Hi to all d sifus here...
Currently plan to buy a 2nd hand condo which suits my budget...
Ani idea or guidance for wat i should check when i view d condo unit?
Like leaking,ter,termites or anithing...
And how to check?
Hopefully to avoid all d problems after buying if possible...
Thx in advance...

you should check from the outside in as you search.
never just look at the unit itself because you're buying in the whole neighbourhood.

first check the neigbourhood and your neighbours whether they suit you or not.

then when you zoom in on the condo you want, view as many units as you can. be very fussy about the facing, the layout of the floor , corridor dirty or not, dark and musty or not etc. you will also find some units layouts are better than others. since 2nd hand condo you might not get to see any developer brochure you have to see a few units to figure out which suits you. check out for where the refuse room is (best your door don' face or next to it). lift can be noisy at night.

check the condo common areas / facilities. r they very run down? lack of maintenance? dirty? a lot of litter?

get a copy of the AGM minutes and financial report from the Management. check for lack of sinking funds. minutes may also highlight current concerns of the condo residents (useful info). if possible try to talk to some of the residents there to see if they are happy with the living condition there

view units at different times of day so you know the sun direction, any noise, and so on. do some viewing in the late evening so you know how the condo is at night (the crowd during the day may be very different since everyone is out or at work)

finally the unit itself, check for these (non exhaustive list. off the top of my head...)

1. bring a broom handle to tap the tiles, timber floors. be mindful of hollowed sounds.
2. look for termite trails ie mud tracks sticking especially to edges of wooden door frames, bring a torch to look up into recesses, access hatch in false ceiling, behind furniture , tap the wooden door frames.
3. if the units is newly painted, especially ceiling or near pipes, in bathrooms, could mean leaks. door frames painted over check carefully too. if possible: go to downstairs unit and ask them if they have problems with leaks from upstairs units (<-- a bit difficult to do, you need to excuse your agent then do some snooping, but you can be sure hte neighbour downstairs will tell you if there is a leak!)
4. check hot water system working for all the taps, check water pressure for all taps, run and flush WC, shower etc.
5. check all the window latches, make sure casement windows not loose, all latches work well wihout too much loose play or loose hinges etc. if found any loose and worn out latch make a note and ask vendor to replace
6. check doors make sure they shut properly and not lopsided due to wear. check sliding doors make sure slide properly, shuts without large gaps
7. for built in wall cabinets tap the rear inside board of the cabinets,listen for debris falling, it could be termite infestation
8. kitchen - check all built in appliances (hob, hood , oven) make sure they work. check carefully the laminate countertop for warpage, check edges for peeling, etc
9. rubbish chute (if in the unit) check that it shuts fully and tightly without gaps
10. check silicone sealant and grouting tht are worn, torn, gaps, or missing around sinks, bathtubs, along window frame edges, check rubber seals around windows etc.
11. look carefully inside the cabinet under bathroom, kitchen sink check if any boards are rotted or painted over, could be leak either from pipe, or sink
12 check plaster work near to windows, uneven plaster work could mean cracks with water seepage tat were plastered over, ditto painted over patches near to windows

there are probably more things to check but roughly that's what i can remember

good luck

This post has been edited by corleone74: Aug 13 2015, 06:39 AM

Just check the fridge !! must check the fridge ... its all about the fridge !!

Reali thx alot bro...
Appreaciate it...

hahaha!!!!

no prob, sharing is caring

forgot two others

- turn on all aircon and check working ok (ie cold) and not noisy
- go and check the aircon compressor outside see if making a lot of noise (rattling, wheezing, etc). especailly check the steel frame / brackets holding the compressor , must not be loose...
- near window that r facing rain from outside, check for green mossy growth (inside the unit around or near the window frames) , generally mean at least slight seepage of water from rain from outside..need to reapply silicone selant to windows.. bad cases whole patches of discolored wall touch it to see if damp (if rain recently) could be expensive to fix for water seepage through walls..

all these tiny faults do add up to your bill when you take over the unit so try to nego with the vendor to repair as much of these as possible before handover...

good luck

This post has been edited by corleone74: Aug 13 2015, 03:58 PM