Ask for a breakdown of what you own, what you share and what you pay towards the building.
Separate the flat from what comes with it
Ask your lawyer to list the apartment, cellar or storage room, parking, share in common parts and any interest in the land. Check how each is described. A marked space in a photograph might be a separately registered space, an allocated use right or an informal arrangement. Ask for the paperwork that supports the description.
For a British-only buyer, ask specifically whether the deed transfers a land share. The practical answer comes from the documents for that unit and the rights attached to it. Ask what would need to be changed or separately acquired if the intended deed cannot be used as drafted.
Get the annual cost in writing
- Ask what the regular service charge covers, who collects it and what you pay if the flat is empty.
- Request recent decisions on major works such as roofs, lifts, entrance repairs and shared heating.
- Ask who pays charges already due at handover and whether arrears affect the unit.
- If you plan to let the flat, ask about the building rules, any operator agreement and the local registration or tax questions your adviser should check.
View the entrance as well as the rooms
Walk from the street to the flat. Check the lift from street level, shared lighting, access to meters and ventilation in internal rooms. If the appeal is a summer view, ask how the flat is heated in winter and which rooms are exposed to damp or noise.
Make a side-by-side note for two flats. Put the purchase and closing costs on one line, the regular annual charges on a second, and any agreed major works on a third. That lets you compare a cheap asking price with a building that costs more to own.