Preparation | Lukinski

11 Tips – What to Consider for a House Viewing

Laura — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 10:00:48 +0000

Viewing appointment – You have been looking for a new property for a long time. Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne or Munich, a house for the family because the apartment is simply too small for everyone, a new apartment because you want to move in with your partner or simply a move to a new city. When looking for an apartment, you always come to one point at some point – the viewing appointment. For many it is an exciting appointment, because you can now see the real estate, which you have only seen in pictures until then, but for others it is also a stressful appointment, where you meet other interested parties, the landlord or the real estate agent. Do you have to bring documents with you? How do you behave best? And how do you make the perfect first impression to really get the dream property?

Avoid Mistakes: This is What you Have to Consider

Finding the right property often proves to be more difficult than expected. Especially in big cities there is a real battle for the best properties in inner city locations.

In order not to make any mistakes that in retrospect have become your downfall, there are a few things to consider. From the important first impression at the viewing appointment, to the good organization of all documents. So that you don’t forget anything, and can move into your dream property soon, here are the 11 most important tips.

The First Impression Must be Right

No matter whether you have a single viewing appointment with the landlord or agent, or whether you view the apartment with further applications, the first impression must be right! But this requires more than a broad smile and a firm handshake.

Your appearance should appear neat and professional. No jogging pants, no T-shirt with food leftovers. You don’t have to wear a suit either, but a well-groomed appearance will make you look immediately likeable and take you one lap further down the list.

In addition, they should always appear friendly, but also determined. Insecurity can quickly be misinterpreted. Therefore, be clear beforehand what you want and appear confident but natural. Probably the most important thing at an inspection appointment is that you arrive punctually at the appointment at all costs. This shows that you are reliable and well organized. This is a big plus point that you can collect right at the beginning.

Good organization is, as so often in life, the be-all and end-all of an inspection appointment. You should be well prepared and, above all, have all the necessary documents at hand. This is a one-time organizational effort, because once you have collected everything together, you can reuse the documents for each viewing appointment.

Documents: Checklist

To these documents, there is a lot to it, for example:

Identity card
Self-assessment
Income statements
Employment contract
Certificate of the previous landlord’s freedom from rent debt
Schufa assessment
Possible references of the previous landlord
Possible rent guarantee (in case of insufficient income)
Eventual curriculum vitae (required in a few cases)

Self-Assessment, Schufa and Sympathy Points

To give the self-disclosure directly at the inspection date provides a good impression and a relationship of trust with the landlord. It is usually requested only later, to seize it beforehand does not harm however, but shows its commitment.

Also the Schufa self-disclosure is not demanded, but shows openness on its part and saves the landlord work. In general, the documents requested for the inspection date are communicated in advance. If this is not the case and you still turn up with a complete folder full of documents, this may give you an advantage over other applicants and sympathy points.

Know What You are Looking For

Usually you go directly to an apartment search, looking for a certain number of rooms or a number of square meters. However, before the viewing appointment, you should think carefully about what you really want and above all what you really need.

You should be clear about how many rooms you need, the approximate size of each room, on which floor the apartment should be, what you expect from the kitchen and bathroom, whether you want a balcony or a garden, whether the apartment must be suitable for pets and how much you can plan for renovation work. Of course, you should also be clear about the budget and how much the additional costs per month can be.

You should always remember your needs during the appointment, because you will soon lose yourself in dreams of a great, big apartment, which you don’t really need and can’t afford. Try to think practically and rationally and not to be distracted from your search.

Do not be afraid to ask questions during a viewing appointment. If you ask the right questions and thus show serious interest in the property, the landlord or agent will be better remembered as a potential tenant.

Interest is completely normal in the search for the dream property and this should be shown calmly. It is important to ask the right questions, which are also related to the property and thus to be able to better assess whether the object fits his ideas.

Questions During the Inspection: Checklist

Some of the questions that come in handy at every visit are

What is the equipment / condition of the apartment? ( fitted kitchens, renovations, etc. … )
What does the rental property include? ( cellar, garden, parking space, … )
Are pets allowed, if so which ones?
Who lives in the neighbourhood and what are the conditions there?
How much are the additional costs and are they already included in the warm rent?
Are there any shopping facilities / transport connections in the vicinity?
What are my duties as a tenant? (cleaning the staircase, shovelling snow, taking out the garbage cans, … )

All these questions, show a serious interest in the property on your part and also help you to assess whether the property is really the right one for you.

Never go to a Viewing Alone

Whether it is an individual appointment or a group appointment, you should never go to an apartment viewing alone, even if you are looking for an object just for yourself. This has different reasons. Firstly, you have a second opinion, from a friend or family member, who can tell you again from a different perspective and as an outsider whether the apartment is really the right one. In addition, four eyes always see more than two, and your companion will notice defects or mistakes that you would not have discovered yourself.

If you are not looking for a property just for yourself, it is a good idea to bring the people who are moving in with you to view it, so that the landlord or agent can get to know everyone who would move into the property and so that they can also discuss with the other tenants whether the property is the right one.

Check the condition of the property

Deciding to buy a new property is a big decision that you should not rush into. Even if the apartment completely suits you at the viewing appointment, you should still sleep on it for one night to be able to think about it in peace.

It helps if you take pictures of the apartment at the viewing appointment, as a small reminder and to be able to look at the apartment again from your perspective, but also to show it to friends or relatives and to be able to obtain further opinions. Take the opportunity to take a close look at the apartment and look for small things that might be damaged or broken.

Defects: Checklist

Is there modern wiring and enough sockets?
What is the condition of the windows and doors? Can they be opened and closed easily? How do the seals look like?
Where is the washing machine connection?
Are there any mildew stains or wet spots?
Is there a draught somewhere in the apartment?
Are the exterior walls well insulated?
What kind of heating is used?
Is the apartment well-listened?
Where is the TV connection and which one is available?

Take a Close look at the Surroundings

The environment and the location of the apartment is also a decisive criterion. First you should check if there are enough shopping facilities within walking distance, how the transport connections are and if there are schools, for example. This can be easily found out by taking a short walk through the neighborhood after the viewing appointment and taking a closer look at the surroundings. You should also check whether the surroundings might disturb you in your idyllic living.

Is the apartment on a busy street and could the noise disturb you?
Is the bedroom window facing to a street?

Even thin walls and loud neighbors could become a problem. If you are seriously considering the property, consider whether you really have everything to live in the area

Attend Viewing Appointments During the Day

A viewing appointment should always be made during daylight. This not only allows you to see and judge the apartment better, but you will also recognize blemishes much better in daylight than in the evening. It is also important to be able to judge how much daylight enters the rooms, where the sun comes from and when it shines in which room.

There should be enough windows to ensure daylight illumination during the day. Viewing appointments that are made in the evening are often not very professional, because good real estate agents know that you should see an apartment in daylight. So try to avoid such viewing appointments.

Convince the landlord / Broker of Yourself

If the apartment is right for you, all you have to do now is convince the landlord of your suitability. You can achieve this not only through a perfect first impression, good organization and the right questions, but also through little things that play into the landlord’s hands.

This can be that the desired moving in date fits exactly to your ideas, that you have possibly handicraft skills with which you can help with the renovation and perhaps even save a month’s rent or even small ideas with which you can accommodate the landlord.
be positive attitude>/block quota>
Be positive and always put yourself in the position of the landlord and ask yourself ‘ What would I expect from my future tenant instead of the landlord?’. Fulfill these expectations and the apartment is as good as yours!

During an inspection appointment not only you ask the questions, because if the landlord is really interested in you, a small interrogation is waiting for you, too, for which you should be prepared. Therefore, be prepared for questions concerning your financial situation and your professional activities.

The landlord naturally wants to make sure that you can pay the rent on time!

Therefore, if such questions reach you, don’t digress too much and explain precisely and to the point what you do for a living or what your financial situation might look like now and in the future. You should also be prepared for personal questions, such as the desire to have children or the like.

In any case, answer them honestly but do not digress too far. Your landlord would like to be able to assess you and not learn your entire life story. So be careful and think of good and precise answers beforehand.

The Right Farewell

Also the farewell at an inspection appointment should be well thought out. If you are seriously interested in the apartment, you should emphasize this clearly when saying goodbye.

If you notice already at the inspection that the apartment simply does not fit, you should be fair and tell the real estate agent or landlord so that you do not spoil anybody else’s chances.

Also clarify clearly if and when the landlord or agent will contact you. If you still receive a rejection, don’t be offended but ask the landlord or agent politely if they have a similar apartment on offer that is vacant or will be soon. This way you will keep the contact positive and maybe you will find your dream property this way.

Animals (neighbourhood law) in the neighbourhood as a subject of dispute

Laura — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 10:08:11 +0000

Animals (neighbourhood law) – The keeping of animals is a socially adequate behaviour, which is naturally connected with noises and thus to be accepted with regard to the requirement of neighbourly consideration. If the attitude of an animal leads to unreasonable impairments of the neighbours, the border is exceeded there. This includes, on the one hand, the breeding of dogs in a general residential area, crowing cocks (which are required to be kept in stables) and, on the other hand, intensive animal husbandry, which is subject to approval if it leads to odour nuisance and has a certain stock size.

Animals (Neighborhood Law) at a Glance: Master’s darling

Keeping animals is a socially adequate behaviour and is associated with noise, which is why it is to be accepted with regard to neighbourly consideration.
The border is crossed where the keeping of animals leads to an unacceptable disturbance of the neighbours.
These include, but are not limited to: dog breeding of more than two dogs, crowing roosters if they exceed the noise guidelines, and intensive animal husbandry if there is an odor nuisance.

Back to the wiki: Real Estate

Am I allowed to keep animals in the rented flat?

Keeping of animals allowed according to tenancy law

Pets forbidden? This is how you defend yourself against the landlord! Calculate the yield: net rental yield.

Keeping dogs in the rented flat

Exotic animals

10 things your landlord is not allowed to do, but does anyway!

Winter clearing obligation as traffic safety

Laura — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:08:07 +0000

Winter clearing obligation – The winter clearing obligation is the obligation to ensure traffic safety in snowy and icy conditions in order to prevent accidents. This obligation exists for every resident on a road, driveway or sidewalk. If in doubt, you should seek advice from an expert body, as there are extensive regulations and legal rulings on insufficiently cleared paths in the event of liability for accidents. In the case of apartment buildings, the landlord has the duty of road safety, but in most cases the landlord commissions a caretaker, who then has the duty of winter clearance. All formulas: rental yield calculator.

Winter clearing obligation at a glance: To prevent accidents in snowy and icy conditions

Is the traffic safety obligation in snow and icy conditions to prevent accidents
Exists for each resident on a road, driveway or sidewalk
There are extensive regulations and legal rulings in the case of inadequately cleared paths, so if the worst comes to the worst, seek advice from an expert body
In apartment buildings, the landlord bears the duty, but usually commissions a caretaker to carry out these

Back to the wiki: Real Estate

Winter road clearance: When do I have to start shovelling snow?

Rights and obligations around snow clearing

Gritting obligation of the municipality – shifting clearing obligation on citizens?

Renting real estate: Lease, cost, guide, agent, commission, ….

Laura — Sat, 25 May 2019 21:45:54 +0000

Renting real estate – Whether it is an apartment or a house, anyone who wants to rent a property should make some preliminary considerations and inform themselves in advance about the rights and obligations of the tenant and the landlord. The following tips from the real estate agency Lukinski – Ihr Hausverkauf will provide you with everything you need to know about renting a property.

Find the right property through Lukinski

Your new home should be a place where you feel completely at ease. It will be your refuge and retreat at the same time. Therefore, make precise ideas about how your new apartment or rental house should look. The best way to do this is to write down the most important points, such as a terrace or a bathtub, which the apartment or house should absolutely have, in key words, so that you can use this list to compare the offers on real estate platforms. Many platforms offer filters with which you can list those apartments with the desired equipment. Or you can submit this list to Lukinski, your real estate agency. We compare the items with our current offers and show you the best of them personally. This way you save a lot of time and stress in your real estate search and get to your dream property faster.

When renting a property, the search for an apartment or a house is often the biggest work. For this reason, it is advisable to hire a real estate agent for this purpose. A trained agent of the real estate agency Lukinski will find the right apartment or, if you wish, a house with a garden for you. Of course, he will take all your ideas into account and will also find offers in the best locations. Another advantage of a Lukinski real estate agent is that he is very familiar with the current legal situation and is therefore a valuable companion for you.

Also consider in advance how much you can afford. Be realistic about this. A good rule of thumb is that the rent for a property should not account for more than a third of your income. Also, keep in mind that location often determines how much you can afford to rent. If the apartment is allowed to cost a little more, it can be chosen quietly in an inner-city location. If you do not have such a high budget, apartments or houses in an outer part of the city are recommended. Our estate agents can advise you on prices and location and make you attractive offers according to your budget.

What you should know about the lease

If you have found a rental property that exactly meets your expectations and you would like to opt for, you must first wait for the commitment of the landlord. Because he may want to check your creditworthiness and think about whether you are the suitable tenant for his property. Important for the owner are always the regular rent payments and a secure economic situation of his tenant. Once you have agreed to rent, the landlord will immediately submit a rental contract to you. This is either freely formulated or it is a pre-printed form that the property owner usually receives from an owners’ association. Often, however, the clauses in such form leases are outdated and therefore invalid. You should also bear in mind that in most cases the landlord requires a deposit. He keeps this deposit in case there is something to complain about after moving out. If not, you will get it back after the end of the tenancy.

In addition to the main rent, you as a tenant also pay operating costs. These usually include the costs for running water, heating costs and other ancillary costs, such as cleaning the staircase. Sometimes there are also costs for the lift. However, it is important to know that the landlord is not allowed to pass on all operating costs to the tenant. In this respect, it is always advisable to look through the statement carefully and obtain detailed information about it. By the way, the landlord is not allowed to freely determine the amount of rent. If the Landlord and Tenant Act applies, which is usually the case, the landlord must adhere to category rents and guideline values in order to determine the amount of rent.

After moving into your new apartment or house, don’t forget to register with the relevant municipality within three days. You should always inform your employer, insurance companies and banks of any changes of address.

Buying or renting: Which is more worthwhile?

Carry out the change of residence in an uncomplicated way

No matter for what reason you want to change your home, there is always a lot to consider, and not only with regard to the new home. You must also terminate the previous property in due time and fulfil formal conditions. Before handing over the flat before the end of the tenancy, you need to check whether there are any damages that you should repair. Usual wear and tear that is commensurate with the length of the tenancy is not one of the damages that are your responsibility. You may want to fill in any holes. You usually only have to repaint if you have taken over the apartment newly painted or if you have painted the rooms in a garish colour in the meantime. The same applies to renovation work: only a property that has been taken over in a fully renovated condition may have to be returned in the same condition. Which cosmetic repairs you actually have to carry out depends individually on the law applicable to your rental property.

Once the formal questions regarding the notice of termination have been clarified, be sure to note the meter reading of gas and water in order to deregister the energy supplier. The last nerve-racking matter is the move, which you should organise well. For this you will need enough moving boxes and some helpers, if necessary a moving company, especially if you have a lot and large furniture. Some removal companies will even pack your household goods for you, so that the move is completely stress-free. For this, it is advisable to get several quotes from moving companies and also compare the complete packages with each other. If something should break on the way, the removal company is usually liable for it, which is usually well covered by insurance.

Conclusion: Renting a property offers you many advantages over buying your own home. You don’t need a lot of cash for it and you always remain flexible in terms of location. Of course, you can find rental properties on your own. However, an estate agent will help you to find the right flat or the perfect house more quickly. Because we from the real estate agency Lukinski – have many contacts and know the real estate market of your region very well. More updates: property news. We can also help you with legal matters and ensure that your rental contract complies with the applicable regulations. This will save you a lot of time, trouble and your nerves and you can look forward to your new home as soon as possible. Just give us a call! We will take care of the rest for you!

Haus mieten oder doch kaufen? Entscheidungshilfen rund um das Thema Immobilien

Wohnung mieten in der gewünschten Stadt: Ratgeber, Ablauf, Preise, …

Children (neighbourhood law), what to consider

Laura — Sat, 25 May 2019 11:00:51 +0000

Children (neighbourhood law) – Children make noise, which is a natural and normal form of expression of their urge to move, communicate and play. Accordingly, children also enjoy certain freedoms in neighbourhood law. When neighbours complain about noise, in most cases a decision is made in favour of the children, as their behaviour may not be measured by the same standards as adults. Visit home page. However, the tolerance limit ends where the noise is no longer considered to be behaviour appropriate for children.

Children (Neighbourhood Law) Overview: Tolerance of noise caused by children

Caused noise by children is a normal expression of the natural urges of those
Complaints about noise are usually decided in favour of the children
Children’s behaviour cannot be measured by the same standards as adults’.
Tolerance ends where noise caused by children is no longer considered child-friendly behaviour

Back to the wiki: Real Estate