There is a wide variety of old construction apartments.
From dormitories to luxurious hundred-year-old structures.
If you are looking for such an accommodation, perhaps this post will be useful for you, in which I will share my experience.
Technical information
I always start inspecting the house from the most important things: the electrical installation, the condition of the pipes, the condition of the sewer stand.
If the electrical installation is older than 20-25 years, if you see old wires (they are often black) – you will inevitably have problems in the future, it is only a matter of time. And installing a new electrical installation is the same as doing half of the repair. And messy electrical installation is the most common consequence of accidents.
Well, there is nothing complicated about pipelines. Old non-plastic pipelines are or will soon be a problem. There are many buildings dating back to the 1960s that still have their original plumbing. I definitely recommend having insurance, it will definitely pay off.
As far as I had to communicate with the plumbers, the Spizis sewer stand has a long service life. Often, even when renovating the house, it is not changed.
I highly recommend leaving convenient access to the drain stand and water inlets during repairs. Because when the time comes to change or when the house is renovated – no one will ask you, they will just break the tiles if there is no other way. It would be best to cover the place of the inlets from the outer wall of the bathroom with a furniture panel, so that you do not have to destroy the bathroom.
Next the walls… The walls will be curved. Well, everything is fixed, but it costs much more.
If there is a large overlap or large cracks in the ceiling between the overlaps, there is little guarantee that they will not reappear after repair. If there is enough height, I would suggest a suspended plaster ceiling with a shadow seam (without a seam the ceiling will quickly crack along the entire perimeter) or a stretch ceiling.
Sound insulation in apartments of old construction is extremely poor. Of course, there are also old buildings with meter-thick walls. Such are more often found closer to the old town. Then you can rest easy. But usually the walls are separated by one block or built with one or two bricks. Personally, I would always do additional sound insulation if there is enough space, and at the same time the walls will be leveled. In my opinion, poor sound insulation greatly reduces the quality of life. Especially if you have a neighbor who likes to play the guitar at night, like I did.
Floor: if the wooden base is cracked – you can’t do anything anymore. The foundation needs to be concreted or remade in some other way. If you put laminate on a wooden base, there is a high probability that the laminate locks will break over time. It is also possible to lay the laminate directly on the ceiling, if it is enough to sand and level the floor. Then don’t skimp on the flooring, because not only your neighbors will hear you, but you will also hear them.
A few observations:
Regarding balconies: if you buy an apartment in an old building that has not yet been renovated, I suggest you check whether there are plans to renovate that house soon. Because if you arrange the balcony, then during the renovation, not only will you have to remove everything, but you will also have to pay for it.
It is probably understandable that repairing an apartment of old construction is much more expensive than equipping a partially finished property. Because, first of all, you need to disassemble, smash and peel everything. Then take care of the construction debris and level the walls, rebuild the partitions. And only after these works, you have an object in more or less the same condition as the partially finished one.
Block houses are the most difficult to repair. First of all, doing the electrical installation is a real horror. A large number of electricians do not even want to start with such work. Leveling the walls is also difficult when the blocks are usually bent in all directions. And the internal block walls cannot be touched, because all walls are “bearing”. But everything is done, but everything costs money.
How to choose an apartment of old construction?
About half of the city’s population lives in apartments of old construction and the secondary market is popular.
Especially when the prices of building materials and construction began to rise, which led to an even higher cost of new construction. Also, uncertainty and risk when buying from developers, rising interest rates, led to a greater interest of buyers in old construction. Although sales in the primary market have dropped significantly, prices continue to rise.
It is really not easy to find an apartment of old construction. First, I would suggest starting with your budget and knowing how much money you can spend. And decide specifically what you are looking for. Do you want to buy an already fixed apartment, or do you want to buy a property that needs to be repaired and arrange it in a high-quality, long-term way and according to yourself. In this case, you need to keep in mind that you will need more of your own money. Because the bank will finance the installation only when the property has already been installed after refinancing (you must definitely consult with the loan managers and tell them your plan right away). This means you will need to have a 20% down payment and more money for repairs.
I would also suggest that you immediately set the boundaries within which you will buy an apartment. In order to make the search easier and in a moment of weakness, when you get tired of searching, you don’t buy somewhere that is not there.
Patience will often be required. Searches can take up to half a year… Therefore, when you know your available budget and when you know where you are looking, I recommend that you immediately order a subscription on the ad portals according to your criteria. Because believe me, when a good object appears on the market, you may really have to compete with other buyers. Usually, whoever meets the seller first has a better chance of buying. Because if there is a lot of interest, the seller gets tired of the calls and consults first with the first buyers.
Before buying, I recommend that you talk to the president of the community or the administrator of the house, because they know about the problems of the house. If you can’t get in touch, just talk to your neighbors. You will learn more than from the salesperson. Maybe there are problems with the roof, pipes, sewage, or maybe your next neighbor will be an antisocial person or an alcoholic across the wall. Such a case would greatly reduce the quality of your life.
What not to buy?
I suggest not to buy corner apartments. Especially if the fifth or first floor is also corner. Due to the fact that moisture from the outside moves inside. And that means there will be mold most of the time. It is not only visually terrible, but it is dangerous to health and there is almost no chance to remove the mold in such a situation. Unless it is a building that has already been renovated and insulated from the outside. The first floors also need to be inspected more carefully. Because moisture can come from below.
The biggest disadvantages of old construction
We would probably rarely see an old apartment building with a neat staircase. Staircases are usually old, the surface is full of wires and cables, different doors and the like. Well, you have to accept that.
Parking problems plague the majority of the population. It is a big advantage if there is city parking on the streets near the house. Street parking permits are issued to registered residents for a small fee. True, the price for the second car is much higher.
In my opinion, the biggest minus is the residents of the house. Well, there are often many angry pensioners in an old house who are unwilling or unable to contribute to the renovation or improvement of common areas. Also, you often cannot avoid antisocial people. This is exactly why I recommended you always talk to your neighbors before buying. Of course, there are also cool neighbors, I hope you will be lucky to get them.
Is it worth buying an old building apartment?
It is still cheaper to buy apartments of old construction than new ones. There are also different locations. And in the future, selling the old home and buying a new one won’t be much of a problem, especially if the apartment is well-repaired and in a good location.
There are certainly good apartment buildings, communities and neighbors. And it is also possible to make repairs. So after doing your homework and putting in the effort, you can definitely find some cool properties.
That’s what I wish for you. And if you would like to invest in real estate, I can be your assistant. From search to installation, to finding tenants and transferring the property to the administrator.