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.