When people decide to buy a home, the decision may be based on what is essentially just a superficial inspection. They are shown around by a salesperson (sometimes a neighbor or even the local butcher) or the owner, who points out the number of bedrooms and tells them how lovely the view is. But there are many factors to be considered apart from location, size, and budget, which have a direct influence on your decision if you want to avoid regrets in the future. Unlike Europe or North America, there is in Lebanon a marked preference for buying new homes rather ones that have been inhabited before. Thus, for those who start with a small home, planning to move later as the size of the family grows, this may present a problem of reselling.

Guide yourself
Real estate agents usually ask first-time buyers about their preferences for a home, grouped into four categories: Location (for example whether it is near to your workplace); size (100m2, 150m2, 200m2 or 400m2); amenities (parking, a pool); its present state (condition if used, on plan or newly built?). These are some of the questions that buyers should ask themselves even before they start the search:

• What is the best quality of apartment available that is still within my budget?
  
• Do I want a bigger and better apartment in a cheaper area or a smaller home in a more affluent region?
  
• Will the apartment be big enough for the family we intend to have or will we have to move to a larger place at some point?
  
• How much time am I willing to spend traveling to and from work each day?
  
• How will my children get to school?
  
• How far away are the shopping facilities?
  
• Do I want a special play area for my children?
  
• Must there be parking for one, two, or three cars?
  
• What are the family's favorite leisure activities and how far away are they?
  
• Would a crowded neighborhood drive me crazy?
  
• Where does my extended family live? My close friends? How far away from them am I willing to be?

Brokers and developers almost always expect first time homebuyers to be a little unrealistic. With a budget of $400,000 they would ask a broker to find them a 400m2 house in Ramlet El Baida or the Sursock district. This is a triumph of optimism over reality. In Ramlet El Baida the cost of an apartment is around $4,000/m2, while in Sursock it is $2,000/m2.

Types of homes
According to developers, there are simple, average, deluxe, and super deluxe homes. A home is considered simple when it is small, and has cheap features, for example, the floor is not paved with ceramic tiles, the door is not made of expensive wood, there is no heating system, no AC, and sometimes no lift, or locally-made lifts are used. These kinds of houses are usually sold for between $250/m2 and $300/m2, and cover areas between 100m2-130m2. The average home has better features. The lift is of foreign origin, aluminum is used for the balconies and the windows, floors are ceramic, paintwork has a better finish. These kinds of homes are sold for around $400/m2. Location, of course, also plays a part but it is a rule of thumb that expensively-finished houses are not usually built in cheap areas. Homes are usually constructed according to the neighborhood they fall into. When developers intend to construct, they make an economic assessment of the area. For example, in Kafarhabab, you can easily find big apartments with special features: the heating system and AC are obligatory, the ceramic is thicker, the doors are made of oak, and the paint is top quality. These kinds of houses are sold for $600/m2-$700/m2. Areas like Adma, Ramlet Baida, or Ras Beirut follow a different pattern with prices set according to the features and amenities. However, in this case, the location is more important. If the apartments do not have a sea view then they are not considered super de luxe and their price reflects this. When the apartment has a sea view and there is a guarantee that this view will never be blocked, then these homes have no market price; they are sold according to supply and demand.

Location, location, location
Your first goal is to find a suburb or neighborhood that offers homes that meet your needs, at a price you can afford. A good location is one close to work, good schools, shops, restaurants, and public transportation. Some brokers point out that proximity to place of work and children's school is more important to some buyers than budget. This is why, they say, homebuyers are 'invading' Beirut regardless of their spending limit. On the other hand there are, according to brokers, a significant number of people who take into account social, cultural, partisan, and family considerations. This leads them to overlook homes in the capital where for every budget there is a corresponding home. There are, for example, homes that can be bought for as low as $20,000. As for the suburbs, the services of a broker are often not requested. Homes may be found by simply asking around in a chosen area. Parents, friends, and the developers themselves may play a much more important role here. Bear in mind, though, that there is a real gap between the sizes of homes in demand and those available on the market. According to a survey conducted by Infopro Research, most people are looking for homes between 150m2 and 200m2, a commodity that has only recently come into fashion with developers and therefore relatively scarce. Furthermore, the number of people buying on plan appears to be declining, as buyers want to see, at least, an example of the finished product first.

Visit before buying
If on the first visit the house appears to meet your needs and wants, and feels like it could be home, then it is time for a second visit. This is perhaps even more important because it is then that you can begin checking around for details that may not have been obvious at the initial inspection. Given the enormity of the financial commitments in buying a house, it is unwise not to have the prospective home professionally inspected before signing any deal. Property defects usually come in two general categories: obvious and hidden. Obvious defects are out in the open for anybody to see. Hidden defects need an expert to detect. Sometimes brokers may suggest that, if you want to avoid the expense of paying for an expert, to check with neighbors or investigate the reputation of the developer. As for obvious defects, even an amateur can check the water faucets to see whether they leak. Flipping light switches on and off and flushing the toilets to find out whether they work properly are easy, but effective tests. Has the tiling been done so that it is even and well-finished? There may be cracks on the property's interior walls, exterior walls, and floors. Here an amateur could easily come to the wrong conclusion. Some cracks are superficial, and easily fixed. Others may indicate serious flaws. For moisture problems look for water stains on the ceiling, walls, and floors. All doors and windows should open and close easily, yet fit snugly so that wind and rain are excluded. Don't forget unevenness: floors shouldn't slope, and walls shouldn't swell.

Legality check list
It is not enough to check the walls and the plumbing. There are legal aspects also to be checked before finalizing any deal. First, you should ask an engineer to visit the relevant Real Estate Registry and look for the Real Estate Journal to check for compliance with safety standards in the construction, and if there is any claim or lawsuit regarding the building. The legal term for such a claim is ishara. The second step is to pay a visit to the Ministry of Finance, and to the Registry of Topography. At the Ministry of Finance, you should obtain the rental evaluation (qima taajiriya) of the apartment that you intend to buy, because this document will be requested when you register your house, as taxes are decided according to this evaluation. This document is set after a building is partitioned into apartments; in other words, the ifraz has been done. The ministry evaluates the taxes payable on an apartment according to its assessment of rent for one year. From the Registry of Topography, you should acquire a map for the plot and the plan of the construction (especially to check if the zoning standards are respected and the plot has no conflicts with adjacent plots). The area of the apartment with respect to the plan is called ifadet kail. These two documents will show if the developer has committed any acts that contradict the construction permit. The owner should provide the ownership deed (sanad melkieh). However, one of the most important legal documents is the irtifaq wa takhtit, which is essential for checking if the government has any future project that might affect the building in which you intend to buy your new apartment. This document is provided at the Federation of Municipalities in each caza. A six-lane highway outside the living room window may be the noisiest neighbor ever.

The time is right
Developers and brokers agree that now is a good time to buy a home because there is a slowdown across the real estate market. According to research conducted by Infopro, when prices are down in one particular neighborhood, they are down everywhere else, too. If there is an increase of 20 percent in Bshamoun, the same increase will happen in Zalka. However, demand in Beirut is probably higher than in other areas. Current trends show that people from the outskirts are moving closer to their working place. Expatriates are also buying homes in the capital, especially in Ashrafieh and to some extent in Verdun and Ras Beirut. Meanwhile, a new class has been generated in the market as young women between 25 and 35 are now able to earn between $3,000/month-$5,000/month. Subsequently, women buying houses has become a widespread phenomenon. Another factor that makes now the right time is that banks are currently giving home loans with easier terms to those who have a steady income. In addition, the Public Institution for Housing and the Iskan Bank are offering easier loans. When the market does eventually regain its vitality, developers expect home prices to increase by around 50 percent, as they are currently going for much less than they were in the boom period. A 150m2 house, for example, that used to be sold for around $100,000, is currently going for no more than $60,000. This will certainly change, they say.