Choosing a long-term home is not an easy task, especially now, when the market offer is as wide as ever. In case you are not completely sure what exactly you expect from the developer of the project, the house itself and its immediate surroundings, Grigoriy Baratashvili, Head of the Sales Department of "Merks mājas", recommends visiting targeted tours, or exploring the multi-apartment projects of interest in person, by signing up for an Open Day, so that representatives of the developer would ask both very practical and "uncomfortable" questions.
1. Is the building energy efficient?
The energy efficiency of the building directly affects the overall comfort of the home and, no less importantly, the amount of utility payments. Inquiring carefully about how the building is insulated, what windows are used and what the heating, cooling and recovery systems are, will save you not only unnecessary anxiety, but also potentially a significant amount of money that could be wasted if the building is not built according to class A or B of energy efficiency standards.
Tip: Ask if the developer plans to do anything extra to ensure the lowest possible utility payments, for example, if they plan to install solar panels or to use other renewable energy sources that could reduce your monthly expenses.
2. What about the sound insulation – will I hear the neighbour having a breakfast?
No one wants to hear how the neighbour prepares breakfast or does yoga in the morning, so it is important to find out the quality of the sound insulation of the building. G. Baratashvili points out that sound insulation in an apartment building is influenced by various factors, including the building materials used. For example, reinforced concrete panel houses are able to provide a better sound insulation than level C specified in Latvian building regulations. Therefore, when purchasing a property, it is important to inquire not only about the decoration of the apartment, but also about the materials used in the construction of the building.
Tip: Remember that the sound and echo in an empty apartment will be much more audible than if the house is already furnished with household furniture. For this reason, the sound insulation quality can best be determined, for example, in the developer's demo apartments, where the living room, bedrooms and kitchen, as well as the bathroom, are already furnished. If conversations can be heard from the apartment next door, then the sound insulation in the apartment is clearly considered poor, however, considering that the purpose of sound insulation is to suppress, not completely "turn off" the surrounding sounds, it is often impossible to completely avoid the hollow music bass and the hum of the washing machine.
3. Who will manage the building?
Managers, i.e. people who will make sure that not only your home environment is tidy and comfortable, but will also provide "first aid" in case of building damage, are an important criterion for choosing a living environment. Also, the building managers are the ones who deal with the use of common areas and territories, so it is important to know what to expect. Finding out what the project developer envisions as building manager will provide an insight into the developer's own quality standards, as well as give an opportunity to investigate in more detail how many and what other projects the manager has, what are the publicly available reviews or complaints, as well as to get an overall impression of it, what life and everyday life would be like in the watched project.
Tip: During the Open Day it is often possible to meet a representative of the managers, so use the opportunity and ask all the questions of interest to the person in charge.
4. Who will mow the lawn?
Apartments that also have a small but private green area are becoming more and more popular, where you can sunbathe in the summer, set up a children's play corner or simply enjoy the evening sunsets. Lawn mowing is one of the practical aspects to consider when choosing a ground floor apartment like this. In order to avoid unpleasant surprises and the necessity to keep a lawnmower in the apartment, it is necessary to find out in time who will take care of mowing the grass and how often will it be performed.
Tip: If you are considering buying a townhouse- type apartment with its own private area, when applying for the Open Day, indicate that you will definitely want to see this particular apartment, so that you can easily make sure that it is suitable for your lifestyle.
5. Will you receive a gift of salted bread from the project developer?
Quite often, project developers offer promotions and special bonuses to apartment buyers right during the Open Days, which are often worth several thousand of euros. Ask the representatives of the project if there is any "salted bread" gift for moving in, such as paid utilities for a year, a new kitchen appliance or anything else that could significantly reduce the cost of moving.
Tip: Also, if the project developer has not reported such promotions publicly, for example on social networks, it is definitely worth asking if they are planned. Very often, those who have signed up for the developer's newsletter are the first to hear about such information, so it is worth finding out in time whether and how to get an additional gift.
Representatives of "Merks mājas" invite you to ask these and other questions during the Open Days of your project. The next one is expected very soon -– on March 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., anyone interested will be welcome at the Open Day of the "Magnolijas" (Šampēteris, Skrīnes iela 6) and "Mežpilsētas" (Mežciems, Hipokrāta iela 24) projects.