Some confusing termsWhile
checking out real estate ads for property in Israel, there are a few
terms that may confuse you or give you the wrong visual image of the
space being described. Some of the confusing terms include:
Rooms
– In Israel, you will see many advertisements where the agent or owner
state how many rooms the home has. This is not the actual count of
every room in the home or apartment; it is the number of bedrooms in the
home plus the living room. So for example, a four-room apartment would
in fact be a three-bedroom home plus the living room. The bathrooms
are sometimes stated separately, but they are not included in the room
count for descriptive purposes.
Basement
– In the US a basement is usually a below ground-level floor of the
housing unit. In Israel, a basement is actually a ground-floor living
level.
Ground floor –
In Israel, when the “ground floor” is referred to, it is actually the
ground floor, however, the First floor in Israel is what people from the
US would consider the Second Floor.
Of course all room and
home sizes are quoted in square meters instead of square feet. One
square meter equals 10.76 square feet.
Types of Housing Units in IsraelFlat – A single story apartment with neighbors above or below or on either side.
Duplex – Refers to a two story apartment.
Triplex – Refers to a three story apartment.
Penthouse – Apartment on the top floor of an apartment building, which could be single level or a duplex.
Cottage – An attached dwelling unit with its own private entrance that usually includes a bit of outdoor space such as a garden.
Villa – Usually a freestanding detached house that sits on its own plot of land.
A few terms you may see expressed in Hebrew Dunam -
Measurement for land/plot sizes in Israel. One dunam = 1,000 square
meters or 10,760 square feet, nearly one-quarter of an acre.
Mirpeset - Balcony
Arnona - Municipal tax usually paid monthly by the person occupying the apartment.
Tabu -
This is the government lands registry office. Information at this
office is open and accessible to the public. Anyone can check the
ownership of property. The Tabu record offers vital information
regarding each and every plot or subplot in Israel. A quick query will
reveal all information registered in the registry, including the owner
of the land, its registered size, rights relating to the land, and all
pledges, mortgages and encumbrances relating to the land registered in
this office. Any property purchase made in Israel should be registered
in Tabu to protect the buyer/owner.
Lyle Plocher is the Director of Buy Property In Israel and can be reached by email at lyle@buypropertyinisrael.com.