Accommodation: Avoid purchasing an one bedroom or studio type of accommodation (unless you are in a resort area) since you will have problems on resale. Prefer to get hired accommodation rather than think that you will sell your one bedroom unit and buy a larger one in the future.You may well find that selling the one bedroom flat is problematic. Flats most in demand are the three bedroom (around 120-130 sq.m.) and two bedroom (70-100 sq.m.) ones. This state of affairs is fluid however and changes from time to time and from location to location. In resort areas the most marketable accommodation are the compact one and two bedroom flats.
Services: Experience has proved that it is difficult for co-owners to agree on the common servicing of the blocks. It is therefore advisable, especially if you are buying in a large block, to prefer to buy where the block has the lowest common services bill. Central heating has proved to be a major problem and the cause of many quarrels amongst co-owners. Avoid, also, flats which have common hot water facilities.
Prices are usually quoted as pounds per sq. metre. It is important, however, to ascertain the square metres of which area you are paying for. Certain developers include part of the common areas (staircases, lifts etc) while others include the verandahs and so on. If therefore, you are shopping around for the right price, make sure that you are comparing the same area.
In addition a 1.5%-2% is payable for the structural design and 0.3% for structural supervision. If you are at a loss as to the choice of a suitable consultant, seek the advice of the Registrar of the Association of Architects & Engineers (all licenced architects must be registered). Please bear in mind that in case of large buildings you may be able to negotiate a lower fee (as also in the case of repetitive work).
Quality: In all advertisements for the sale of flats you will find the word luxury. What is luxurious accommodation may be far distant from what you will get however. If the flat you are buying is not ready, have your property surveyor go through the specifications of the materials and finishes so that he can explain their meaning to you.