Condo living is a different experience from living in a house with a garden and a yard. Condo living is about having a space of your own on the inside and sharing the outside with your neighboring condo owners. It can sometimes seem that condos are stacked up on top of each other but that is the way builders can get the best return for the investment. As each person will contribute to the up keep of the whole condo then the more condo’s that can be fitted into the one dwelling the chances are that the upkeep costs of the outside and the communal areas will be cheaper in comparison to a condo with only one or two dwellings.
Buying A Condo
Even if you buy your condo there will be expenses that you will need to take into consideration. There will be the additional costs as set out by the home owner association, normally referred to as HOA, that you will be buying into. These will need to cover the cost of maintenance of the outside of the building including the roof and also the communal areas which will need to be kept clean and fresh. You might find that you will need to attend meeting to discuss issues that need addressing in your building, if you like the idea of becoming involved in a community then this will be the heart of it.
Community
Condos tend to be in places that are close to amenities and this makes condo living easy. If you are in a position that is close to places to shop and buy food and groceries then you will have the convenience of living in a sometimes smaller place but with access to these can sometimes out way the size of the property. Having access to a local community and what that can offer is security and feeling of belonging.
Condo Living
Condo living usually comes with close links to transport links to get you to and from work if you do not have a car. Sometimes living in a condo in the close vicinity of shops, you might not need the luxury of a car because everything you need is close at hand. If the condo is not close to local amenities then the amount that is paid monthly for the up keep will be in line with this and is normally a lot lower than a condo that is closer to local amenities.
Benefits Of Condo Living
- Shared costs of up keep of the outside of the building.
- Cheaper than buying a house
- First step onto housing market
Points Against Condo Living
- The outside of your home is not yours to decorate as you please.
- You will have neighbors in close proximity.
- You tend not to have any outside space, or very limited space.
Times To Consider Condo Living
- When you are just starting out on the property ladder.
- When you are thinking of retiring.
Points To Consider When Buying
- The space available inside, is it big enough?
- The price of the condo.
- The local amenities, if there is enough places locally to shop.
- The added cost of the upkeep of the building and shared areas.
- Your potential neighbors
Featured images:
- License: Image author owned
- License: Image author owned
This article, written by Matthew Anton, explains some of the benefits of condo living as well as the forgotten and hidden side of purchasing a condo. If you are looking for more information about condos then you should check out http://www.seattlecondoreview.com/, it will give you some great information.