Checking out apartment living before buying
Checking out apartment living before buying
There are rich pickings to be scooped up at present as
apartment prices plummet.
Expatriates and locals are turning to the comfort and
convenience of apartment living, which offers the added selling
point of security following the May unrest.
Yet, the old adage of "buyer beware" is still good to keep in
mind.
Most apartment owners run above-board operations and fulfill
their promises to tenants. But the few bad apples can spoil
apartment residents' dreams and turn them away from the idea of
living with their "head in the clouds".
As with all purchases, prospective buyers' best defense is to
check out the wares for themselves.
Visit the apartments and verify that everything promised in
the glossy marketing brochure is actually to be found on the
site, not just in the master plan.
* SECURITY: a major concern of most Jakartans today after the May
riots and an upsurge in crime amid the crisis. Of course, each of
us has our own personal security quotient.
Investigate the security system. Are there security guards in
the parking lots? Do they note the occupants of vehicles when
they enter? Is the lobby secured against nonresidents?
Are guests and delivery people required to register? Can
nontenants gain access to the elevators without prior screening?
Some apartment complexes have sophisticated security systems,
including cameras and sensor cards restricting access to
facilities to residents and employees only. Ask the marketing
agent to show you how they work; they should be happy to do so if
the gadgets are in working order.
Inspect your apartment for safety-lock windows (also important
if you have young children), alarms and secure doors. Is there a
door peephole so you can screen visitors?
Not all apartment security systems are created equal. Some of
the most recently built upmarket apartments offer video screening
of guests and a phone line designated for reports of security
disturbances.
It is also advisable to survey the surrounding area. Questions
to ask yourself and others familiar with the capital include the
area's crime rate and its access to major thoroughfares and toll
roads in the event of trouble.
Without harping on gloom and doom too much, you could ask the
management if it has any contingency plan in the event of renewed
unrest. Prevention, after all, is better than picking up the
shattered pieces afterward.
* SAFETY: examine carefully all the safety aspects offered by the
building.
Are there fire escapes, fire alarms and a sprinkler system?
Are they in building corridors and/or apartments? Do the
elevators and stairwells include fire extinguishers?
Does the security team know what to do in an emergency? Do
they have regular drills on fire evacuation? How would residents
be informed of a fire or other emergency?
Ask the management and, better still and if your Indonesian
skills suffice, find out from some of the security guards
themselves what contingency plans are in place for emergencies.
* AMENITIES: promises need to be kept on both sides of the
tenant-apartment management relationship.
You are forking out good money for your apartment, and the
management is obligated to keep its end of the bargain.
The sweet-talking marketing agent may promise the earth but
reality requires him or her to cough up with the goods.
Guaranteed a microwave but none in sight when you inspect your
new apartment? Get down to the nitty-gritty and make the manager
set a date for when it will be installed, with the understanding
that its continued absence may lead to changes in your own
commitments. Playing hardball may be the best approach to getting
what you paid for.
Be on the alert for signs of wear and tear. Are there cracks
in the walls or ceiling, or permanent marks on counters and
woodwork? Is the furniture what you expected?
A pesky problem in Jakarta is pests. Ask about the problem of
termites and whether the management conducts regular fumigations.
Will you be unwittingly sharing your new home with rodents? Find
out what the management does to prevent the problem, including
the efficiency of its garbage disposal system.
A pool part of the advertised facilities? Check whether it is
more than a divot in the ground and if the accompanying fitness
center lives up to its promotion.
If too many of the promises seems to be hot air, and dates for
their realizations seem iffy, it could be time for you to head
off in another direction.