Things to consider when buying Square One condos

Buying a condominium can be an interesting process and one where small details play a large role in both the monetary and personal gains sustained after an appropriate purchase. This becomes especially true in a market place like the Square One condos where most buildings are relatively new and feature typical appointments someone would expect in a present day condominium environment. When buying Square One condos it is then imperative to pay attention to several key details that can sway your decision but aren’t immediately obvious. Having great and knowledgeable real estate representation working on your side is an obvious tip but this article will also explore some other things to consider when buying Square One condos.

square one condos Things to consider when buying Square One condos things to consider when buying square one condos

Size, Bathrooms and Closets

Square One condos come in varying sizes depending on the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, type of floor plan and of course which building. Finding the appropriate size of living space is of paramount importance when buying Square One condos, however it is also the most definitive source of value when it comes to resale. This is the highest ranked of all criteria when it comes to price consideration.

Now keeping in mind the concept of square footage; it is limited, especially in the one bedroom layouts within Square One condos. Therefore utilizing the available square footage in an appropriate manner is an important thing to consider. This leads us to the discussion in regards to bathrooms and closets. It is well known that typically after square footage, the number of bathrooms and quality of the kitchen tend to be major factors in price evaluation. This means that when searching Square One condos, even if you are a sole occupant within the condominium, a second bathroom should be something to weigh with some thought. Not only will it provide for a higher resale price, but it is also functionally better given the separation of your own private bathroom (typically adjacent to the master bedroom and called an ensuite) and the public bathroom which can be used by guests.

Bathrooms are great additions but sometimes you are faced with the dilemma of having an extra bathroom or walk-in closet space. Both have their positives and negatives and personally I would usually opt for the bathroom, however given the limited storage space available in smaller Square One condos, the walk-in closet could be of excellent use for some individuals. The only issue I see with placing priority over a bathroom with a walk-in closet is the ability to forge creative storage solutions for extra space whereas you cannot create an additional bathroom through implementing furniture ideas.

To quickly summarize these previous points – it is an ideal strategy to search Square One condos with the largest square footage within the type of building that suits your lifestyle. Once the average square footage size within your price range has been evaluated you should consider how you want to spend that square footage, and in my opinion an extra bathroom will go a long way.

Floors, Ceilings and Finishes

Keeping in mind the previously discussed things to consider when buying Square One condos we’ll jump into some slightly more abstract items. The first is which floor you actually live on in regards to how high up your Square One condo is. When purchasing a condo from a developer there typically is a premium for higher floors, however this does not necessarily hold true for resale condos. The most important factors are the ones mentioned at the beginning of the article, but the number of stories up is more of a case-by-case situation.

Some people may prefer lower floors due to fear of heights, not wanting to wait for elevators, having young children, amongst other reasons. Other people prefer higher floors for the spectacular views, the escape from the city below, etc. Therefore the concept of higher floors gaining a higher price in the resale market does not necessarily hold true. This means that the criteria of what floor you live on when buying resale Square One condos can be based on your personal preferences more-so than any of the other items discussed in this article.

Moving onto the discussion of ceilings, specifically ceiling heights. Tying into the above mentioned floor height criterion, many people prefer lower floors in some of the Square One condos because they offer 10 foot ceilings like in the Parkside Village condos or Limelight condos. When evaluating resale Square One condos, ceiling heights do generally affect the price and also the atmosphere of the unit. The extra foot of head space (considering most condo ceiling heights are 9 or 8 feet) may not sound like much, however given the already limited square footage, extra vertical space adds to the overall volume of the unit, giving it a much grander and larger appearance, even though there isn’t more usable floor space. As a general observation, higher ceilings are usually found on the lower floors or penthouse units within Square One condos.

After going through and evaluating the square footage, bathroom numbers, preferred height position and ceiling measurements, the condo needs to be dressed. This is accomplished through the finishes. Finishes can be very subjective; for example some people prefer white cabinets over dark wood lacquer surfaces. So without getting into specifics in regards to the differing tastes here are some tips on what to keep in mind when searching or looking to renovate the existing finishes. The flooring is highest on the priority list, it seems these days everyone hates carpets, and just because it’s called “broadloom” doesn’t mean it’s not basically carpet. If you have the chance, try to focus on having good flooring, whether it be high-grade hardwood, engineered hardwood, or even tasteful laminate, it will make a big difference in both price, health benefits and overall unit cleanliness.

In Conclusion

These items discussed above are all different points that you should keep in mind when buying Square One condos. Although it is not a fully comprehensive list and there are other factors that play a role in both pricing, desirability and overall ideal quality of a condo, these should give you a good list to start your search with. As mentioned at the beginning, having knowledgeable, professional real estate help is also key and SquareOneLIFE is here to provide that. For any further questions or to start your exciting journey towards a new Square One condo, head to the contact page.

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1 Comment

  • Posted December 5, 2014

    Mark P

    Thank you for this, easily helps understand what to focus on

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