Even if you plan to practice on your ownregistration of a new living space, we strongly recommend that you contact a professional when choosing this very area. Why? The answer is in our new material Acquisition of a new home is an event, the significance of which can hardly be overestimated. Here we are overcome by hopes, fantasies and, of course, fears. But what if the seller deceives, our common opinion misses something important, or the price turns out to be unreasonably high? Unfortunately, there is no panacea for all pitfalls, but there is an option in which you will probably be able to insure yourself against many surprises and simplify the task of converting a living space into a cozy home. How to do it? Very simple: take a designer or an architect with you. What for? Let them tell themselves. Asya Bondareva, interior designer: - In the process of making a decision to buy an apartment, a designer often plays the role of an independent expert who can professionally assess all the pros and cons of the real estate in question. Unlike a realtor, who is interested in a quick sale, a designer looks at an object from the position of a real opportunity to make this space as comfortable as possible for his clients, taking into account all their needs. A professional will immediately be able to estimate the possibilities of redevelopment, will be able to ask the right questions about the structure, engineering, requirements of the management company, etc. Therefore, you should not neglect the consultations of designers in this matter - they can be very useful! 
Ruslan Kirnichansky, architect-designer:- When buying a car, we always ask for advice from a well-known auto mechanic, who will inspect the car and give his expert opinion before buying. This is important because only a specialist can identify defects. Especially if the words "engine immobilizer" and "starter traction relay" are Chinese letters for you. With the choice of real estate, everything is the same, since a house is a “car for life”, and without an expert opinion, you can buy an apartment that “won't go”, that is, it will have hidden defects and the impossibility of redevelopment. fab-im.com 
Ruslan Kirnichansky, architect-designer:- By inviting a designer to inspect the apartment you like, you will receive invaluable advice: it is the space organization specialist who determines the possibilities of the premises and sees its shortcomings, which are not always obvious to the buyer or realtor. Now I will give the most common sad examples when they chose and purchased an apartment, and the redevelopment possibilities were limited, because: 1. "Extra" internal walls turned out to be load-bearing (they are not subject to demolition); 2. there is no possibility of organizing an additional (or its transfer) bathroom (either conflicts with SNiPs, or it is technically impossible to lay communications) .But remember that not every designer is able to express an expert opinion, because a designer with engineering and technical knowledge and understanding of building regulations. fab-im.com 
Ruslan Kirnichansky, architect-designer:- It is a mistake to take for inspection a foreman or a builder, who is planned as a contractor for the subsequent renovation of an apartment, because most often the builder provides himself with a work front and will agree with all the wishes of the customer, which often worsen the functioning of the house or violate the frame of the building when walls or pylons are demolished. There are many similar examples, the most "harmless" are the demolition of a ventilation box or the transfer of water communications, after which the water pressure in the mainline changes. Even worse examples are the demolition of load-bearing walls or pylons, which leads to the subsidence of the foundation and the collapse of the building. In order for such a situation not to happen, a specialist is needed who is not only a designer, but also has basic construction or architectural knowledge. both without demolition of frame structures, and without violation of SNiPs. fab-im.com 
Ruslan Kirnichansky, architect-designer:- From my practice I will tell you one funny case. Last year, I dissuaded three different customers (may their realtors forgive me) from the idea of buying one apartment on Ostozhenka, after examining which I determined its characteristics: 1. inconvenient configuration of external walls; 2. weak insolation (degree of natural light); 3. worn out floors; 4. inability to organize a second bathroom; 5. poor communications, for the replacement of which it is necessary to overhaul and replace the water supply / intake pipes of the whole house. These shortcomings became a revelation for potential buyers, and the deal did not take place. With another customer, I looked at an apartment in the building of the hotel "Ukraine". They were preparing for the deal, but the apartment was not ready for redevelopment and relocation of bathrooms: such an alteration in this room would conflict with SNiPs, so now we are looking at more options, with technical capabilities that are more suitable for the requirements of this buyer for organizing the space. before buying an apartment, you avoid many difficulties, since the designer, who knows your space requirements, “tries on” them to the living space during the inspection. fab-im.com 
Mito Melitonyan, architect:- I believe that it is necessary to take not a designer, but an architect. After all, a designer is not always the person who can correctly design a space. The architect will immediately see the layout, the positive and negative aspects of a particular object. For example, when I come to an apartment, I always evaluate it from the point of view of how I myself would distribute this space functionally. That is, where would I place the bathroom areas, the kitchen area, which wall should be demolished, and which is better to leave as it is. An architect can immediately give professional advice if the owner wants to turn a three-room apartment into a four-room one. This issue can be resolved on the spot. A non-professional can also do this, but an architect will simply approach the issue more competently. melitonyan.com 
Profitable transaction: why do you need a designer when buying an apartment
