Buying guide for condominium

Hello,

I am planning to buy an old building apartment. It is a ground floor apartment with a garden, built in 1910. In general, the house gives me a solid impression, but I will still have it inspected by a building surveyor. To possibly save time and costs here, I would like to ask you a rather simple question: How long will the old building last? The entire house was completely renovated 7 years ago and makes a good impression. I would assess the exterior building fabric as good, only at the front there are about two cracks approximately 30cm long from the ground up, which were patched with a kind of white filler. The basement is dry, but the wall surfaces are very porous. Is this a problem?

I would be really grateful for an answer

Best regards

so the crystal ball is how long the house will still stand. The expert is definitely the right way. He will be able to answer this better for you on site.

Some half-timbered houses stand for 400 years

Hello,

..... In general, the house gives me a solid impression, but I will still have it checked by a building inspector.

The idea of a building inspector is certainly very good. However, these are mostly pure "building substance experts" and usually have no knowledge of system technology and overall energy efficiency.
When purchasing, you become a member of an owners' association, whose respective conditions are quite significant.
Tip:
Have the sizing documents for the installed heating technology presented to you.
Why is this apartment being sold?
Best regards

When purchasing a condominium, the same care should be used as when buying a complete property. Engaging an experienced appraiser in old buildings, who can assess the structural condition including the building services and the renovation work carried out, is the right approach. The appraiser should be an architect or civil engineer and able to evaluate a building as a whole, not just in individual trades.

In a renovated old building, the insulation standard, energy consumption, and quality of the renovation measures carried out, which are often not professionally executed, are of particular interest. For a condominium, soundproofing to the neighbors (adjacent buildings) and the neighboring condominiums in the building should also be examined. Often, only poor impact and airborne sound insulation is present here, which can significantly impair the quality of living, especially with wooden beam ceilings. The documents related to the condominium, concerning ownership rights and the internal relations of the owner's association, must also be reviewed.

The life expectancy of a residential building is only limited to 80-90 years for real estate appraisers in terms of calculation. With a good basic structure, sufficient maintenance measures, and professionally executed conversion and modernization measures, the lifespan can be several hundred years. Solid constructions are naturally more robust than wooden or half-timbered buildings.

...and definitely have the minutes from the last 5 years of the owners' meeting shown to you. That is very important!

The statements should also be requested here.

This way you can see whether measures/repairs have been carried out/planned and how much your new dream has cost in additional expenses compared to the other apartments. As well as how much money is in the reserve fund. The portion paid by the seller MU? must remain in the house fund.

The documents are also readily available from the administrator, just no false shame!!!!!!!!!!

I hope this helps you and good luck with the new home.

Best regards Heiko, who also bought such an apartment 12 years ago and knew NONE of this...