The Institut für Bauforschung (IfB) and the Bauherren-Schutzbund (BSB) have collaborated to publish the short study "The 10 most common defects in condominiums in apartment buildings". With this study, the publishers summarize the most frequently occurring construction defects. In addition, the study contains helpful tips for apartment sellers on how to identify the defects at an early stage. IfB and BSB recommend consulting an expert when buying an apartment.
Because only if construction defects are detected at an early stage will home buyers not be surprised at a later date with visible consequential damage and confronted with high follow-up costs. Ideally, the purchase contract and the modernization construction contract should be checked by an expert before the purchase. Likewise, an expert should inspect the work during the construction phase and provide professional advice during the acceptance of the property.
Some of the most common defects in condominiums are based on incomplete construction descriptions. For example, construction contracts often do not precisely define the equipment, which is the reason for costly conversions afterwards. Therefore, for example, it should be precisely defined which construction measures are part of the "senior-friendly living comfort". Other common deficiencies that result in high follow-up costs are caused by inadequate sound insulation as well as moisture damage to the floor covering, in the unheated attic or in the basement after a boiler has been replaced. Costly and labor-intensive consequential damage can also result from a lack of pipe insulation or inadequate heating in the case of an extension or annex.
Source: BSB
© photodune.net
