How to choose an apartment?

Where to look, what to look for, what pitfalls to avoid and what is really high quality?

FOR WHO AND WHAT IS THIS GUIDE?

For all those who choose an apartment responsibly and want to share their emotions with a rational assessment of availability, price, quality and comfort.

So how to wisely and happily choose an apartment? Where to start? And what to follow in order not to land in a concrete desert after the promises of developers about "green dream estates"?

It is worth starting by reflecting on your needs, and then wisely approach the choice of investment, and then the choice of a specific apartment. This location, and then the developer's idea for an estate, buildings and development of common areas should be the start on the way to your own apartment.

Dear customers, be demanding! Check out the developers.

8, 10 or 12 thousand PLN per square meter of a "fairy-tale apartment" is usually not the same for different companies. It's worth comparing.

Ultimately, it is the common interest of all of us - the growing expectations of customers towards developers will increase the quality of space throughout the city. So let's demand more!

YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO BUY

The decision has been made - you want to buy an apartment.
It's time to think carefully about what you will be looking for and what things to pay special attention to.

1. WHERE CAN I GET THE INFORMATION?

Be careful with advice from outside. Of course, it's worth knowing as much as possible, but remember that friends who recently bought an apartment had their own preferences and needs. The internet is full of rumors and false opinions. Trust your common sense and feelings - first of all, you should feel good in your new apartment.

2. SECONDARY OR PRIMARY MARKET?

This is a fundamental dilemma. It is worth remembering that the secondary market is the so-called finished product. Ready but made up, decorated by someone else and often at least in need of a refresh.

When you buy from a developer, we get transaction security, we buy a new product. Sometimes there are also specific tax benefits. We have a wider choice, because there are more new apartments than on the secondary market. Finally - the developer provides a 5-year warranty on the apartment for sale.

3. FINANCING

It's best to check your cash and creditworthiness at the very beginning.

It is worth remembering about the various payment methods, e.g. 10/90. It is also worth knowing that flats at the "hole in the ground" stage often have more attractive prices, and they increase with the advancement of construction.

4. LOCATION

Place value? The price is one thing, but the location must also be selected in terms of access to places important to you.

Remember - the distance from the center is not the only criterion. It is worth considering districts a bit more distant from the center or in a completely different area of the city. They can surprise you and save you money.

A good location is primarily a convenient commute to work, school and family!

5. FLAT FEATURES

Locations already selected? There are probably thousands of apartments in them. What features should this dream have?

Terrace, winter garden, reception? Think about how important specific elements are to you. How much are you able to pay extra for them? Be careful - developers often offer a very different standard of building when they sell even similar apartments at a similar price per square meter. Not always prestige and quality must cost nearly 13000 PLN per sqm.

•WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT?

Decide what is most important to you: proximity to services, shops, schools, kindergartens, public transport stops?

•WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

Proximity of services and communication is more important or more peace and greenery? Or maybe you are looking for something that combines both of these features? Contrary to appearances, such investments do exist.

• LOCAL PLAN

It is worth checking the Local Area Development Plan (Local Development Plan) or the Development Study, because in the future the area may change, not necessarily in the direction you want. The developer should include this information in his investment prospectus, and if he does not, you need to be especially careful.

Check it on the city's website: www.bip.krakow.pl

• HEIGHT OF CONSTRUCTION

Tall building, or intimate buildings?
Of course - many people appreciate small buildings. But the number of flats per floor is also important: 10-story buildings can also be intimate if there are few flats. Remember that sometimes a smaller building is a worse view from the windows. By excluding larger buildings and housing estates, you would also give up many potentially very interesting apartments that may be located in such a development.

• STORAGE ROOM

Do you need a storage room? Often a mobile phone is a place that becomes necessary after just a few months of living.

• PARKING

Is parking necessary? Remember that even if you don't need a parking space today, an apartment without a car space may be more difficult to sell in the future. Also check the number of parking spaces the developer provides. If there are fewer of them than flats, you may face difficulties in the future, and the cars will be parked in places not intended for this. It is good if, for example, a developer provides more places than apartments.

• AESTHETICS

How important is the aesthetics of the building to you? Consider how important the appearance of the staircase or corridors is to you. If you plan to sell this flat in the future, the elegant common parts made of high-quality materials will look good even after many years, so the flat will not lose its value. The façade and its durability also mean lower renovation costs in the future and a longer effect of the novelty of the building.

• ANNEX OR A SEPARATE KITCHEN?

An annex or a separate kitchen? A separate kitchen makes it possible, for example, to turn a living room into an additional bedroom. The annex, in turn, will visually enlarge the living room, and the problem of smells from the kitchen can be solved by a well-selected extractor hood.

• GROUND FLOOR?

Consider whether you are considering buying a ground floor apartment. Remember that in many investments, the ground floor is designed in a way that ensures complete privacy and no one will look into your windows.

• DISPLAY OF WINDOWS

Think if the display of windows is important to you. Noon is bright summer sun, midnight is blissfully cool. East windows will let you enjoy the sun in the morning and west windows in the afternoon when you come home from work. However, remember that then the apartment may be warm.

• DISTANCES FROM NEXT BUILDINGS

It is worth paying attention to the distance from neighboring buildings and looking at the windows. In well-planned housing estates, even apartments without a view of the city skyline, at an appropriate distance from neighboring buildings, sometimes offer a view of an interesting and well-kept common space.

IT'S TIME TO EVALUATE WHAT YOU WANT TO BUY

You already know what is most important to you and what type of apartment you will be looking for.

The next step is to compare several developers' offers to correctly assess which one

best suits your requirements.

TRAVEL TIME

Check the travel times from the investment to places important to you. Analyze the situation today and - perhaps - when the new municipal transport investments will be completed. Note that travel time is more important than distance.

AREA

Assess to what extent the area meets your expectations in terms of the amount of greenery, building density or noise level. It is best to check it in person by going to the selected locations.

SERVICES

Check the proximity of important services, shops, schools, kindergartens and public transport stops.

MATERIAL QUALITY

Assess the quality of the materials used in the construction. And not only in terms of their aesthetics. Buying a flat is an investment for years - it is worth making sure that the building will look good in a few years and will not require frequent repairs and maintenance.

Worth asking for:

•soundproofing from neighbors
•windows - are they triple glazed?
•higher standard
•air conditioning
•video intercom
•room height
•coats, plasters
•construction technology of balconies / loggias
•type of railings
•building insulation

Be sure to pay attention to the facade, which many developers save on. Often, the standard by which a developer builds is known from the elevators - firstly, whether they are in low-rise construction, and secondly, how big they are, what quality they are and how fast they move.

CONSTRUCTION INTENSITY

Check the intensity of building development. The size of the plot and the number of apartments in the building on it is information about the living space. For example, if the area of the apartments is 10,000 sq m, and the plot is also 10,000 sq m, it means that when you buy a 50-meter apartment, you are also buying 50 meters of the plot!

COMMON SPACES

Remember that when you buy an apartment, you also buy a share of common spaces that you will be able to use. It is worth checking whether the investment has a planned playground, alleys, greenery, places for bicycles, and maybe something more. Check how many apartments are in a given cage. How many apartments per one elevator and how many apartments are on one floor - you will learn how many direct neighbors you will have.

PARKING

Will there be an underground garage? Be sure to ask for the number of parking spaces and their location. Fewer parking spaces than flats may cause problems in the future.

BASIC CRITERIA

First of all, the apartment should meet your basic criteria - number of rooms, price, floor, layout and shape of rooms, exhibition. However, it is worth considering whether all these conditions are absolutely critical for you. Sometimes it is worth increasing the budget a bit in order to buy the perfect apartment within reason.

APARTMENT METHOD

Of course, the size of the apartment itself will be important. Remember to take into account individual functionalities in terms of individual needs when considering its selection. Many different rooms can be planned on the same space: from the basic ones, such as a living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, to additional ones, which are not so obvious, but can make the use of the same area more comfortable - an additional bathroom or a toilet, laundry room or dressing room. It all depends on how much time you plan to spend in the apartment, what functions you need every day, whether you assume that it will be your only apartment, and whether you are thinking about the next one in the future. That is why the price per square meter is not the only good criterion for assessing attractiveness. Be especially careful of "Price from ..." ads. Usually, it turns out that you will still see apartments that are at least PLN 1,000 more expensive per square meter than those encouraged by the developer in the advertisement.

FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT

Assess the functional layout of the apartment - take into account the most important elements:

• STORAGE

Check if there will be where to put the wardrobes. The place for built-in wardrobes and storage makes it easier to get the impression of spaciousness in the rooms and does not clutter them up.

• ARRANGEMENT OF THE ROOMS

Assess the shape and layout of the rooms. Will there be a place to put a TV and a couch? Will it be like entering the balcony later? Where will you set the table? Is the kitchen too small?

• BALCONY

Ask for the balcony and its size. It is worth having a balcony where you can comfortably place armchairs, and maybe also sun loungers.

• UTILITY ROOM

Additional rooms, such as a laundry room and a dressing room, are also functional, although they often seem unnecessary, and additionally they significantly increase the price of the apartment. However, it is worth remembering that having them significantly increases the comfort of living.

• ROOM LIGHTING

Assess room lighting. The size of the windows has a great influence on them. Large glazing illuminates the apartments regardless of the exposure, weather or season of the year.

TIME FOR A DECISION

At this stage, you already have a shortlist of a few apartments that interest you the most. It's

time to take a look follow them more closely, comparing the most important criteria with each

other. Put your emotions aside for a moment and take a look with the critical eye of an analyst.

Check the specifics (building intensity - we explain what it is and why it is so important - height,

distances between buildings, number of parking spaces) i compare to avoid any unpleasant surprise.

We suggest which factors to pay special attention to attention when choosing an investment and a flat.

download the guide

LIST OF AVAILABLE APARTMENTS

How to choose an apartment?

Where to look, what to look for, what pitfalls to avoid and what is really high quality?

FOR WHO AND WHAT IS THIS GUIDE?

For all those who choose an apartment responsibly and want to share their emotions with a rational assessment of availability, price, quality and comfort.

So how to wisely and happily choose an apartment? Where to start? And what to follow in order not to land in a concrete desert after the promises of developers about "green dream estates"?

Dear customers, be demanding! Check out the developers.

8, 10 or 12 thousand PLN per square meter of a "fairy-tale apartment" is usually not the same for different companies. It's worth comparing.

Ultimately, it is the common interest of all of us - the growing expectations of customers towards developers will increase the quality of space throughout the city. So let's demand more!

YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO BUY

The decision has been made - you want to buy an apartment.It's time to think carefully about what you will be looking for and what things to pay special attention to.

1. WHERE CAN I GET THE INFORMATION?

2. SECONDARY OR PRIMARY MARKET?

This is a fundamental dilemma. It is worth remembering that the secondary market is the so-called finished product. Ready but made up, decorated by someone else and often at least in need of a refresh.

When you buy from a developer, we get transaction security, we buy a new product. Sometimes there are also specific tax benefits. We have a wider choice, because there are more new apartments than on the secondary market. Finally - the developer provides a 5-year warranty on the apartment for sale.

3. FINANCING

It's best to check your cash and creditworthiness at the very beginning.

It is worth remembering about the various payment methods, e.g. 10/90. It is also worth knowing that flats at the "hole in the ground" stage often have more attractive prices, and they increase with the advancement of construction.

4. LOCATION

Place value? The price is one thing, but the location must also be selected in terms of access to places important to you.

Remember - the distance from the center is not the only criterion. It is worth considering districts a bit more distant from the center or in a completely different area of ​​the city. They can surprise you and save you money.

A good location is primarily a convenient commute to work, school and family!

5. FLAT FEATURES

Locations already selected? There are probably thousands of apartments in them. What features should this dream have?

•WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT?

Decide what is most important to you: proximity to services, shops, schools, kindergartens, public transport stops?

•WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

Proximity of services and communication is more important or more peace and greenery? Or maybe you are looking for something that combines both of these features? Contrary to appearances, such investments do exist.

• LOCAL PLAN

Check it on the city's website: www.bip.krakow.pl

• HEIGHT OF CONSTRUCTION

• STORAGE ROOM

Do you need a storage room? Often a mobile phone is a place that becomes necessary after just a few months of living.

• PARKING

• AESTHETICS

• ANNEX OR A SEPARATE KITCHEN?

An annex or a separate kitchen? A separate kitchen makes it possible, for example, to turn a living room into an additional bedroom. The annex, in turn, will visually enlarge the living room, and the problem of smells from the kitchen can be solved by a well-selected extractor hood.

• GROUND FLOOR?

Consider whether you are considering buying a ground floor apartment. Remember that in many investments, the ground floor is designed in a way that ensures complete privacy and no one will look into your windows.

• DISPLAY OF WINDOWS

Think if the display of windows is important to you. Noon is bright summer sun, midnight is blissfully cool. East windows will let you enjoy the sun in the morning and west windows in the afternoon when you come home from work. However, remember that then the apartment may be warm.

• DISTANCES FROM NEXT BUILDINGS

IT'S TIME TO EVALUATE WHAT YOU WANT TO BUY

You already know what is most important to you and what type of apartment you will be looking for.

The next step is to compare several developers' offers to correctly assess which one

best suits your requirements.

TRAVEL TIME

Check the travel times from the investment to places important to you. Analyze the situation today and - perhaps - when the new municipal transport investments will be completed. Note that travel time is more important than distance.

AREA

Assess to what extent the area meets your expectations in terms of the amount of greenery, building density or noise level. It is best to check it in person by going to the selected locations.

SERVICES

Check the proximity of important services, shops, schools, kindergartens and public transport stops.

MATERIAL QUALITY

Assess the quality of the materials used in the construction. And not only in terms of their aesthetics. Buying a flat is an investment for years - it is worth making sure that the building will look good in a few years and will not require frequent repairs and maintenance.

Worth asking for:

•soundproofing from neighbors•windows - are they triple glazed?•higher standard•air conditioning•video intercom•room height•coats, plasters•construction technology of balconies / loggias•type of railings•building insulation

Be sure to pay attention to the facade, which many developers save on. Often, the standard by which a developer builds is known from the elevators - firstly, whether they are in low-rise construction, and secondly, how big they are, what quality they are and how fast they move.

CONSTRUCTION INTENSITY

COMMON SPACES

PARKING

Will there be an underground garage? Be sure to ask for the number of parking spaces and their location. Fewer parking spaces than flats may cause problems in the future.

BASIC CRITERIA

APARTMENT METHOD

FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT

Assess the functional layout of the apartment - take into account the most important elements:

• STORAGE

Check if there will be where to put the wardrobes. The place for built-in wardrobes and storage makes it easier to get the impression of spaciousness in the rooms and does not clutter them up.

• ARRANGEMENT OF THE ROOMS

Assess the shape and layout of the rooms. Will there be a place to put a TV and a couch? Will it be like entering the balcony later? Where will you set the table? Is the kitchen too small?

• BALCONY

Ask for the balcony and its size. It is worth having a balcony where you can comfortably place armchairs, and maybe also sun loungers.

• UTILITY ROOM

Additional rooms, such as a laundry room and a dressing room, are also functional, although they often seem unnecessary, and additionally they significantly increase the price of the apartment. However, it is worth remembering that having them significantly increases the comfort of living.

• ROOM LIGHTING

Assess room lighting. The size of the windows has a great influence on them. Large glazing illuminates the apartments regardless of the exposure, weather or season of the year.

TIME FOR A DECISION

At this stage, you already have a shortlist of a few apartments that interest you the most. It's

time to take a look follow them more closely, comparing the most important criteria with each

other. Put your emotions aside for a moment and take a look with the critical eye of an analyst.

Check the specifics (building intensity - we explain what it is and why it is so important - height,

distances between buildings, number of parking spaces) i compare to avoid any unpleasant surprise.

The decision has been made - you want to buy an apartment.
It's time to think carefully about what you will be looking for and what things to pay special attention to.

Remember - the distance from the center is not the only criterion. It is worth considering districts a bit more distant from the center or in a completely different area of the city. They can surprise you and save you money.

•soundproofing from neighbors
•windows - are they triple glazed?
•higher standard
•air conditioning
•video intercom
•room height
•coats, plasters
•construction technology of balconies / loggias
•type of railings
•building insulation