All About Condo Living
Everything, Anything, All About Condo Living!

Living in a condo can have a number of restrictions. For one, owning a pet could be one of the biggest decisions to make (that is if they allow it); cooking or ordering take-out will always be something to think about; and the way you present your itty bitty living space speaks much about who you are. Before even considering living in a condo, you have to know the restrictions and how they may affect you and how you would want to explore living independently. And with all the given independence, there will always be moments that you’d want someone or something to keep you feeling safe and comfortable.

In continuation of the The Moving ‘in’ Part 1 This is a sort of DIY (Do It Yourself Moving).

Packing, loading/unloading, & driving can be very time-consuming and tiring make sure you’re properly rested and schedule the event so as not to interfere with your work.

With Packing wisely and traveling ‘light’ you can save time and effort, but if you can’t help but pack large furniture and lots of things, try calling up family and friends to help you out.

Thing to Consider If you need help packing/unpacking and moving your stuffs
1. Pickup & Delivery Services (PUD)
2. Professional Movers

Well so far we’ve discussed the Inspect part (link to inspect a condo) and then the buying part (link to buying a condo), now for the most tiring and exciting part, the ‘Moving In’ Yey! Finally here are simple tips to help you glide your way to the process of packing things and unpacking them on your new fortress.

Don’t pack and take everything with you when you move, either throw out, give away, or sell things that you wont need. The plus of selling some your stuff is that you can add the money you earned for some other things you may need in your unit.

Pack the bare necessities or you may have problems moving all your stuffs if you’re doing it alone.

1. Ponder on the thoughts when preparing to buy a condo. Is it the right move? Will it fit my budget? Will it fit my Lifestyle?

2. Check the advantages and disadvantages of an urban lifestyle. Check out various Condos and note their strengths and weaknesses and also take note of the price range.

3. Get pre-qualified for a mortgage.

4. Inspect the building complex of your desired condo location. See my article on how to inspect for a condo unit.

5. Make an offer and close on the deal.

Many young couples and single professionals prefer to live in a condo than to stay in a house nowadays. Aside from the convenience that it brings, it also makes your living lifestyle simple and uncomplicated.

However, many face the problem of choosing the correct furniture for their unit. There are many condo units available in the market today. There are studio types, one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom units. Your furniture will depend on the kind of unit you have. The key here is to properly examine your unit before you purchase anything. But if your condo space seems to be small and lack of storage space seems to be a problem, then it is suggested that you have some of your furniture custom made.

Buying a parking space is usually an extra expense at condominiums. Also, there are certain conditions which contribute to the price of the parking spot.

1. The number of people staying in the area versus the available space for parking. This usually brings the price higher.

2. The parking area itself. The spacing and the number of cars the parking lot can accommodate greatly affects the pricing for a parking slot.

3. Security. The kind of security they have definitely contributes to the pricing. After all, you trust them to make sure that it stays where it is.

When selecting that residential area, you also need to consider a number of things regarding the neighborhood:

1. The buildings within the area: check the proximity of schools, hospitals and other buildings to your chosen area, so that you know where to go in times of emergency and also so you can estimate whether your area is a passing-thru area for other people who have to go to these places.

2. Traffic situation: The closer you are to business establishments and other major institutions, the greater the chances that your neighborhood will be exposed to noise and to heavy traffic.

3. History. What was the area before they put up your house? It pays to know what was once there.

This is one of the rages that is sweeping the nation of condo dwellers and has many people afraid of heights screaming, glass patios that seemingly has you hanging in mid-air and allowing unimpeded views of the floors and grounds below. There may be some privacy issues but it is indeed a novelty and kids love them. They are normally made up of laminated glasses that has alternating layers of glass and tempered glass that makes them quite tough and shatter proof.
They have been installed on some of the newest properties but your stomach for heights may have to be tested, to the extreme. You may have to change your habits in terms of clothing for your neighbors would surely be looking up to you, for the wrong reasons.

Condo’s being of height can be quite challenging when it comes to issues regarding the weather such as rain and high winds during stormy weather, warm and hot air when it’s sunny. A simple fix can be to use special window films if the windows are not treated with them to shield you from the hot sun keeping you cool and saving on power with the AC. Wind seeping into your unit can constitute quite a headache for dust and other contaminants can easily get into your unit and even water if the winds are strong enough. They can damage hardwood floors and even furniture so be sure to draft check the unit from time to time. Glass panes on patio’s should be either tempered or strengthened glass which is tougher than normal glass with the addition of several layers of polycarbonate plastic making them similar to bullet-resistant glass used on armored vehicles. More →

There is a notion in today’s environmentally conscious world that green is in which is mostly a very good choice yet not always the best for old condos that were built when caring for mother earth wasn’t always the norm of the time. But this doesn’t mean you can’t do your own little part in the greening of your particular unit for the simple act of changing all your lighting with CFL’s or energy saving lamps may be a good start. Old buildings also had a menagerie of appliances that were not too good for the environment, these appliances can be replaced by better newer ones that are more efficient and thus saving you more in terms of electrical consumption. More →