Buying an apartment, step by step

Buying an apartment only looks complicated until you break it into small steps. Below is the whole journey, in the order things actually happen, so you always know what comes next.

1. Start with the budget, not with the listings

Before you fall in love with a sunny kitchen, put your numbers on paper. You need three: the down payment you have saved, the monthly instalment you can carry comfortably, and the reserve for the costs around the transaction.

Costs on top of the asking price usually include the notary's fee, the land-registry fee, an agency commission where one applies, bank fees if you borrow, mandatory insurance, and the move itself. Amounts vary and change over time, so ask the notary and the bank for an estimate up front.

2. Decide what you are looking for

Write a short list of what you will not compromise on (number of rooms, area, floor, parking) and one of what you would trade away. A flat in a new building and one in a 1970s block, in the same neighbourhood, are two different products: the first costs more per square metre, the second often has larger rooms and a more central position.

If you are not sure what fits, start with a broad search and narrow the filters as you learn the market.

3. Search systematically

Set up alerts for your criteria and check the market once a week, not once a month. In sought-after areas good offers disappear quickly, and the advantage goes to whoever gets to the viewing first.

Always compare the asking price with similar apartments in the same area. For a quick second opinion, the valuation tool gives you a free estimate in seconds.

4. View with your eyes open

At a viewing, look past the furniture. Check:

• structure and walls — cracks, damp, stains on the ceiling;
• installations — water pressure, the fuse board, the state of the radiators;
• windows and doors — condensation between panes, frames that will not close;
• the building — stairwell, roof, basement, lifts;
• the surroundings — noise, parking, what is being built nearby.

Ask the building manager whether there are outstanding debts, whether works are planned, and what the maintenance charge is in winter. Go a second time, at a different hour — light and noise change a lot between morning and evening.

5. Check the paperwork before any money moves

Ask the seller for the title deed, a recent land-registry extract, the energy performance certificate and proof that there are no unpaid maintenance charges or utility bills. The notary verifies the legal status of the property, but the sooner you ask, the sooner you learn whether there is a mortgage, a dispute or a usufruct right attached.

If the apartment is in a new building, also ask for the construction acceptance documents and the land-registry status.

6. Negotiate and sign the pre-contract

Negotiation is not only about price: you can discuss the handover date, which furniture stays, and who pays what. Once you agree, it goes into a pre-contract (a promise to sell) that states the price, the deadlines, the deposit paid and what happens if either side backs out.

Never pay a deposit without a signed document and without proof that the seller is the owner.

7. Signing at the notary and registration

On the agreed date you sign the sale contract before a public notary. If you use a loan, the bank transfers the money directly to the seller after signing. The notary then registers your ownership in the land register.

From that moment you are the owner. What remains is administrative: moving the utility contracts into your name, informing the owners' association, and declaring the property to the local authority for tax purposes.

One last piece of advice

Do not rush out of fear of missing out. An apartment bought after three weeks of careful checks is almost always a better deal than one bought in three days.

Rules, fees and banking practice change. The information here is indicative — always confirm the details with your notary, your bank and official sources before signing.

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