Are you considering buying a condo this spring? Before you head out the door there are some important things to consider and we aren't talking about condo fees. We are talking about construction. Recently the team was out with first time buyers and they had some keen observations.
Many of the older "garden" style condos might reminded them of their days in a college dorm. But what they noticed the most was the noise! If they were looking at lower level units they could hear people walking around upstairs. They heard toilets flushing and when people walked by on the outside stairwells they could hear their conversations. The noise was a deal breaker and eliminated the garden style condos from their list.
Then they checked out highrises and noticed how quiet they were. Buildings constructed out of poured cement and steel are far quieter than stick built construction. They also checked out "hybrid" buildings. Stick built "mid-rise" condos with a thin layer of concrete poured over the standard sub-floor to help buffer noise between floors. Less noise than garden condos but not completely quiet.
It made them realize that not all condos are built the same and looking beyond glitzy kitchens and clubhouses was going to play a huge role in their decision process.
After considering all of their choices they decided to concentrate on highrise buildings. If you are considering a condo you may want to follow their lead.
Go back at night or on the weekend and make sure you can live with the noises that might come with living in the condo you are considering. What might seem quiet on a Tuesday afternoon could be an uncomfortable living situation if you end up with late night party animals as neighbors.
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