Buying an apartment built in 1968

9 comments

1. Check that the costly renovations are done: putkiremontti and julkisivuremontti i.e. water /plumbing and facade. If built in 68, they should have been done. Either one can cost anywhere between 500-1500 euros/squaremeter.

2. WTF kind of shittyass layout is that??? Who has a bright idea of building a bedroom w/ only way to access it being the kitchen???

3. Plumbing, pipes and shower is something you should check in the documents. Has there been water damage, is the shower checked for mold, are the current pipes older than 30 years etc.

   Make sure there aren’t any big expected renovations in the near future (it always says if there will be one in the documents). In a flat usually those renovations will be done for everyone and the bill gets divided, so you might not have a choice to opt out.

   The kitchen looks like it might need a renovation as well, it looks like a basic rental kitchen. Not necessary but something you might want to consider will cost money in the future.

   Lastly when visiting check that the seals on the windows are working by moving your hand around the edges. Make sure there isn’t cold spots, otherwise it’s another potential future cost.

4. Almost 300k for a kolmio, well neliö I guess built in the 60’s, jesus christ. Well, It’s your money.

5. Not really a comment about this house but i found when purchasing a home here (as a foreigner, new to the market with little language skills) many sites had a very large range of prices and these did not necessarily reflect the market price. I found [oikotie](https://asunnot.oikotie.fi/) to be closest to market price but remember these prices are still a negotiable. Talk to the agent, if you find a good one they can help you. Ours helped with translation, organizing checks we wanted, banking etc. In my experience, purchasing in Finland was much better than purchasing in New Zealand – far less complicated and stressful

6. 1960’s building checklist: condition of piping, roof, and especially the structural connection of the floor and basewall (so called fake wall base, called valesokkeli). These three are the biggest sources of expensive renovations. Electricity is another, but it is not that hard to fix, if it needs renovation.

   I would get a professional condition survey if I wasn’t familiar in the field of construction engineering. Raksystems is the biggest (and likely the most expensive one) office in the field, but there are other also.

7. Ask for asbestos survey if available. Else that’s on you to get done when you renovate the house. Like flooring and kitchen etc …

8. Always remember to check past and upcoming renovations and repairs concerning housing company (aka taloyhtiö). As a stockholder you pay for them. That flat seems ok to me.

9. Get a loan promise before looking for an apartment . For this one offer the seller 225k€, it’s a buying market. At the moment Bank will offer you 4.2% for the annual interest, so you will need 1.2k€ repayment every month at basic, plus around 350€ total treatment fee. If you have 2.5k€ after tax, you won’t have much trouble dealing with the bank.

   Check the 5 years plan PTS and put Kuntotarkastus in the offer.