Questions to Ask Before Buying an Apartment

Buying an apartment means assessing both the home and your share of the building. Review the contract, strata records and inspection findings before committing.

Building condition and costs

Check current levies, the capital works fund, meeting minutes, insurance, known defects, disputes and proposed works. Ask about special levies and foreseeable increases. For a new building, scrutinise the initial budget and the developer and builder’s records rather than assuming delivery dates or low ongoing costs.

An independent building inspection can identify visible defects within its agreed scope. It does not guarantee structural integrity, cover every common area or insure against future defects. Discuss access limitations and any specialist engineering or strata investigation needed with your advisers.

Parking and access

Have your conveyancer confirm whether a parking space is included in the title, granted by a by-law or available through another arrangement. Council parking permits depend on the address and the council’s eligibility rules; the presence or absence of an allocated space alone does not establish entitlement.

Use of the building

Check by-laws, planning requirements and any restrictions relevant to pets, renovations or short-term accommodation. Inspect storage, waste arrangements, lifts, accessibility and noise at different times.

Location and investment assumptions

Review nearby development applications and planning controls rather than assuming a view is protected. Test actual transport journeys. If buying to rent out, compare recent local leasing evidence and allow for vacancies, management fees, maintenance and strata costs. A general market description cannot establish demand for the particular apartment.