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

Just a continuation to my previous post regarding small spaces in condominiums, I feel that it is but proper to emphasize the minimalist approach.

If your condo space is small for large appliances and furniture to fit in, DON’T FORCE IT. If you do this, either you want your space to look smaller, or in extreme cases, let your things stay inside your house and you, outside. What you can do is choose little things as possible by eliminating the “wants” with the “needs”. If you have two lampshades, better sell the other one in thrift shops. Or perhaps, if you have a large sofa, sell it so you could have a smaller one. Remember: minimal is best.

Photo taken from http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

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.

Before buying a condo unit, you should first check if the condo management has rules about the maximum number of condo rental units that will be allowed. This is because living beside a unit that is strictly occupied by the owner is very different from living with a rental unit as your next door neighbor.

The garbage chute is probably the most forgotten part of the condominium—yet the most important. Without it, the condominium will be good for nothing but a dumping site. Condo occupants are living the convenient life, and nobody would want to go down the stairs just to throw trash. The difference between a house and condo when it comes to garbage disposal is that, people living in condos have a “tidier” and “organized” way of throwing stuff, while people living in houses normally put their trash in one area (communal) for the germs and flies to feast on. Uh-oh! Watch out for the neighbor’s cat!

Photo taken from http://www.dakotavalleyrecycling.org

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.

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 →