I bought a residential house in the 3rd, extended phase of construction. Of course, I checked the property professionally before buying it, and I also checked the legal status and inquired from potential future neighbours about any concealed issues. Since everything seemed okay, my husband and I took a loan from the bank and bought the property.
Just as we wanted to conclude with the artisan work, we found that the house was so poorly built and there were so many hidden mistakes we literally undressed the house to its wooden skeleton and started rebuilding from there.
From a personal experience, I understand that people have a fear of buying. The fact is that, if someone wants to hide something, they definitely will. The question is whether one can, based on what can be seen, suspect they might find hidden mistakes, how well prepared is their contract and whether it protects then in case of error detection, so they can later ask the seller to eliminate deficiencies or compensate for them.

When surveying a built real estate, we first check the land registry and official records from the Land Surveying and Mapping Authority (i.e. Land Cadastre, Building Cadastre and Real Estate Register). We check the utility connections, more precisely whether they exist physically and legally. We check the energy performance certificate and compliance with the actual situation.
Then, we arrange a meeting with a seller’s representative to view the property. At that time, we carefully examine the property with all its associated parts, and list the elements of the established condition and any visible errors found on the property. In addition, we review the complete building construction documentation, from the building permit to the certificate of occupancy or any other decisions and records. The building permit must not be confused with the location permit, which is something that often misleads a buyer. It is also necessary to pay attention to the validity of licenses and accuracy of records. It is recommended that the project documentation is also submitted, as this is the only way to determine the actual compliance of the constructed facility with the permits. Things are indeed not as simple as they seem to be, which is attested by the fact that many real estate agencies and law firms turn to us for verification.
It is best to view the real estate after a long rainy season, because at that time any deficiencies will be widely exposed. We do not recommend to view real estate in the sunny, spring weather, because at that time emotions will greatly affect your perception of the environment and blur your mind. Nevertheless, most of the real estate transactions in residential real areas occur precisely in the spring months.
We conclude the overview with a report listing any obvious errors and their repair value, and the time estimate for the elimination of recorded defects. We also provide information on possible legal restrictions. By doing so, the customer can bring down the purchase price or arrange for the elimination of defects before purchasing. Upon request, we help in the selection of contractors for the elimination of any such errors, as we have extensive experience in construction supervision and can recommend reliable and experienced people in a particular areas.

When examining land for construction, we first check the land registry and official records from the geodetic administration. Next, we check the utility connections for physical and legal existence, i.e. any connections to the public infrastructure.

Then, we check the spatial act, the planned changes and the possibility of building the desired facility on the land.

Furthermore, we provide the client with instructions for verifying any obsolete uses which could later affect the use of real estate, such as possession, easement etc.

The survey is concluded with a report where we list the requirements from the spatial act, the construction restrictions with protective regimes (e.g. floods, landslides, cultural heritage protection etc.), the procedure for obtaining the building documentation, and any necessary procedures and interventions that need to be carried out beforehand.

When examining forestland, we first check the land registry and official records from the geodetic administration. Next, data is also obtained from the Forestry Institute, as it has been supplied by forest managers.

We then take a look at the forest, where we check the stock of wood mass and make a quick financial calculation for the investment.

After the purchase, we advise on the forest management and arrange all necessary forestry tasks to get the most value out of your woods.

The Decree on Physical Assets of the State and Local Government stipulates that real estate may be disposed of solely on the basis of a Real Estate Management Plan, which specifies how the property is acquired and how the existing property is managed.

The state, state institutions, public institutions etc. are in possession of huge assets, which they do not always manage economically and with the conscience of a reliable professional, or they simply do not have the means to do so. Since they often do not have adequate personnel or knowledge for the preparation of the requested document, they sometimes outsource services in this field. On the basis of the Triglav National Park Act, we developed a real estate management programme for the Triglav National Park. As a result of this one-year project, we elaborated a document that listed all real estate, recorded their legal and physical state, and anticipated their use and annual maintenance costs. In addition, the document envisaged the investment costs for establishing the situation adequate for the designated use, and the legal regulation of the status in some real estate.

A similar document would be useful for any organization, institution or private sector company who would like to better utilise their properties both in terms of ease of use and economic management.

The fact that we engage in all these processes seriously, professionally and conscientiously, is confirmed by our inclusion in the Property Licensing Programme at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, an international association recognized throughout the globe.

You have a detailed design in place, you have selected the contractors, and you would like to have peace of mind during the construction. Is construction supervision useful or is it just an unnecessary cost?

The construction supervision service is certainly a very useful expense, which can, if you have chosen the right person, save time, money and nerves multiple times folded. Sometimes it seems that the supervisor does not work at all but rather comes by in passing. However, we can say with certainty that this is not the case with our company. We work on the field every time the situation dictates, either twice a week or twice a day. We will always be on site when you are at work, but we will only contact you for urgent matters. We will be there when it is -20-°C or +38-°C, even early in the morning, when due to complications, we are sometimes greeted with a fair amount of yelling rather than with “good morning”. We will spend a lot of time looking for solutions when you actually cannot see us on the site because we specifically target time for designated work. Above all, we will act as your ally in relation to contractors and we can guarantee construction in accordance with your requirements and in accordance with the timeline and financial plan.

Although the project design supervision is not legally required under the construction law, it is indispensable as a basis for determining the fulfilment of essential regulative requirements that cannot be verified at the finished facility. For this reason, the design control will be addressed in the Rules of the profession as part of the project design services, which have not yet been published.

The construction supervision entails expert supervision at the construction site, which allows the supervisor to check whether the construction is taking place in accordance with the project documentation based on which the building permit was issued. The responsible supervisor also monitors the quality of works carried out, the quality of construction products, materials, fittings and technological devices that are installed in the facility and, depending on the situation, makes sure that the agreed construction deadlines and budget are respected during the implementation.
If you require a valuation to determine the value or an valuation for a loan, there are two options: you can let your bank choose the valuator or you can choose an valuator who is approved by the bank (a bank usually has a list of valuators they can provide you with upon request). There will be no difference in the price between these two options, but the difference in the reporting and use of the report will be significant. If the valuation is ordered by the bank, the valuator is obliged by law to submit a report to the bank and may not disclose information to anyone else. Simply put, if you want to know the appraised value, you need to make inquiries at the bank, which also goes for any other information, such as building legality, hidden mistakes or any other possible obstacles. If you order the valuation directly from the valuator, you will receive the report as a direct client, in which case they will hand over to you all other information, and you can take the report to the bank. Most importantly, you can take such information to any bank, which makes it easier for you to select a bank at which you will take out the loan.
If you need a valuation for the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS), you will find an valuator on the list of the Slovenian Institute of Auditors (SIR). In terms of the price, it almost makes no difference as to whom you choose. However, it is likely that you will come across the differences in delivery times.
If you need a valuation to determine a real purchase price or distribute property, it is important that you select someone who has experience in the construction of facilities, as they will be able to verify the value in relation to the real estate situation. Such a professional should not only be licensed, but also needs to have acquired basic education in the field of construction or architecture.
A valuation for the needs of the financial statements can in principle be made by any licensed valuator, but in reality there is a question of who will be willing to do this in the first place. The thing is that such valuations automatically fall under the audit process, which is not necessarily something an valuator wants to deal with. We are not afraid to tackle such cases.

In this case, we recommend hiring a real estate valuator, who will be able to make an analysis in terms of the most economical land use. This also means the valuator will check what can be built on the land, define what king of facility would be most economical to build, and give you information about how much a potential investor would pay for the land.
We regularly carry out such work at ATEU and since we have designed every type of facilities, we can give a realistic valuation based both on the required valuation standards and our experience. In addition, we can facilitate the sale by creating a leaflet providing the basic information about the land though a 3D design. The basic financial parameters can also be included. It will therefore be easier for your potential buyers to visualise what they are about to buy. Finally yet importantly, we thoroughly check everything and obtain all necessary permits, provided that the buyer decides to carry out the project at ATEU.

Up until now, such cases have been difficult to resolve or the court’s decisions were questionable. In principle, the clients had to let their investment go and their wives could graciously thank them for everything. However, a new Family Code will enter into force on 13 April 2019 acknowledging the increase in the value of property by contributing into it and the possibility to have the investment returned to the amount for which the price of the property has increased. The spouse may therefore claim a refund of the entire contribution or a share of ownership.
In such a case, we assess the property value both as at the period before the investments were made and as at the day the property was distributed (one date in the negotiation period). In the process, we also take into the account the time-barred contribution. The difference in value is equal to the recognised investment.

Of course, the neighbour has a legitimate right to do that because they will be damaged during the use of their land, at least for the size of the easement portion. It is best to discuss such things with your neighbour, where the saying “Politeness costs little and yields much” can come in handy. If this does not work, you can request a valuation of the land, which the neighbour will most likely disagree with. This is then followed by a judicial procedure for determining the necessity of easement or even another preliminary procedure where the court will appoint a certified valuator. However, you should be aware that such cases usually produce no winners. You will have to pay the easement costs, and your neighbour will probably consider it too low. This is how you can lose good neighbourly relations and at the same time the best security system for your real estate.

In such cases, a certified valuator will assess the part of the property involving the easement. A reduced value of the remaining part of the property is also calculated in the valuation.

You can attend public displays of plans and ask us to explain the impact on your property or to help you exercise your rights. We can prepare comments on the spatial document, or even participate in the public display with you or review expert groundwork in order to find a more detailed explanation for the prepared proposals. Comments are more effective if the inhabitants of the respective area are united and work together towards their common interests.

Here, you have two options. You can submit a proposal to the municipality and wait for the procedure for amending the municipal spatial plan (OPN) to get started. In such case, your proposal will be processed along with all other proposals. Spatial plans are changed every 2–5 years, depending on the size of the municipality and the number of proposals.

The second option you have is to verify the location, but this possibility is very limited. This way, the individual settlement development zone cannot increase by more than 20% or 600-m², irrespective of the number of location verification. The procedure is carried out as follows:

• the investor introduces an initiative together with an elaborate for the location verification containing a graphic representation of the adjusted and precisely defined form of the change in the settlement area,
• the municipality checks the compliance of the elaborate plan against the legal provisions and the municipal spatial plan (OPN) within 60days, which results in a decision on acceptance or rejection,
• the municipality obtains opinions from the competent departments,
• the municipality publicly displays the initiative and the elaborate plan for 15days, and informs the owners of neighbouring lands about this in writing,
• after the public display, the elaborate is addressed at the municipal council,
• the decision on the location verification is entered into the municipality spatial information system and published in the official publication of the municipality.

For the location verification process, a fee is levied, which is decided by each municipality. It is definitely worthwhile to submit a proposal together with the initiation of procedure for amending the entire municipal spatial plan (OPN).

Before producing an energy performance certificate, we will take a tour of the apartment. While we acquire all the necessary information, the only thing you have to do is to allow us to take a tour. We produce and hand over the certificate within five days following the tour.

Before producing an energy performance certificate, we will have to take a tour of the house. During the tour, we will need to review the building permit design showing the size of the house. We can also measure the facility on the site, but you need to warn us about it beforehand, as in this case the tour will take more time and we will need to bring additional equipment. We produce and hand over the certificate within five days following the tour.

The date for viewing and handing over the certificate is negotiable.

If the investor would like to deduct the value of existing areas from the calculation of the communal contribution, the building will have to be included in the documentation for obtaining a building permit (DGD). If the investor does not want to do this, the removal of the facility may be managed separately and faster. In this case, the building permit documentation in the geodetic record is added a note that the facility has already been removed, while the documentation for obtaining the building permit (DGD) is prepared for the vacant lot and the removal in not processed fro the second time.

Yes, in accordance with Article 3 of the GZ (Definition of terms), which states: The building maintenance includes works for preserving the usability and value of the building as well as its improvements, taking into account the technological progress, the replacement of individual worn-out structural and other components and plumbing penetrations; however, the Article 66 sets forth a limitation that the external building dimensions should not be increased by more than 30 cm and should be increased in line with the regulation which classifies the façade renovation as part of maintenance works and building wrap works.
A building permit is not necessary to acquire, but it is necessary to prepare the detailed design (PZI) and the as-built design (PID), and report the start of construction to the administrative unit.

In this case, it is possible for the project design team to replace the contractor – the architect and the engineers specialising in specific fields inspect the facility and, if it meets the essential requirements, they fulfil the proof of reliability form (Article 29 of the Rules and Annex 5). Authorized architects and engineers are materially and criminally responsible for all statements, so the question is where can one find architects and engineers that would be prepared to take over such projects and for what amount of money they would be willing to sign the statements.

That is not necessary. The first paragraph of Article 25 of the Rules specifies the following:
(1) If during the construction, there have been no deviations from the project design for obtaining opinions and a building permit, which was an integral part of the building permit, and from the project design documentation for the construction works, the plans for as-built design documentation are not elaborated.
This provision refers to that part of the detailed design (PZI), which demonstrates the fulfilment of essential requirements (Article 18 of the Rules).