Is the unit, townhouse or apartment building up to standard?
Ask the real estate agent or vendor if they have any information about the strength or construction of the building, including what percentage of the New Building Standard it meets. Your council might also have this information.
If a unit, townhouse or apartment building is listed on a council register as ‘earthquake prone’ it could require strengthening soon to bring it up to the standard, which might be costly. Councils are now required to assess the earthquake-prone level of all buildings that are two or more storeys high and include three or more residential units.
Read more about Apartments and shared-properties here