Here's what you need to know before you decide to buy an apartment

That day has finally come. You are about to buy a new apartment and make it your home. Congratulations! Buying an apartment is a very important milestone and one of the biggest decisions in your life. It is natural to feel nervous, worried and even stressed. If you follow just a few simple steps, there's a way to turn this entire process into a pleasurable experience. Find out what you need to do to make this whole process a positive experience.

Set up the budget

Buying an apartment in Belgrade usually means that you will spend all your life savings and then some more. Setting up a realistic budget is crucial, and that should be your first step in this process. There's no need to book viewings for apartments that are way over your budget. You will be just wasting your time, and time is of the essence here.

So, set up the budget and go and see only the apartments that you can afford.

Learn more about mortgage

If you're paying with cash, you can buy an apartment in just a few days. Getting a mortgage takes time, but the entire procedure is not that much complicated.

To apply for a mortgage, you need to have a permanent placement at work and to have sufficient monthly earnings.

As a buyer you must:

• Have a permanent placement at your job
• Be employed in your company for at least 6 months
• You need to have a minimum of one-year continuity of service

The apartment you want to buy must be registered in the Cadastre of immovable property, and it must come with sorted paperwork.

Choose the location

Choosing the right location is a big deal. Location is especially important if you plan to rent or sell your apartment in the future. A good location means that you're close to supermarkets, schools, parks, and kindergartens.

Location is a determining factor when it comes to estimating the price of the property, so you will quite often find that the price of apartments in the city center is twice as high than it is in the suburbs.

To pick a specific location, set up the search filters to see only the apartments in your favorite parts of the city.

Don't waste too much time on property viewings

Before you decide to buy an apartment, you must see it live. You need to detailly inspect every corner of the place, to find out more about the quality of construction and to meet the property owner.

To make sure that you will only visit those apartments that you are generally interested in, we introduced virtual tours on our website.

Virtual tour includes going through photos, video, floor plan, and presentation in 360 technology. All these elements allow detailed insight into the property, room layout, furnishings and more. After you complete a virtual tour, you can book a viewing on the website and go and see the property.

At the viewing, buyers only confirm what they saw on the website, so they have more time to get to know the property owner and to get answers to all questions. City Expert does not have accompanied viewings, so you can meet the property owner directly and feel free to ask anything you like.

Make the list of favorites

Along with searching properties online, you can set up filters for locations, furnishings and sort out apartments by date and price. That's how you can create groups of favorites. Favorites are apartments that you like the most and that you consider buying. You will receive an email notification when the apartment changes the price and when it becomes unavailable.

Think about what you can live with and what you can live without. Living close to the favorite restaurant and park is not as important as to have an extra bedroom or a parking spot. You will need to make a compromise. It's better to have more space, better heating system, and an extra room than to live near the best cafes and restaurants.

Choose a reliable partner

Buying an apartment in Belgrade is a huge thing. You will finally have your own home that you can decorate to your taste. We like to say that you are not just buying an apartment. You are buying a home, your dream place, the place that you will love and cherish forever. That's why it's important to find a reliable partner. Choose a reputable real estate agency.

City Expert real estate agents will help you understand the entire sale process. They will tell you everything you need to know about documentation and they will manage the negotiations process for you.

Along with real estate agents, City Expert has an entire legal team that will help you with preparing the contracts and everything else.

Once you go through all of these steps, buying an apartment will undoubtedly be one of the happiest moments of your life.