Must-ask Questions Before You Finalize on a Luxury Apartment

Now, that you have decided to buy a luxury apartment, it’s important to invest your time and carry out the necessary homework around the luxury real-estate market. Firstly, the easiest way to do research is using the internet. There are many real-estate discussion forums and groups in social-networking sites such as Facebook or Quora, where you can post questions related to the luxury home market. All you need is basic networking skills, and you can easily evoke informative answers from “virtual” friends.

Apart from posting online queries, it’s important for you to have in-person interactions with people in real estate. For example, you can set appointments with sales people from various real-estate companies and get a quick view of the prices and deals.

Besides, it’s important to draw impartial advice from people who are experts in the market. In that respect, you may meet real-estate advisers, brokers and agents who are known to enlighten many on the market and share a few tips on finding the best deals in the city.

All the interactions, be they virtual or in person, will help you to avoid apprehensions about the big investments you’re about to make. However, there are ways in which you can prepare yourself and ask better questions to understand the market of luxury apartments.

Before the final plunge, let's quickly run through some common questions that come to everyone's mind…

1. Is the project title clear? 
2. Has the project got the required approval? 
3. What is the total cost of ownership? What is the monthly maintenance cost?
4. Which other costs are included along with the registration fee?  
5. What are the highlights of the project? 
6. How great is the aesthetic value of the building? Is the building design in sync with your concept of a luxury building? 
7. What are the key amenities showcased by the builder? 
8. According to you, what are the most desirable amenities of a luxury apartment?
9. How good are the views from balcony and living room?
10. Are concierge services available? 
11. How far are the conveniences?
12. Is the price affordable for you? 
13. What’s the overall reputation of the builder in terms of deliverability, quality and finish?
14. What’s the actual size of the house? 
15. Is there a model apartment or an occupied flat that you can visit?  
16. What is the compensation offered if the possession gets delayed?
17. Is there an option to customize the interiors when the building is in construction phase?
18. What are the luxury amenities provided by the builder? Are they at par with amenities in luxury projects being built by other builders?
19. What is the overall prospect of the price trends in the given locality?
20. What is the probable return on investment for the given project?
21. If the apartment is already occupied, can you check the opinion of current owners about the property?
22. How is the locality connected to other parts of the city? 
23. Is there easy access to public transport facilities?
24. Apart from the main features, what are subtle aspects of the project which make it unique? For example, the floor-to-ceiling height, common wall sharing, number of apartments in each floor or block, number of elevators in each block, fire safety precautions, etc.

Closing note...

Here is one suggestion to prospective luxury home buyers – don’t believe everything that sales reps say. Try to go beyond their words and the glossy brochures. Carry out a good research on your future home as the pay-out is big and it’s an important decision in your life.

This is a Guest post by Seema Mohta, who has over 7 years of experience within Real Estate Industry. She has worked with Various Real estate companies and has Good knowledge about property trends, Investment, Apartments in Sarjapur