Sale preparation · 9 July 2026 · 8 min read
Preparing a Prague Apartment Building for Sale: What to Repair
Owners often want to put their building in order before selling: a new façade, refurbished flats, freshly painted corridors. Some of this investment pays off, but much of it does not. Investors have their own plans and may not want to pay for your vision of the refurbishment.
The basic rule: investors want to make their own decisions
An investor buying an apartment building usually has their own concept: different layouts, a different specification for the flats and a different timetable. Refurbishment carried out by the seller often gets in the way: the investor has to redo it or will pay less for it than it cost.
The exception is repairs that eliminate risk. Investors do not pay for appearances, but they will pay well for certainty.
What is worth doing
- Resolving urgent defects: water ingress, faulty service risers and unsafe electrical installations in communal areas.
- Up-to-date inspection certificates for electrical installations, gas, chimneys and the lift: low costs and significantly fewer questions.
- Cleaning communal areas, the loft and cellars, and clearing clutter from the courtyard.
- A technical report on the building’s condition, ideally from an independent building engineer.
- Resolving minor legal defects: unregistered structures and discrepancies between Land Registry records and the actual position.
What usually does not pay off
- Fully refurbishing vacant flats to your own specification.
- A new façade without repairing the roof and insulation.
- Replacing windows in only part of the building.
- Major works started shortly before the sale without permits or design documentation.
How to assess the investment
Ask yourself two questions: how much more will the investor pay, and how much will you reduce the allowance they would otherwise deduct for risk? If the combined benefit is less than the cost and time involved, do not proceed. Instead, describe the work and provide a cost estimate in the sale documentation.
Example: a roof with an estimated repair cost of CZK 3 million. If you leave it unrepaired, the investor will deduct the cost plus a risk allowance, perhaps CZK 4–4.5 million. If you have a contractor’s cost estimate, that allowance will be smaller. Carrying out the repair itself is only worthwhile if you can complete it without delaying the sale.
Vacant flats: let, refurbish or leave as they are?
A vacant flat has value for an investor: they can refurbish it and let it at a market rent. By contrast, granting a new open-ended tenancy just before the sale may reduce the price. We therefore recommend seeking advice before deciding what to do with each vacant flat.
Frequently asked questions
Should I repair the façade before selling?
Usually not. Unless it is in a dangerous state of disrepair, the investor will assess it themselves. A repair cost estimate that can be used in negotiations is more helpful.
Will repainting the corridors help?
It improves first impressions at little cost, but has no significant effect on the price.
Next step
Before starting any repairs, call us. We will inspect the building and tell you which investments will pay off.
Sources
Author: Maria Kopřivová, Pura Vida Property Advisory. Published 9 July 2026. This article is for information only and does not replace legal or tax advice.
