Seoul City Expands 'Visiting Consultation Service' for Old House Repairs

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 9th that it will expand the 'Visiting Consultation Service' for repairing old houses.

The 'Visiting Consultation Service' is a service operated since March 2016, where a 'House Repair Specialist' designated by the city visits aging houses in person to provide free assessments of the building's condition and offers consultation and guidance on repair methods.

At the end of last year, the city increased the number of House Repair Specialists from 71 to 109 and strengthened the qualification requirements to include licensed architects and architectural construction technicians. Additionally, starting this year, if repair work including exterior changes is carried out on old houses within the Housing Performance Improvement Support Zone, facade design support will be provided. If the construction is carried out according to the city's proposal, an additional subsidy of 20% of the exterior construction cost, up to a maximum of 5 million KRW, will be granted.

This service is available to anyone who owns an old house (excluding apartments) that is more than 10 years old since completion. However, support is limited for illegal or unauthorized buildings.

Applications are accepted at any time through the Jipsuri.com website. Consultations begin within 7 days from the application date.

Ryu Hoon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Regeneration Office, said, "We hope that by actively utilizing professional consultation, guidance, and cost support systems for house repairs, old houses will be improved and a high-quality residential environment will be created."