But before making an offer, there are a few things worth looking at through a different lens.
There are homes where it only takes a few minutes. You walk in, look out of a window, and almost immediately begin to imagine a life there. It is a wonderful feeling — and one worth listening to.
But a property viewing mostly tells us what we can see.
It does not always tell us whether what we see matches the official documentation, whether the changes we are imagining are actually possible, or how much it may cost to turn that property into the home we have in mind.
That is why, before buying, there are at least five things we would always look at carefully.
Start with something very simple. Take the floor plan and compare it with the property in front of you.
Are the walls in the same position? Do the doors match? Are there windows, verandas, mezzanines or other spaces that appear different from what is shown on the plan? This is a first check you can make even during a viewing. But it is only the beginning.
Cadastral correspondence and planning compliance are not the same thing.
To truly understand the history of a property, it may be necessary to compare its current condition with the relevant building permits and the documentation held by the competent authorities. A moved wall may look like a minor detail.
Technically, it may not be.
Our advice: if something does not match, do not settle for “it can be sorted out.” Ask to understand exactly what is different and why before moving forward.
It is one of the phrases we hear most often during a viewing: “We’ll remove this wall and create a large open-plan space.”
Perhaps. But first, we need to understand what kind of wall it is. And that is not the only question.
Where are the drains? Where do the services run? Can the kitchen really be moved to the place you have in mind? Are there structural elements? Restrictions? Changes in level? Ceiling heights to consider?
The floor plan in a property listing tells us the geometry of a home. It does not necessarily tell us how transformable that home really is. And that difference matters. A property can be beautiful and fully compliant, yet still be unsuitable for the project you have in mind.
A property that has been prepared well for sale can look immaculate.
But try to look at it a little more slowly. Look at the corners of the rooms. The lower parts of the walls. The ceilings. The areas around the windows.
Check for signs of damp, cracks, swelling, staining or anything else that looks unusual. Ask when the services were last updated.
Find out about the windows, the heating system, and any works carried out over the years. This does not mean assuming that there is a problem.
It simply means understanding more clearly what you are buying. And when something deserves a closer look, investigating it before purchase is far easier than discovering it afterwards.
Ask yourself:
How much will it cost to make it the home we actually want?
Two apartments may both be listed at €300,000 and yet represent two very different investments. In the first, perhaps we only need to work on colours, a few finishes and some of the furniture.
In the second, we may need to replace services, bathrooms, kitchen, flooring, windows and even rethink the internal layout. The asking price is the same.
The real cost of the project is not.
That is why, before buying, it can be extremely useful to have at least an initial assessment of the works that may be required — together with a realistic sense of their likely cost. It will not yet be a final bill of quantities. But it may already help you understand whether the overall project is compatible with the budget you have in mind.
This is perhaps the part we enjoy most. During a technical viewing, we are not only looking for problems.
We are looking for possibilities.
A very long bedroom might allow space for the walk-in wardrobe you have always wanted. An awkward layout might be reworked. A small kitchen might connect differently with the living area. An anonymous entrance hall might become one of the most beautiful spaces in the home.
Or we may discover the opposite: that the transformation which seemed so simple would require significant work and may not be worthwhile in relation to the final result. Knowing that before buying allows you to make a much calmer, more informed decision. And, if necessary, to keep looking.
Take the floor plan with you. Compare it with the rooms you are walking through.
Photograph anything that raises a question, where possible. Ask about previous works and whether there is documentation relating to them.
Look carefully at walls, ceilings, windows and services. And if you are already imagining removing, moving or changing something, write it down as a question, not as a certainty. These are small steps, but they can help you look at a property with much greater awareness.
There are aspects of a property that an ordinary viewing can rarely explain in full.
That is where we can help. We can carry out a technical inspection, assess the current condition of the property, compare what we see with the available documentation and identify any areas that may require further technical investigation. But above all, we can start thinking with you about the home you want to create.
What can we keep? What can we transform? Which works may be necessary? And what level of investment should we realistically expect?
Our approach begins exactly here: with the inspection, with understanding the real condition of the property, and with an initial assessment of the steps and budget that may be needed before deciding how to proceed.
Because our role is not simply to tell you whether a home is beautiful. It is to help you understand whether it can truly become your home.
Before making an offer, we can look at it together from both a technical and design perspective.
Write to us at info@aqhitalia.com and tell us about the property you are considering.
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