Readers comment: Buying new apartments: “They changed the parquet 3 times and still it is not fixed”
On 15.02.2010, Mrs Alexa S. sent to me the following text, commenting on my post: Tips about buying new apartments:1. Bad quality of construction
"My experience with Prima Casa"
"I agree with what was written above. I am the "happy" owner of a brand new apartment bought through the Prima Casa program. Taking into consideration the 30 year long period of the credit I gave up from the very beginning the idea of acquiring an old apartment. In the beginning of May I had found the apartment, but I had to wait until August its registration ("intabulare"). In July the Prima Casa program was meant to start, it couldn't have been better than this. I will skip the period with the bank and the paper makind period (29.08-03.12.2009 – the date of sealing the deal)…. I wanted to give up many times, but obviously the wish of having my own house won so I
endured with bravery.
"Big stain on one wall, as big as a tractor's wheel…"
Good, let's go to the apartment, the first reception was scheduled for November where I went together with a friend who had experience in the field ( I knew why I had taken her with me:);). We entered
the apartment, I was completely shocked because the workers had forgotten to clean up the place, the walls were crocked, on one wall there was a stain as big as a tractor's wheel (supposing a pipe had broken), the entrance door couldn't e closed, the parquet wasn't properly installed, the sewage in the bathroom could be called anything else but sewage etc. I let my friend do the talking or yelling better said (the poor man probably still has nightmares – when the
second reception was scheduled he preferred to send another colleague to come meet us).
"I had to refurbish it – I was lucky, it took me one month and 4.000 euro"
Two weeks from then there were no big changes: the big stain on the wall had disappeared, the sewage was apparently working but the other irregularities had been ignored. Meanwhile I decide to refurbish it (If I had known what to expect… I would have better given up from the very beginning) With the help of my father and 4.000 euro extra over the acquisition price my brand new apartment looks reasonable (in the above price is included the work also – I was lucky, my father had asked a neighbor to help and in one month they made the (2 rooms) apartment right, the construction materials, the sanitary objects, the parquet, the front door and the inside doors).
"The developer changed the parquet 3 times and in the end he proposed to his client to move to another apartment"
I don't think you want me to tell you about the irregularities not visible at a first sight, all taken into consideration though I should consider myself lucky because I got "a good apartment". My neighbor wasn't so lucky, his floor had inflated 3 times so far and is "raining" inside, yes you heard well raining because the windows are not
properly sealed. The developer has changed the parquet 3 times and it got inflated 3 times also (apparently there is no broken pipe under the floor) therefore until the mystery is solved they proposed him to move one floor up (move the furniture again, arrange the things etc)… My neighbors have a 9 months older and they are nervously wracked already. I am not good at giving advice but I hope my or my neighbor's experience will make the future buyers take 10 looks before buying".
No comment by me…
Do I need to add something? Just two comments:
- Please, be careful before buying a new property, of any kind.
- Not all the developers are bad. But unfortunately almost half of them appear to treat their clients like this…
On Monday, February 22nd:
Tips about buying new apartments:
2. Hidden bank costs before and after the contract