Weak question: do other countries also have pool space when buying a house?

Worried about the house before having a house, worried about the decoration after having a house, and worried about the property after moving into a new house ... The house has become a big stone in the hearts of China people. Rising house prices and various real estate disputes are even more complicated. From the beginning of this issue, this newspaper launched the column "Foreign Real Estate" to comprehensively report the current situation of foreign real estate, hoping that readers can learn from their practices.

When I was in China, I often heard people joke that "I will buy a house if I want to fight, and I will decorate it if I want to divorce." Although this is a joke, it reflects people's feelings when buying a house. In short, all kinds of real estate disputes are always frequently reported in newspapers, whether it is short in size or cutting corners in construction. When I arrived in America, I told that joke to my American friends, and they were startled. Because buying a house in the United States, there is little controversy.

Housing advertisements are only allowed to shoot ready-made houses.

The first reason why there are few disputes in the real estate market in the United States is that people who sell houses generally don't dare to tell lies, especially in the promotion of houses, and they must never confuse customers with false promises or false information. When you open an advertisement for a house in America, you will see a picture of a real house, especially a second-hand house. In the United States, in order to avoid disputes caused by false propaganda, only ready-made houses can be photographed in advertisements, and model photos of unfinished houses are not allowed to appear in advertisements.

In advertisements for second-hand houses, prices, geographical location, housing structure and so on are generally stated. The level of house price mainly depends on the structure and location of the house. The structure of a house generally refers to the number of bedrooms, living rooms, gardens, garages, whether the kitchen facilities are complete, whether there is a walk-in wardrobe, whether there is a good landscape and so on. The location of the house mainly depends on whether the surrounding shopping and entertainment facilities are complete, whether the transportation is convenient, and how the teaching quality of nearby primary and secondary schools is. When customers choose a house, they will go to a broker to look at it, and the broker will provide more detailed explanations, including various areas of the house. For example, the total land area (including the building area of the house itself and the surrounding green space) and the building area of the house itself, as well as the areas of bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms in the room (all expressed in square feet). But ancillary buildings such as bathrooms, corridors, stairs, basements, balconies, etc. Generally, it is not marked. In the United States, single-family houses are sold by "suites" rather than "square feet", so most people don't fight for one or two square feet. As for the apartment, the housing advertisement indicates the usable area, not the building area used in most parts of China, and there is no so-called "pool area", so there will be no disputes between buyers and sellers because of the area. Of course, the owners of public areas such as elevators, corridors, lawns and entertainment facilities in apartment buildings have to pay property management fees.

Developers must build houses according to household requirements.

Buying a new house is slightly different. Under normal circumstances, after buying land, real estate developers do not build according to what they want, but build houses according to the requirements of buyers. So American houses are personalized. The buyer and the seller agree on an architectural drawing first, and the positions and areas of the bedroom, living room, kitchen, balcony, bathroom, basement and stairs should be clearly marked, even the positions of telephone sockets and light switches should be clearly marked, and the construction party must carry out the construction according to the drawings. When handing over the house, if the buyer finds that it is inconsistent with the drawings, the builder must correct it free of charge. If it is a big problem that cannot be corrected, it will be compensated, refunded or even completely rebuilt. For example, Ms. Shi Lirong, a real estate agent, said that one of her clients informed the developer to increase the living room area by 4 square feet after designing the drawings last year, but the developer forgot. When the house was finally handed over, the owner found the problem. The developer wants compensation, the owner asks for a refund, and the developer has to refund the money, or he will go to court.

In the United States, real estate developers dare not make fakes, otherwise they will be made public, not only will they be severely punished, but their reputation will also be wiped out. Since then, no one has bought their houses.

Mr. Yin Jie, a real estate lawyer of Washington Metropolitan Real Estate Company, said that three years ago, when developers built houses, they did not use the high-grade wood they promised, but used low-grade wood. As a result, several families found tiny cracks in the stairs and floors of their houses. As a result, several families jointly took the company to court. The result is, of course, the bankruptcy of the real estate business.

Developers are not only responsible for building houses, but also for decoration.

Another reason why there are fewer disputes in the American real estate market is that developers are not only responsible for building houses, but also for decoration. Americans have never heard of "rough houses" because all houses must be decorated before they can be delivered for use, and there can be no nudity. Not long ago, a friend of the reporter bought a house and wanted to install a range hood, but he never chose a good brand. So, she wants the developer to make a hole in the flue first, and then install it herself after she chooses a good brand. However, the developers disagree, saying that the house they deliver cannot have any decoration that is not in place. No way, my friend had to buy a range hood for the developer to install.

Of course, how developers decorate depends on buyers. Before the house is built, the developer will provide the buyer with a basic decoration plan, and the decoration cost is included in the house payment, so there is no need to pay extra. Basic decoration uses ordinary floors, carpets, lamps, paints, etc. Although it is not luxurious, it can be used completely, which is equivalent to the domestic mid-range decoration level. But in fact, most people will choose better materials and decoration styles when buying a house. For example, carpets for basic decoration, some people will choose wooden floors, and some people will even choose marble floors. Ms. Shi Lirong said that among her clients, most people who buy houses with a price of $300,000 to $400,000 will spend another $20,000 to $40,000 on renovation, hoping for a higher level of renovation.