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

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 →

The fad of collapsible furnishings that can be torn-down and re-assembled easily creates a hidden danger in the home for they release VOC’s that are known to have harmful side effects to you and your family’s health. The solvents and glues used on such products eventually begin to leach out of the wood thus exposing you to cancerous compounds that should be avoided considering the small confined spaces in such homes. More →

Unlike full blown houses, one of the disadvantages of condos it it’s relatively smaller space. One tip to mange the space is to create a focal point in every room. Focal points make a room feel spacey and homey at the same time, and doesn’t need you to extensively put designs in everything. Keep your space free from clutter, as a messy condo makes it easy for you and any visitor to feel stuffy and cramped. If you have any inner doors you can make do without, try replacing them with curtains for a more open feel. You should also pay particular attention to your windows, as keeping them clean will allow more light to flood into your living space. In cleaning, using smaller vacuums are recommended as they can maneuver around smaller spaces better.

If the pipe of you water service provider’s cut, what do you do? If the electricity’s down, how can you accomplish things? This is one of the major reasons why people prefer living in a condo. First off, condominiums have water tanks. Depending on the size of the condominium but normally, they have large ones enough to accommodate the dwellers. If the water pipe becomes busted, the pre-collected water inside the tank will be the thing that’s going to be distributed. Since these tanks are big and not most of the time the units are occupied, water will suffice the units until the pipe has been fixed.

Second, condominiums have generators. Since generators run on oil, all you have to worry about is the amount of your next month’s association dues (you have to pay for the used oil).

Well at least, you didn’t suffer bit.

Photo taken from http://www.acoustiblok.com & http://www.cartoonstock.com

Condo’s are a compact urban community that exist on multiple dimensions; up down, left and right you have neighbors and they can be both boon or bane depending on your relationship with them. First, make it a point to get to know the people within the community for they are the ones you’ll be living with for some years. Learn to give and take, a noisy party during a birthday may be excused so as you get the favor returned when you take the stand.
Participate as much as you can so you get the who’s, what’s and if’s of the community and so you get to know issues before they affect you. Fostering a sense of community even in box like a condominium is a worthwhile effort that would make you an integral part of a harmonious community.