You are about to buy a house or apartment and have not yet determined your selection criteria. To ensure that your investment is really beneficial to you, take the time to clearly establish the foundations of your project, defining your wishes and needs. In this way, you will give yourself every opportunity to look in the right directions and avoid some unnecessary visits.
Planning: a purchase for the medium or long term?
All the decisions you make when buying will depend on how far in advance you project yourself. If you are looking for a home to start a family, you will logically position yourself on a surface (square metres) that exceeds the space you need at the moment T. On the other hand, if you are entering a transitional phase, you should focus on what you need today.
“All the decisions you make when buying will depend on how far in advance you project yourself.”
Find our ads on:
Define the type of property: house or apartment?
The advantages and constraints differ in a house and an apartment: the first alternative offers real independence and more privacy, while the second pleases those who wish to remain connected to the city, while enjoying the reassuring presence of directly close neighbours. Often, future owners start their research knowing exactly what they want. However, we advise them not to close themselves to all opportunities, as they can dream of a house and find an apartment that will suit them completely (and vice versa).
Positioning yourself on the market: new or old housing?
Two completely different markets are competing with the future owners: the old one, which is considered more accessible, and the new one, which is considered to be a safer investment. In practice, a new home will be worth more than an old one, for an equivalent size.
However, when you buy an old home, you sometimes have to do renovations that inflate the bill, although energy renovation provides access to some financial assistance. A new apartment, already ready for moving in, reassures even more. Thanks to the 10-year guarantee, it covers buyers for many damages for a 10 years period.
Some old homes, perfectly renovated, quickly attract buyers: you can move in without even planning any work! New real estate, on the other hand, pleases for its comfortable services (electric roller shutters, home automation, elevators in buildings, aesthetic fittings).
The higher purchase price can be offset by the energy savings resulting from better insulation and tax incentives available to investors (VAT and reduced registration fees).
Identify mandatory and prohibitive criteria
Finally, before you start looking for your future home, make a list containing the “pluses” you absolutely want – and the “minuses” or disadvantages that you will never accept to deal with. The reflection concerns both the surface area and the number of bedrooms, the lighting in living spaces (exposure), the presence of a private outdoor space, the heating mode or the possibility of parking one or more vehicles nearby.
“Make a list of your expectations.“
To help you define the basis of your purchase project, do not remain alone: real estate professionals will be able to guide you and give you the right advice to better position yourself at the time of the research.
