How to buy a flat cheaply? Part 2

Everyone looking for a place of their own wants to buy a flat cheaply. To achieve that, though, you need to put effort into finding the right listing and give yourself time to find the ideal property. A professional estate agent can help with this, guiding us effectively through the whole process and finding us flats at the best price.

Compare prices

If we want to buy a flat at the most attractive price, we need to compare several or even a dozen or so advertisements. It is worth checking how much properties with similar parameters cost at a comparable distance from the centre. This way we will see what we can expect from a property in our price range. A good idea here is support from an estate agent, who will assess with a professional eye whether a given property has an appropriate or an inflated price. This will allow us to reject flats that are not worth their price.

A flat from the secondary market – how to buy without overpaying?

First of all, remember that buying a flat on the secondary market involves a number of risks, and if we are unaware of them we can fall victim to them. We are not saying you should not buy this type of flat, but it is worth doing so carefully, preferably with the help of an expert such as an estate agent.

When buying a flat on the secondary market, costs may appear that are not visible at first glance. So before completing the transaction, let us check carefully that the property is not encumbered by a mortgage and that all the documents are in order. Checking the property in the land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta) is an essential practice. Above all, let us verify that the person claiming to be the owner of the flat really is the owner. Fraud of this kind does happen. It is also important to check whether anyone is registered as resident in the flat and to make sure we are not buying a property with a squatter.

The right moment to buy a flat

On the property market there is no such thing as an ideal time to buy. Of course flats are cheaper or more expensive depending on the current state of the country's economy, but their prices do not tend to fluctuate seasonally. However, it can be observed that in summer the largest number of new properties is put up for sale by developers. This is therefore a great moment to buy a property on the primary market. We will have a wide choice of different options.

More sale advertisements also appear in spring. At that time more people are also interested in buying. The situation is similar in December. In these periods you have to expect that the choice of flats will be larger, but the number of interested buyers will also grow, and with it the competition in choosing the right place.

Negotiations

The last element in obtaining a satisfactory price for the chosen flat is negotiation. Unfortunately, for many of us this is quite a challenge, because in everyday life we do not have many opportunities to practise this art, unless we work as salespeople. If not, our negotiating skills probably leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, we do not have to negotiate the price of the flat ourselves. It is enough to ask an estate agent for help, and they will fight for the most attractive price for us.

It should also be remembered that the prices given in listings are always slightly inflated. It is customary on the property market for buyers to always haggle, so you should not agree to the first amount offered by the seller.