Before you fall in love with an apartment, be sure to check all major and minor appliances including the refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, oven and air conditioner. These come with the apartment, and you will end up owning them whether they work or not. If they don't, it will be your responsibility to fix, throw out or replace them. Don't just ask if they work; insist on trying them. This is your right. If any of these appliances need to be replaced or repaired, your bidding price may be affected. It wasn't until the second washing of dishes that water seeped out from my washer and flooded the floor. Fearful that it would damage not only my apartment, but also the one below me, I immediately called the repairman. Total cost to fix: $260.

Don't be afraid to test the walls, floors and even ceiling for the strength and condition of the plaster and foundations. This never occurred to me when I was apartment hunting. Walls are walls, right? Not true. Many walls have been purposely plastered over, covering up old mistakes, trying to rectify botched up jobs with flimsy sheetrock and other cheap material. This makes picture hanging, wall unit building and any other heavy duty job all the more difficult.

When I moved in, my mother and I made sure everything was spotless before laying down the carpet. As we stood back and admired our efforts, my mother pointed to a pocket in the ceiling. That wasn't there before, was it? she asked. Within the hour the bubble had increased in size. When the super arrived, the pocket was three times as large. As he poked at it with a pressure stick the surrounding area collapsed. Plaster and paint chips went flying in every direction. The room was a disaster area.

Most buildings require you to have home insurance before you sign papers of ownership. This is an invaluable purchase. Make sure you obtain some before you or someone else steps foot inside your apartment. My building was kind enough to take responsibility f ffb or the fallen ceiling and within 48 hours it was repaired. But that's lucky. Most buildings feel that if it happens in your apartment, the problem and the expense are yours. Total fee: in my case none.

Check all outlets to make sure you've got the juice. This sounds like silly advice, but it's crucial information. Take a plug-in clock, radio or nightlight with you so you can test the apartment. I learned this the hard way. I assumed that if the lights worked, so did the outlets. But, as it turned out, the sockets next to the dining room and foyer were dead. I had to bring in an electrician to revive them, an added expense that never should have happened. Total cost: $225.

Halfway through my first winter, significant repair work needed to be done to the central air and water generator. Check how old these systems are and if major work has previously been done. Also, find out what maintenance plans the building has. Other questions to ask include: Is the AC included in the maintenance charge? When was the last maintenance increase? Are there plans for an increase (mine went up four percent)? Are 51 percent of homeowners living in the building? How often does the exterminator come? Has there been a recurring bug problem? This question is especially relevant if you buy an apartment next to, or over, a restaurant.