Inspecting an apartment is different to inspecting a house, because you're not just assessing the unit you'd live in; you're buying into a building and a community of owners. Some of the most important things to check have nothing to do with the apartment itself. Here's how to approach it.
Start with the building
Before you focus on the unit, look at the building as a whole. Check the common areas (entry, hallways, stairwells, lifts, and shared spaces) for signs of neglect or deferred maintenance. Look at the building's exterior for cracking, water staining, and spalling concrete, where the surface flakes and breaks away, often because moisture has corroded the steel reinforcement inside. Well-maintained common areas are a good sign the owners corporation is managing the building properly. Neglected ones can signal financial or management problems that become your problem once you own a share of them.
The strata side matters as much as the unit
If the apartment is strata title, you're buying into a shared ownership structure with quarterly levies and collective decision-making about the building. Ask about the levies, whether there's money in the capital works fund for future maintenance, and whether any special levies are planned for major works. A strata report (which you should obtain before buying) reveals the building's financial health, any history of disputes, and planned or past major repairs. This is one of the most important pieces of due diligence for an apartment and is easy to underestimate.
Inside the apartment
Within the unit, check ceilings and walls for cracks and water staining, particularly on the top floor or below bathrooms of the unit above, where leaks show up. Tap bathroom and kitchen tiles for the hollow sound that signals failed waterproofing. Check that windows open, close, and lock, and look for fogging between double-glazed panes, which indicates a failed seal. Noise is a major liveability factor in apartments. If you can, take a moment to listen for traffic, neighbours, lifts, and shared plumbing. A quiet inspection on a Sunday morning won't always reveal what a weeknight sounds like, so consider the apartment's position within the building.
The practical details
Confirm what parking is allocated and where. Basement parking is generally preferable to a surface or stacked space. Check storage, both within the apartment and any allocated storage cage. Find out how hot water is provided, since some buildings have a centralised system with costs included in levies. And check the laundry arrangement, which in older buildings may be shared rather than in-unit.
What this doesn't replace
Your own inspection helps you shortlist apartments worth pursuing, but it doesn't replace the formal due diligence an apartment purchase needs (particularly a professional strata report) and, where appropriate, a building inspection. Always obtain these before making an offer. Use your own inspection to decide which apartments are worth that next step.