Earlier, an incident involving illegal modifications to the main wall of a unit in LOHAS Capital, Tseung Kwan O, aroused heated public discussion. The Buildings Department also recently released a promotional video to remind owners that if the main wall is altered or demolished without approval and consent, they will be held responsible. Legal consequences include fines of up to NT$400,000 and imprisonment for two years. If someone is injured or property damaged due to related illegal works, he may be fined NT$1 million and imprisoned for three years. In recent years, many owners will conduct building inspections for their properties before moving in, whether it is a first-hand building or a second-hand building. However, the attention to detail is different between the two, especially for second-hand buildings and village houses. Units involving illegal construction will have to pay more attention to the mortgage. The problem is bigger.
Compared with the building inspection of first-hand buildings, which is mainly performed by arranging developers, the building inspection of second-hand buildings may be more complicated. Since units are decorated in a variety of ways, building inspections are even more necessary. Some original owners may have made partition changes, open kitchens, etc., which are common decoration changes. Many times, buyers may be attracted by the decoration appearance of the unit, or may think that the changes in the unit are normal, without delving into the details. In fact, modified units may have certain potential risks. Modifying the main wall may be relatively easy to observe. Problems can be found by comparing and studying the drawings. However, there may be more problems hidden in it, and a building inspector may need to conduct an inspection to know whether there are any hidden "vacancies" under the beautiful decoration.
Unit changes must comply with regulations
This not only affects whether the modifications to the unit are in compliance with regulations, but also affects whether the living environment in the future will be safe and sound.
On the other hand, banks are more cautious about units that have been modified. If necessary, they will even send personnel to inspect the units before considering whether to grant a mortgage. Generally speaking, minor changes may not affect the bank's decision, or the bank may provide a more flexible handling method; however, if it is a major change, this may not be ideal. For example, in one case, a bank refused to approve a mortgage in a second-hand building because the kitchen and bathroom were swapped. In the current mortgage traffic jam, if a buyer unknowingly purchases a unit that has been significantly modified, not only may the approval time be delayed longer, but the approval may eventually be rejected. This is something that second-hand property buyers must pay attention to.
Buying a village house requires careful inspection
Buyers of second-hand properties, especially village houses, need to be more careful. After all, village houses are prone to unauthorized construction. The bank will send personnel to inspect the village house before approving the mortgage. If the village house involves unauthorized construction, the bank will calculate the replacement fee, and the relevant fee may be deducted from the loan amount.
If you are worried about not knowing whether the building purchased in your house is unauthorized, you can ask a building inspector to help check it. After all, buying a property is a big expense, and most owners are willing to spend money to buy peace of mind. However, there is currently no professional qualification or license for "building inspector" in Hong Kong. However, there are still many professionals with the necessary knowledge who can be hired, such as registered engineers, architects, surveyors or registered members of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineering Supervisors. However, since there is currently no legislation regulating the procedures and standards for building inspections, the methods, instruments and standards used by each building inspector may not be the same. The author suggests that owners should find a reputable professional to conduct a building inspection.