in your hallway. Lots of people tamper with these for some reason, leading to occasional nighttime false fire alarms. An apartment building fire alarm is about as loud as an air-raid siren.
- Does your apartment have another's balcony or terrace below it? If so, you won't sleep well any night your downstairs neighbours have a party. You're unlikely to be able to find out, but the worst upstairs neighbours you can have are ones with wooden floors (actually banned in a lot of buildings), particularly if they have children.

copacetic

Andrew's points above are all good, but it would have to be some apt to have room for a washer, dryer and a dishwasher!!
since it isn't brand new i would assume it just has a washer/dryer and no dishwasher.
this isn't unusual though. newer ones do tend to have a dishwasher if there is room but no seperate dryer, since they take up so much room and very few people have them
in there kitchens anyway, if you had a seperate utility room I'd check that out.

To be honest your best bet is to doorstep the neighbours or hang around at night, the last place I rented I was told there were no problems with security but soon found out there was, had a bike stolen, car broken in to and apt broken in to.
also had a group of kids hanging around the front gate every night for 2 years! they didn't cause much trouble to me but did give the place a bad athmosphere and were found of kicking in the magenetic gates so they could sit inside and shout racist abuse at some people who were renting there.

Another thing to check is how many apts are owner occupied and how many are rented and if any are rented at weekends. I had stag/hen parties in my last development practically every weekend last summer.

if you post the name or hint location of development someone here is bound to know a bit about it..

Victor

daveym wrote:

this isn't unusual though. newer ones do tend to have a dishwasher if there is room but no seperate dryer, since they take up so much room and very few people have them in there kitchens anyway, if you had a seperate utility room I'd check that out.

Its not impossible to have all three.

also had a group of kids hanging around the front gate every night for 2 years!

Water balloons can work wonders.

Andrew Duffy wrote:

- Does your apartment have another's balcony or terrace below it?

Ditto.

Another thing to check is how many apts are owner occupied and how many are rented and if any are rented at weekends. I had stag/hen parties in my last development practically every weekend last summer.

Owners need specific planning permission to have short term / holiday lettings.

RuggieBear

Victor wrote:

.Owners need specific planning permission to have short term / holiday lettings.

really....never knew that.

My parents used to rent out an apt of theirs during the summer on a weekly basis....while looking for more perminant tenants

MorningStar

Really easy things to check up on are:
1) Does the property management company manage any where else? Check with the other places and do a simple search on the company on the net and in the irish courts.
2) What is the current fee and when did it last go up? (they may even tell you what the price is next year).
3) Is there any big main property jobs coming up e.g. new roof
4) Check if there is a residents's comittee, if there isn't after a 5 year period it suggests residents don't get on in some way. Good crowd to tell you what the place is like. AGM minutes would be great.
5) how many tenants are there as opposed to owner occupiers
I'd trust a survey on the property but mr duffy's comments are worth following.

easy guv'nor

some very, very good pointers there I'll be following up on.

copacetic

Victor wrote:

Its not impossible to have all three.

No, of course it's not impossible, just extremely unlikely unless
you are buying a very large and expensive apartment...

HelterSkelter

I recommend reading this thread about the management companies/service charges. Some of them seem to be right cowboys, one specific company in particular. You'd do good to avoid buying an apartment they are involved in.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=133336

easy guv'nor

The apartment I was looking at was in "Burgh House" on Patrick Street by the way - "Burgh House" seems to be one of 5 or 6 similar complexes on the street.

Having spoken to some residents and going on some information gleaned from boarders I'm having serious second thoughts.

Anyone care to add anything else?

the_syco

Victor wrote:

Water balloons can work wonders.

So do eggs, esp if you can't clean the outside part of your window. Remember: they can duck and hide, but your windows is a stationary target.

Andrew Duffy

Patrick Street

Visit the area at night. The nearby presence of the Merchant's Quay drop in centre, the worryingly desolate cook street and the park beside the Civic Offices means there are truly frightening numbers of junkies hanging around, shooting up, fighting and shouting. I would never, ever live there.

copacetic

as andrew said above, not the greatest area, but that's why apts around
there and on ushers island are so reasonably priced and it is very close to town.

but security etc would be my main concern in that area.

easy guv'nor

don't think the area would put me off - more of a bonus getting somewhere closer to the city centre at slightly less than the going rate.