The good part about resale flats is they’re already built, and you can move in immediately. The bad part is that, for older flats, wear and tear can cause substantial problems later; and any extensive renovations (which are also more necessary in old flats) can aggravate these problems. If you do decide on an ageing flat nonetheless, you might be able to dodge the worst problems by looking out for the following:

1. Inspect wet areas like the toilets, or under the sinks, first 

This is where leaks are most likely to happen. With toilets, you can usually spot these as discolouration or streaks along the walls or ceiling. Under sinks, you may find damp or discoloured spots under the sink pipes.

The worst problem is usually leaks coming from your upstairs neighbour. This requires you to coordinate with the people upstairs to fix the issue. That means splitting the cost incidentally, not that they’re...