Terms
The right term helps you ask the right question
Each entry includes a clear definition, a practical example, a common misconception and an explanation of why it matters to a buyer.
Property identity
What exactly is the property?
Terms that help you check whether the listing, cadastre, plans and contract describe the same property.
Cadastral identifier
Unique code for a land parcel, building or self-contained unit in the cadastre. You can use it to compare documents, but not to establish ownership.
Land parcel (PI)
A part of the earth's surface with defined boundaries and a basic unit in the cadastre. Do not confuse it with UPI, address or the colloquial "parcel".
UPI
Regulated land parcel according to a detailed development plan - a planning concept of boundaries and development regime, which is not necessarily identical to the cadastral PI.
Self-contained unit in a building
A separate part of a building with its own purpose - for example, an apartment, studio, shop or garage. Not every detached room is a self-contained property.
Appurtenant parts
A basement, attic, storage room or other part attached to the main unit; its description must indicate what right is acquired and whether it can be disposed of separately.
Designated use of the unit
The unit's officially defined function - dwelling, studio, office, shop or garage. The advertising name and furnishings do not change its purpose.
Net, built-up and total area
Floor area can be calculated in different ways. Check exactly what was measured and which common or appurtenant areas are included in the figure quoted.
Ownership and use
Who owns and uses what?
How ownership, possession, common parts and third-party rights over the property differ.
Undivided shares
A share in a jointly held right, not a particular room, part of the yard or parking space. Exclusive use requires a separate legal basis or allocation.
Right to build
A limited real right to build and own a building on someone else's land within a certain scope; it is different from the building permit and the promise of a future apartment.
Garage and parking space
A garage may be a freehold entity, while a parking space is often acquired through common units and shared use. The marking and number alone do not determine entitlement.
Condominium ownership
It combines individual ownership of apartments and other objects with common parts and general management of the building.
Possession and ownership
Holding the keys and owning the property are two different things. Possession does not transfer title, and title does not guarantee vacant possession.
Right of use
The right of another person to use the property and receive the income from it, even though the owner is different.
Easement and right of way
A right or restriction that allows access, passage or infrastructure across someone else's property and may limit how the affected land is used and developed.
Matrimonial property community
Under the statutory regime, property rights acquired during the marriage with joint contribution may belong jointly to both spouses, regardless of whose name the document is in.
Transaction and registrations
What could affect the acquisition?
How payments, mortgages, attachments and other registered matters may affect the transaction.
Property encumbrance
A general name for rights, restrictions and entries that may affect the property. It is important to always specify their exact type and action.
Mortgage
A registered security interest on real property that gives the lender preference over its price and does not disappear simply because the owner changes.
Property attachment
A registered measure that restricts disposal of a property. The buyer should check the case in which it was imposed, what it affects and whether it has been removed from the register.
Registered legal claim
Entry that a claim has been filed relating to the property or a deed to it. This is not yet a court decision, but may affect a subsequent buyer.
Earnest money, deposit and reservation fee
Pre-transaction payments with various possible functions; the legal effects come from the contract and terms, not just the title of the amount.
Property register account and registration
The registered deeds and circumstances for the property are arranged in the property register account. It is not a cadastral identifier and should be followed carefully.
New construction
What do the construction stages mean?
The differences between marketing labels, construction records, project participants and the work actually completed.
Rough construction
An important construction and legal stage that does not mean that the apartment is completed, recorded in the cadastre or that the payment deadline has necessarily arrived.
Off-plan purchase and future property
A common term for buying before a property is completed. It is not a legal status and may involve different contracts and rights.
"BDS finish" and level of completion
Trade name for unfinished interior. What exactly will be performed depends on the technical specification to the contract, not the abbreviation.
GFA - gross floor area
A measure of the building's area calculated under the applicable rules. It is not the area of a particular apartment and should not be confused with saleable floor area.
Investor, developer and builder
Roles with different rights and responsibilities: who organizes and has the right to commission, who executes the construction and who makes the promises to the buyer.
Construction documents
The collective term for approved designs, permits, orders, acts and protocols for a construction project. One document does not replace the others.
Significant deviation from the project
A change compared to the approved investment project, for which ZUT may require a special procedure. An arrangement between a buyer and a seller is not an administrative approval.
Construction category
The legal category defines part of the control and procedure for the construction. It is not an assessment of quality, price or luxury.
Handover and operation
What should you check at handover?
Defects, warranties, utilities and building management: questions that do not end when you receive the keys.
Warranty period
The period during which responsibility applies to specified construction work. The statutory minimum and the additional contractual guarantee are not the same.
Obvious and hidden defects
Defects that may be visible on a normal inspection or appear later; acceptance must document the facts without turning into a hasty waiver of rights.
Utility connections and individual accounts
A utility network nearby, a connected building, an active service and an individual account are not the same thing. Check each step separately.