Realtors and lawyers advised to carefully check the documents when buying a “secondary housing” and forget to get to know the neighbors. The experts interviewed by RBC named the main mistakes in real estate transactions in the secondary market.
The most common mistake in the Est-a-tet real estate agency was called ignorance of real housing prices – a buyer who is poorly guided in the market situation risks overpaying for an apartment. “Many sellers now still expose apartments at overpriced prices, and it is very important to understand that this price is not always justified,” said Yulia Dymova, director of the agency's secondary real estate sales office.
Experts considered another mistake to be an incorrect estimate the condition of the apartment – if it is sold at a reduced cost, then most likely it has problems. To avoid buying a home with a defect, you need to carefully examine it for hidden flaws.
Lawyers advised to think in advance about repairs in the purchased housing – most old objects require alignment of the walls, replacement of plumbing and electrical equipment. It often turns out to be more profitable to buy an apartment with an initially good finish than to carry out major repairs on your own.
The third mistake was an insufficiently thorough check of the legal history of housing. If there are “nuances”, such as disagreement with the privatization of the apartment of underage residents, the transaction can be subsequently challenged. In addition, when buying an inherited apartment, other relatives may suddenly start claiming it.
The fourth mistake is a superficial check of real estate for illegal redevelopment. The technical passport of the BTI or the floor plan of the house with an explication will help to find out the legality of the redevelopment – these documents must be requested from the owner and the current state must be verified with them independently or with a realtor.
“If the redevelopment was carried out incorrectly, then this is already a reason for bargaining with the seller, even if the buyer is satisfied with the redevelopment and is ready to legalize it,” said Natalya Nechaeva, head of the city real estate department at NDV-Supermarket Real Estate. According to the expert, the future owner of the apartment has the right to demand the restoration of the original appearance of the living space.
Another mistake was called the acquisition of housing in a dysfunctional entrance with noisy neighbors. First of all, lawyers advise to pay attention to the condition of windows and balconies of nearby apartments, as well as to check the elevators and entrances – they must be clean and without inscriptions on the walls. You can also try to get to know your neighbors in person and talk to the concierge beforehand. In addition, it is necessary to study the infrastructure – the availability of clinics, grocery stores, kindergartens, parks, and others.
Earlier, realtors called the main mistake of renting real estate Russians signing an incorrectly drawn up contract. The real estate expert advised to abandon document templates from the Internet and urged to independently prescribe all the rules for living in a rented apartment.