Apartment Viewing Checklist for Buyers in Egypt

An apartment viewing checklist turns a walk-through into an inspection. In Egypt, the defects that cost the most — damp, cracks, tired plumbing, unpaid meters and incomplete title — rarely show in listing photos and are easy to miss when you are admiring the finishes. Work through five areas in order: structure, water, electricity and meters, the building, and the paperwork. View at least twice, at different times of day, and do not hand over a deposit on the day of the viewing.

In short: Before the viewing, get photos, a floor plan, the area in square metres and the price. During it, run every tap, check ceilings below the upstairs bathroom and kitchen, test sockets, and read the names on the meters. Afterwards, write up what you found, use defects in negotiation, and see copies of the title documents before paying anything.

Before you go

A viewing without preparation becomes a tour. The day before:

1. Ask the broker for photos, the floor plan, the net and gross area, the price and any payment plan.
2. Ask the building's age, the floor, whether there is a working lift, and whether it is a resale or a developer unit.
3. Bring a torch, a small phone charger to test sockets, a tape measure and a notes app.
4. If the property is older or has been altered, bring an engineer or a trusted contractor. An hour of their time costs far less than fixing a hidden defect after purchase.

The checklist, area by area

Area	What to check	Red flag
Structure	Ceilings, beams, external walls	Diagonal or wide cracks, exposed reinforcement
Structure	Balconies and stairwell	Cracks where the balcony meets the building
Damp	Ceiling below the upstairs bathroom and kitchen	Yellow stains, bubbling paint, musty smell
Damp	Behind wardrobes and under windows	Mould or salt marks on the wall
Plumbing	Water pressure with two taps open	Weak flow or discoloured water
Plumbing	Drains in bathrooms and kitchen	Slow drainage or sewage smell
Plumbing	Water heater location and ventilation	A gas heater in an unventilated bathroom
Electrics	Sockets and switches in every room	Heat, sparks or dead sockets
Electrics	Distribution board and breakers	Exposed wiring, unlabelled breakers
Meters	Electricity, water and gas meters	Not in the seller's name, or arrears outstanding
Openings	Windows and doors close and seal	Dust and street noise with windows shut
Light and air	Orientation and daylight	Rooms that only face a light well
Floors	Tiles level and solid	Hollow-sounding or cracked tiles
Building	Entrance, stairs, lift	Lift out of service, neglected common areas
Building	Roof and water tanks	Roof leaks, uncovered tanks
Management	Who runs building maintenance	Nobody responsible, no monthly fee collected
Neighbourhood	Night noise, transport, services	A workshop or café below your windows

Photograph the table on your phone and mark each line "fine" or "ask".

Why one viewing is never enough

The first viewing shows you the flat. The second shows you life around it. Go once in daylight for light, sun and finishes, then once in the evening or at rush hour for noise, street lighting and parking. Many buyers learn after moving in that a café below stays open until dawn or that the street jams at school times. On the second visit, try your actual commute at the hour you would make it.

Viewing from abroad: how to run a video viewing

Buyers in Riyadh, Dubai or Doha often view by video call first. That works if you direct the camera instead of letting it be directed:

1. Ask for a live call, not a recorded video. Recordings are edited; a live call lets you say "go back".
2. Start outside. Ask the broker to film the street, the building entrance, the stairwell and the lift on the way up.
3. Ceilings and corners. Ask them to point the camera at every ceiling, especially under the upstairs bathroom, and behind doors and wardrobes.
4. Water and power. Ask them to open two taps together, flush, and test a socket with a charger on camera.
5. Meters. Ask for a close-up of each meter and the most recent bills showing the account holder's name.
6. Windows open, then closed. Listen to the street noise both ways.

A video call is a filter, not a final check. Before you transfer a deposit, have someone you trust view in person, ideally with an engineer.

Resale vs developer unit: what changes

Resale. You are viewing a home someone has lived in, so problems are visible if you look: old damp, or plumbing and electrical changes made without an engineer. Ask what walls were removed or moved, and ask for recent utility bills to confirm there are no arrears.

Ready developer unit. Compare what you see with the specifications annex in the contract, not with the show flat. Ask for a booking receipt that states the unit's specifications, keep it and check against it at handover; if there is a dispute, review your rights under Egypt's Consumer Protection Law No. 181 of 2018 with a lawyer. In a compound, also ask about the maintenance deposit and service charges, explained in our maintenance deposit guide.

Questions to ask before any deposit

1. Whose name is the property in, and what is the title document — registered or preliminary contract?
2. Whose names are on the meters, and are there arrears?
3. Have there been any alterations or violations in the unit or building?
4. Who maintains the building, and what is the monthly fee?
5. Why is the owner selling, and how long has it been listed?
6. What stays at handover: air conditioners, kitchen, water heater?
7. What is the exact handover date, and will it be in the contract?

The first question matters most. If the unit is not registered, read our guide to property registration in Egypt. Note that the 2022 amendments penalise submitting forged documents for registration, according to Andersen Egypt's summary, so never accept papers someone offers to "fix". For New Capital units, our New Capital due-diligence guide covers developer and contract checks.

Viewing a resale unit? The physical check is only half the job; the other half is the original contract, remaining instalments and overprice, covered in our resale vs developer guide.

How Buildoura helps

Buildoura is the platform brokers and developers use to run their own property sites. For buyers, that means more of the basics are visible before a viewing: unit photos, floor plans and pricing, search by budget, area and location, and a WhatsApp button to reach the broker. The viewing itself can then focus on what photos cannot show.

For brokers, the CRM records notes from every viewing and each buyer's stage, so it is clear who needs a second viewing and who is ready for a contract. We cover the follow-up side in the agent follow-up system guide.

FAQ

What should I check first when viewing an apartment in Egypt?

Damp, cracks and plumbing, because they are the most expensive to fix and the easiest for fresh paint to hide. Then the meters and the title documents, because arrears and incomplete ownership are legal problems, not repairs.

How many times should I view an apartment before buying?

At least twice: once in daylight and once in the evening or at rush hour. If the first viewing raised concerns, bring an engineer to the second.

Is a video viewing enough if I live abroad?

It is a useful filter but not a substitute. Use a live call you direct, then have someone you trust, ideally with an engineer, view in person before you pay a deposit.

How do I know the meters have no arrears?

Ask for the latest electricity, water and gas bills and check the account holder's name. If the meter is not in the seller's name, ask how it will be transferred to you before paying.

Should I pay a deposit on the day of the viewing?

Preferably not. Take a day to review your notes and see the documents yourself. If you must pay, get a clear receipt with the unit details and a refund condition if the paperwork proves incomplete.

Written by Hala Mostafa, Real-Estate Solutions Lead at Buildoura. General information only, not a substitute for an engineering survey or legal advice.

If you are a broker who wants buyers to arrive at viewings already knowing the unit, start on Buildoura.