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Styling a condo is more challenging because of the limited space. But that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to living with functional but ugly furniture. There are a lot of new designs that are suitable for condos (compact!), but are still chic and stylish. I especially love ingenious transforming furniture such as this:

The Doc sofa/bunk bed unit by Bonbon Trading is a single couch that swings easily into two separate beds. Now that’s what I call a real space saver!

Image Source: www.kauai-condo-vacation.com
Most colleges and universities provide (usually for a fee) single or multiple occupancy rooms for their students. These buildings consist of many such rooms, like an apartment building, and the number of rooms varies quite widely from just a few to hundreds. Many colleges and universities no longer recognize the word “dormitory” and staffs are now using the term residence hall or simply “hall” instead. This is promoted as better describing a living and the learning community that is part of the larger academic institution. When the word “dorm” was first adapted for universities and colleges, the atmosphere of the buildings served as places for students to sleep. Often students had a curfew to be in the building for “lights out” and a “dorm mother” was in charge of running the building.. Features of life such as cafeterias, academic centers, active and passive programming, resident assistants and hall coordinators have given a new experience to living on campus.

Reason #4: You Can Get More Space

Often, buying a condo is a good alternative for those looking for a large piece of real estate but that do not have the funds. If you want to buy a 3,000 square foot home, you may not have the funds for it. On the other hand, it might be within your budget to buy a condo that provides 3,000 square feet of space. In fact, there are some pretty good deals going on in the condo aspect of the real estate market right now that some savvy shoppers are happily taking advantage of.

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Studio apartments range from roomy to small. The ordinary component is that their breathing space is a single room, with a separate bathroom and changeable numbers of closets. A division is usually what divides between the kitchen and living room. Some benefits of studio living are: (1) there is only one room to heat, cool, and light – so the utility bills are quite low; (2) Cleaning would be easy since what you need is a dust and vacuum; (3) the pleasure you get from living efficiency and minimally. Though there are a lot of cons also especially if you plan to have a family. Studio Living would not be convenient.

Parking will be a big issue for those who have vehicles. So if you have one and you’re looking for a condo unit, you need to be acquainted with the three types of parking in a condo setting.

There are three types of parking in a condominium:

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Condo units are small compared to houses, therefore don’t think about putting the same appliances in them. So that large fridge will need to be sold off and that big closet needs to go before you move in. Hopefully, you’ll have enough money to buy new, smaller appliances.

Condo unit owners or renters cannot place large appliances and furnitures in these tight places. They also require them to be as silent as possible, since they’ll be sleeping next to it. Besides, bigger is not always better.

“People are not equating space with luxury anymore. It’s becoming more about convenience and comfort – that’s why you are seeing quieter dishwashers, even in the lower-end condos, so people can run them and also watch TV or go to bed and not be bothered by the noise.”

With the increase of condo users, manufacturers have decided to make appliances that will fit in a condo unit. The challenge is how to make them as effective as their large counterparts but smaller.

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If people think owning a condo is expensive, think again. According to a condominium-specialist realtor, a good benchmark for operating costs or “housing fees” should be 30 cents a month per square foot of private property.

So where does those fees go to? The landowner’s pockets? No, they go to a lot of things: building maintenance, landscaping, waste removal, legal fees incurred by a condo board—in short it’s for the betterment of the condo and its owners.

“There are certain responsibilities a corporation has to maintain — whether it’s the exterior of the building, amenity rooms and, in some cases, betterment to the property and (condo fees) can also include paying a management company looking after things.”

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If you think that the grass mows itself, or the heater repairs itself, then you better think again The maintenance of the condo building isn’t done by one person.

The group who pays for all those things are the financial entity known as the condominium corporation. This group is made up of a board of directors run by the unit owners. They ensure that the building and grounds are well-maintained and that all owners follow the bylaws.

So if you’re looking around for a condo, do look for the corporation’s monthly financial statements and Reserve Fund Study. Both provide a wealth of info on how the building is cared for.

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If you’re thinking of buying or renting a condo unit, then I suggest you get a Condominium consultant. This person has been in the trenches when it comes to dealing with condo documents, and experience in haggling with Developers, Realtors, Buyers and Sellers of condo units.

Buying a condo is more complex than it seems because not only are you buying a unit, you’re also buying an interest in real estate. This is where the Condo Consultants come in and make it all organized for you.

The problem is, since there are very few of them around, they cost a lot. Usually, their pay start at around $350. Don’t worry, it’s better to spend early than regret buying the unit in the end.

Second home buyers are decreasing and the market for that niche is slowing down. However, condo buying or renting went down just a tad bit.

A new National Association of Realtors study estimates that sales of vacation homes in 2007 fell 31 percent, to 740,000, from 2006. But sales of condos dipped only slightly—down 2.8 percent—while sales of detached homes dropped 38 percent.

The good news is that there was a 8 percent increase from 2006.

Why does a condo sell well? Lister below are the reasons:

• Low maintenance: people actually get paid to make your condo building look good and clean
• Public amenities: this include common pools and clubhouses
• Cheaper rate than a full blown house: easier to resell, too

So what are you waiting for? See your nearest Condo seller.

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