Moving to a Condo
By on Apr 07, 2008
By Linda Mitchell
People who decide to move from a detached home to a condo know they will have some adapting to do. As I’ve mentioned in previous issues, many of the lifestyle differences are obvious—more compact living spaces, having fabulous amenities immediately available, having maintenance taken care of for you, sharing a building with others, and abiding by condominium association guidelines. Once you have purchased a condo, there is preparation required on both your part and the developer’s to get you moved in as efficiently as possible.
Your pre-delivery inspection is an important step in the process. To make the most of this critical appointment, it’s best to not bring children or friends along, so you can concentrate fully on the task at hand. Although developers make every effort to address resulting items before you move in, sometimes it is necessary to complete this work as soon as possible after you take occupancy. There are many little things that might affect how complete your suite is. For example, if you purchase upgrade appliances with an outside supplier, the construction team may not be able to complete installation of the kitchen backsplash until they are delivered.
Other considerations, such as parking spaces and storage lockers, sometimes require compromise on the part of the purchaser. If you’ve chosen a condominium lifestyle, you need to put these into perspective. Everyone wants the parking spots next to the elevator and on the level closest to ground, however, that is not possible. The developer makes every attempt to be as fair as possible when allocating both parking spaces and lockers but it is a difficult task.
Keep in mind that no matter where you park in an underground garage, it’s handy and you’re among your neighbours. Today’s facilities are not the dark, creepy, garages you see in crime shows on television. They’re brightly lit and painted, and in most condominiums garages are monitored by security cameras. Unless you are physically challenged, whether you're on P1, P3, two spots from the elevator, or a few spaces away, you’re still protected from the elements and just minutes from your suite. Your developer has to find a spot for everyone and once you get used to where your parking space is, it just works—especially if you approach it all in a positive way. The same goes for storage lockers.
Of course, there are the legal aspects of purchasing a condo and it is important to supply the developer with your lawyer’s name and contact information as quickly as possible, and to update that information if it changes. Then there are details such as mail delivery. It may happen that you move in before Canada Post starts delivering to the building. You will be directed to the nearest postal station for temporary mail delivery, but it won’t be long before you receive your mail at your private mailbox in the condominium.
Once interim closings start to occur, there should be property management staff on hand to answer questions you may have. Corridors may not be completely finished when you move in. At Monarch, we find it preferable to complete wallpaper and carpeting on each floor once the major move-in activity has subsided.
The point is, everything will most likely not be perfect on moving day—but everyone, including the developer, wants to have everything finished to the purchasers' satisfaction as soon as possible. A positive attitude and a little patience go a long way toward making your condo move an exciting one.
