Since one of the five apartments in new buildings either has complaints or is not accepted at all, the buyer and tenant need to know well what to look for when accepting an apartment. Projects on the housing market are becoming more and more interesting, but you cannot let the general impression prevail over attention to detail. Almost always, buyers are left alone with their claims to the quality of construction. These are cracks in the walls, and various irregularities, and poorly fitted window frames, and it even happens that people who do not anticipate the housewarming happiness do not notice the absence of counters. That is why information is needed on what to look for when accepting an apartment.
Tips for real estate investors
When permission for commissioning has been obtained (and the developer is obliged to notify shareholders at least one month in advance), future new settlers are sent to receive their apartments. They have in their hands a registered letter with a mandatory list of investments and a notice addressed to each of the participants in shared construction. Now, think about what to look for when accepting an apartment, but the events are so joyful, so exciting! The developer called with congratulations, all relatives have already read the relevant news published by him on the site. And now the day of transfer of ownership is already known, on which the happy owner of a new apartment was recorded. And what was the most important thing to pay attention to when accepting an apartment? Ah, what a view from the bedroom window!
But it’s better not to scoff at people whose hopes seem to be fulfilled. They have been waiting for this moment for a long time. But, most likely, it will happen that you have to wait another time. Unless, of course, they receive timely assistance in accepting an apartment in a new building from real specialists with keen eyes and a cold mind. And such specialists, of course, are. Probably have to wait, and this is good, although quite tired.
In addition to monitoring the construction process, interest holders were waiting in line for the transfer of apartments. Usually it drags on for many months. They are currently building on a large scale, at the same time sometimes even more than one building is rented out, but because someone is invited to the reception earlier, someone will receive their keys later, this usually happens. And the main thing is not to lose your head with joy, but rather to take care to find specialists who can provide effective assistance in accepting an apartment in a new building.
Do not forget the documents!
For acceptance, you must bring along an agreement on shared participation and a passport. In cases where the interests of the buyer are protected by another person, a power of attorney certified by a notary will be required. If the management company expects immediately after acceptance to receive an advance payment for utilities, the future tenant is notified in advance. There is a law according to which the first installment is taken immediately for the first four months, this is a necessary measure for the management company to initially work with.
From the moment a house is commissioned, time will flow quickly, and there are time limits when an apartment can and should be accepted. If after receiving the notification more than two months have passed, and the shareholder has not appeared to sign the act of acceptance of the apartment, the developer has the right to draw up this document individually, and the transfer will be considered valid, despite the unilateral procedure for this event. This is the worst, because in this case the tenant will correct all the deficiencies at his own expense.
Acceptance Dates
The tenant has the right to inspect and study construction defects for a little longer than a week - seven working days, then he must accept the apartment or present specific objections. If you have to accept an apartment without finishing, the whole procedure rarely takes more than half an hour. You need to examine the connection of electricity, water and heating, the quality of installation of doors and windows. If finishing is provided, then there is something to study when accepting an apartment. But in this case, it is unlikely that the entire unprofessional examination will take more than two hours. It is bad if within seven days the shareholder does not show any activity and does not show up. The developer draws up the contract of sale of the apartment and the acceptance certificate. And the law will consider his own obligations fulfilled. We must not forget that the developer not only transfers the keys to his client, but also all the documents for the meters, the operating instructions for this apartment and the wiring plan.
Typically, the client inspects the new housing on their own, does not notice much and calmly signs the acceptance certificate, after which he receives the desired keys. And it would be right to do otherwise. Be sure to need a specialist in the acceptance of apartments in a new building. There will be as many as two such professionals, but these are persons interested - both the representative of the developer and the representative of the management company. Even if they are aware of any problems, they are unlikely to warn an ignorant client about this. In addition to detecting flaws in the quality of construction, a specialist can also help in mutual settlements, about which a special act will also need to be signed. By this time, BTI had already taken all measurements, and if the area turned out to be more, the client is obliged to pay extra, and if less, the relying funds are returned to the current account.
Attention to every little thing
First of all, it is necessary to check all concrete structures and the entire area of the walls. Attention to floor screed, to mounting joints and seams. There should be no cracks or bumps on the surfaces. The ceiling height sometimes does not correspond to the indicator declared in the project, and this also needs to be checked. It is better if there is a professional acceptance of the apartment. Although, almost everyone can check the integrity of door and window structures and the quality of installation: the locks of the hinges and handles should work without hindrance. On balconies and windows there can be cracks, damage to glass, mechanisms when opening and closing, between the walls and windows there are often cracks left by builders.
An expert on the acceptance of apartments can be invited from any agency, they can qualitatively check all engineering communications, with which an ordinary person most often does not cope. Nothing can be overlooked: the fixture of sockets, their operability, even the operation of the call should be checked. In addition, the voltage and strength of the electric current that is supplied to the network are measured. The act of acceptance of an apartment from the developer is signed only after the operation of all meters and shut-off valves has been checked, the presence of thermal insulation on the pipes, the correct location of the sewer tees in the kitchen, bathroom, toilet. The heating system, ventilation is especially carefully checked, as well as the entrance, everything installed on the stairwell and in the room, including fire alarm devices, is examined.
If the apartment is finished
This knowledge is necessary both for equity holders and for those who draw up rental apartments from the owner. If the apartment is finished, objects subject to thorough inspection are much larger. These are wall and floor coverings, wallpaper, plumbing and the like, in a word - everything that is in the room. Acceptance of a new apartment is worth not taking the time to inspect. In the technical description of the object (in the DDU) it is indicated exactly what material should be made of. For example, a steel or wooden door, what class of floor coverings, as well as many other details. Everything needs to be checked by checking this list, any discrepancy must be established before it is too late, because only now you can get the reason not to sign the act.
If the defects cannot be eliminated under any circumstances (for example, the ceiling height does not match), the equity agreement can also be terminated with a demand for the return of not only the deposited funds, but also interest. Such irreparable things occasionally occur, although the state commission must reject the building at the inspection stage due to gross violations. And the buyer may not see such a flaw if permission to put the building into operation is still obtained. For example, it happens that a client has detected a swollen, uneven floor during acceptance. Apparently, the laminate was not laid according to the rules. This defect can be fixed quickly. But with ceilings this will not work. Sometimes, with improperly installed sewage pipes, it is not possible to completely resolve the problems.
Why an expert is needed
Accepted apartment must comply with SNiPs and the contract. Conformity check must be carried out with knowledge of all the rules and regulations, possess not only special skills, but also the appropriate equipment, and it is not so important - whether it is buying or renting an apartment from the owner. How does an ordinary real estate agent check the curvature of the walls, for example? Or ceilings? Only "by eye" or by any means at hand. By the way, future residents generally take care of the unevenness of the walls of the apartment without decoration, hoping to align them during the repair. However, specialists with a professional measuring device can detect the absence of right angles, which is very, very important, and it happens not so rarely. With such walls, neither a kitchen should be installed, nor a normal floor laid, nor a baseboard. Correcting this is expensive, in one room, repairs can result in thousands of a hundred. And if you determine such a defect during acceptance, the developer will eliminate it, therefore, there is a huge saving.
There are many firms providing expert services. There are specialists in some large real estate agencies. Inspection is not too cheap, but subsequent repairs will take much more. Therefore, it is better to involve experts with appropriate equipment in the acceptance. They will check the accuracy of the area of the entire apartment, evaluate the quality of construction, identify all defects. You can even measure the radiation background, air humidity, check the drafts with a thermal imager and the absence of places that can freeze in winter, the draft of ventilation ducts is also checked, joints are studied. A specialist can do all this with the help of laser and ultrasonic rangefinders, special plumb lines, levels, anemometers and the like. After an expert review, a documentary report is prepared, confirmed by photographs.
Apartment Acceptance Checklist
People always move to a new building with joy, forgetting at the same time many of the rules that must be observed when accepting new housing. All items indicated in this checklist must be completed. Firstly, it is necessary to conduct an inspection only during the daytime, in daylight, since at dusk it is simply impossible to consider many details, it is also difficult to do this under electric light.
Secondly, it is necessary to evaluate its entrance from all sides: cracked coating, broken tile should immediately alert the client, as this is the first sign that the developer is not attentive to quality. Inspection should be entrusted to an independent expert equipped with equipment. He has the right to draw up an official opinion listing the shortcomings discovered, to make substantiated claims with references to standards and building codes currently in force.
A close inspection on the checklist
Doors and windows should be examined especially carefully, they should effortlessly close and open. Interior doors and windows should also be examined carefully - unnoticed chips and scratches occur, and holes and cracks that are not well sealed with sealant can subsequently be affected by fungus and mold. The tape measures the height of the ceiling in all corners, and the evenness of the walls and ceiling with a building level or plumb. In the same way, the floor is examined. All sockets and switches are checked if the developer has declared their availability. They should be on the same level, not fall out and not hang out. Electricity supply is checked to all future sources. Particular attention is required to ventilation. If something is wrong with her, any problem is solved very difficult. It is better if the defects are eliminated by the developer before signing the acceptance certificate.
Check the water supply and sewage. Nowhere should there be a drop of moisture and rust, and shut-off regulators and valves should work perfectly, easily rotate, and lock securely. The heated towel rail should be stable, not loose. Particular attention is paid to finishing materials, if provided. Everything must comply with the contract. Identified defects are recorded in the inspection sheet (otherwise it is called a claims sheet or a defective sheet). Now the developer will eliminate the shortcomings, and he should do this in about a month and a half. If there are no shortcomings, the acceptance certificate can be signed.
If defects are found
According to realtors in their reviews, eighty percent of cases of inspection by real estate investors by the real estate investors go smoothly, the acts are signed flawlessly, since many do not understand what to look for when accepting an apartment. However, this does not mean that subsequently shortcomings will not be discovered during the direct operation of housing, when it is already difficult to prove anything and it is almost impossible to fight for the correction by the developer of imperfections or inaccuracies. If defects are discovered before the signing of the act of transfer, the shareholder may demand either the elimination of errors by the developer, or a reduction in the contract price, or reimbursement of those costs that the shareholder will incur during repairs on their own.
According to the discovered defects, a defective statement is filled out, the shareholder writes a statement with a list of claims, after which the management company starts work on eliminating the shortcomings. It can be curved walls, broken windows, cracks in someone else's apartment, defects in the floor, doors, idle counters, a littered apartment, and the like. These are all fairly common comments. In the future, even such shortcomings are very difficult to eliminate, although the interest holder still has the right to make a claim. He can do this at any time for three whole years, while operating the apartment. There are guarantees given by the developer: for the construction of the building itself - five years, for engineering and technical equipment - three years.
User's manual
The package of documents that the shareholder receives when transferring the apartment from the builder contains an instruction with the conditions and rules for the operation of this facility, with the service life and the list of warranty times. This applies not only to the apartment, but also to all incoming equipment, even heating radiators and windows are warranty elements. This is a very important document defining obligations. If the operation of the apartment or equipment was incorrect, the tenant will be refused warranty repair.
For example, supporting structures and facades, roofing, walls, double-glazed windows and the like have a five-year warranty period. And heating, ventilation, gas, water and electricity, elevators and garbage chutes - only three. The developer may prescribe a longer or shorter period, but this is rare. The warranty period starts after the transfer certificate is signed, which is why the term expires differently for all tenants. If the developer does not fulfill his obligations, you need to refer to the legislation. In court, the side of the real estate investors most often wins, which is why developers do not run the risk of bringing the case to trial and properly respond to claims made by residents.