Buyer's guide: the first steps

The best purchase starts before the first viewing. Settle the budget including transfer costs, the areas that genuinely fit your daily life, and what is essential versus desirable. With these in hand, your advisor filters the market and shows you only what makes sense. At viewings, look at the building as much as the apartment: common areas, lift, roof, installations. Ask for the documents early. Most problems show in the paperwork before they show on the walls.