We lived for 13 years in an apartment. As Elcato pointed out, having a management company, while costly, can have its upsides. Check the management co. records, AGM and audits, you want to steer clear of the ones that have issues with creditors and have no records of undertaking large works in the estate. Ours had most building repainted after a few years, carpets changed, lightning improved and so on.
Our block had 8 apartments, 5 of them owner occupied, and the rest with families. You can get a good feel of the neighbours if you look at the balconies and common area, this will tell you whether they are likely to keep the place clean.
I also second Elcato about lifts: not only expensive, but noisy and with a terrible tendency to break. If you can go for a low rise block, you can be on the top floor and still climb the stairs daily. Also look out for storage as you won't have the benefit of an attic or a shed to park bikes, child toys, etc.