Buying your first apartment can be nail biting. Whilst Kiwis have Pavlova Paradise-style property ownership etched into their DNA, there are many more questions to add to an apartment checklist.
The standard tick boxes on a home buying checklist are the same for a standalone home or an apartment. Location, location, location, is often number one, followed by size, aspect, off-road parking, shops and services, transport links and clear title.
Other standard must-haves might include transport, retail, restaurants and bars, says Matt Baird, projects manager at Barfoot & Thompson.
It’s over and above all these standard checks that buying an apartment can be a little more complex. Your lawyer will need to check disclosure statements, body corporate rules and minutes, and checked if there are outstanding adjudicator’s orders or defects in either the common property or unit.
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Then ask yourself what the security will be like? Will you be happy walking there at night? Are there strong smells from local restaurants?
Other potential items for the checklist include:
Consider glazing and air conditioning. Older single glazed apartments with no air conditioning can be very hot indeed. Andrew Murray, director of Apartment Specialists says one apartment he lived in was so hot he barely needed to wear more than his undies. Newer apartments are more likely to have air conditioning and double glazing, says Baird. Some body corporates will allow you to retrofit heat pumps and double glazing.
Get the lowdown on rubbish. There are two issues here. Baird says to find out if there are noisy rubbish (or recycling) trucks doing nightly rounds at 2am. Murray adds that the opposite can also be a problem. Some body corporates don’t have the rubbish cleared sufficiently often, which can become smelly.
How close is the supermarket? If you don’t plan to have all your groceries delivered and/or like to pop out for ingredients, then it’s worth checking how close the nearest supermarket is. Auckland’s CBD has two main supermarkets: a small New World in Queen Street and a larger Countdown on Quay Street.
Are pets allowed? Most new buildings allow pets, says Murray. Those over 10 years old may not, so it’s worth checking.
Where is the nearest nightclub? Unless you’re a night owl or party animal you probably don’t want a nightclub next door. Murray experienced the boom boom of a karaoke bar near to one of the three apartments he has lived in so far.
How will you get your furniture in? In some buildings the lift and fire escapes aren’t very wide, making it difficult to move furniture in. You can, of course, start afresh with furniture designed with apartment buildings in mind. Murray is about to move into apartment number four and will have to have his furniture craned onto the balcony.
How many tenants live on the same level? This can be important if you prefer to live beside owner occupiers, says Murray. Another question is whether the body corporate allows short term lets. You may want to let the property on short term rental sites. Or you may object to neighbours doing the same.
Ask for committee meeting minutes. Ask to see and check carefully all body corporate committee meeting minutes, says Baird. You’re looking for suggestions of issues such as leaky building syndrome that may not have made it all the way to an annual general meeting.
Meet with the body corporate committee. This is especially important in smaller boutique buildings, says Murray. These people have a lot of control over what you can and can’t do how much you will pay in levies and what that money will be used for.
Meet the building manager. The manager may live in or be contracted to the building. Either way he/she is a source of useful information that may help you decide if this is the right building for you.
Your own personal needs. What facilities and amenities are there? asks Baird. Do you want a gym onsite, or other amenities? Do you need a storage locker? Or, says Murray, you may need an electric vehicle charging point. Everyone will have their own personal requirements.
