The last article of our series on buying a condo focuses on additional information the buyer should know before signing the ultimate contract: services, property taxes, new home warranty program, developer, and insurance.

Ask the condo manager about the municipal taxes and the services offered: garbage pickup, road repairs, snow removal, etc. Are the general services included in the monthly fees? Some co-owners pay independent contractors through an additional condo service charge.

To get an idea of the property tax amount you will have to pay, contact the municipality if the building is new. In the case of a resale condo, ask the property manager to provide you with a copy of the most recent property assessment and most recent tax statement. The real estate broker may also have this information on hand.[……]

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Is it a crime to talk about a colour as dull as grey when spring is right around the corner ready to show off its vibrant colours? Not at all. On the contrary! Grey is a lively colour once you learn how to adopt it. Who knows, maybe it’s the colour you’ve been looking for!

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Grey is a neutral colour, like black and white. It is the perfect backdrop to make all the colours of the artist’s palette stand out, from lime green to yellow, followed by pink and purple. However, unlike white and black, the contrast is less intense with grey. It is much softer. Grey’s main attribute — its magical trait so to speak — is creating contrasts in a soft and cozy atmosphere.[……]

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As for any single home, you will have to write a promise to purchase to acquire the condo you wish to buy. Although the content of both forms is similar, the promise to purchase for condominiums includes some particularities. It is in your best interest to know them well.

In the case of a divided co-ownership property, the promise to purchase includes:

  • the cadastral description of your private portion;
  • if the parking lot and storage space are also private portions;
  • the cadastral designations of the parking lot and storage space;
  • the share and cadastral description of the common portions; and,
  • whether the parking lot and storage space are private portions, common portions for restricted use or other; and,
  • the area of the condo’s private portion described in the certificate of location.

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Spring is fast approaching. That means many buyers will be looking for their desired home. Sellers, on the other hand, will try to make their property look as alluring as possible. Where to start? With the exterior, of course.

Most sellers will instinctively renovate their home’s interior. However, the buyer’s first visual contact is with the exterior, either directly or through pictures on social media sites.

Most buyers will contact the seller or their real estate broker if they see a picture of a property they like. If the facade and landscaping are unattractive, the buyer may move to the next picture, unless the pictures inside are incredible. If the buyer is physically facing the house, he or she will keep on going and move on to the next property.[……]

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They are known as green terrariums, but their more elegant name is glass gardens. They are absolutely beautiful. Apart from being extremely decorative, they also permit you to admire the wonders of nature every day inside your very home.

The idea is to grow plants under a glass container from a substrate: soil, sand or gravel. The most ambitious people will choose a micro garden, a soothing landscape or even a real miniature forest.

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While some floral creations are as modest as Japanese culture arrangements, like bonsai trees, others are more extravagant. They are full of shapes and colours.

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The beauty of wallpaper is that no special skills are needed to install it. Although some wall coverings are more difficult to hang than others, you will need to follow these basic guidelines.

Vinyl wallpaper is the easiest to install. Embossed (or textured) wall coverings and metallic wallpaper are more difficult. Especially the metallic ones, which can be extremely frustrating to install for some.

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The traditional wallpaper is somewhere in between.

You can install wallpaper in every room. However, thick vinyl wallpaper is usually best hung in the kitchen and in the bathroom. Vinyl does not trap dust mites and is resistant to mold and mildew. Note that some traditional wall coverings are more resistant than others. Some materials are preferable in humid conditions.[……]

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Anyone who wishes to buy a condo should analyze these two issues very carefully before taking action: the monthly fees, and the general condition of the building, including the private and the common spaces. Need advice?

Before looking at the monthly fees, let us review the importance of the condo inspection. Many of us believe it is useless to have a condo unit inspected since it is more like an apartment than a single house. Plus, no one has an apartment inspected before renting it. Bad idea!

Specialists in the field know all too well that it is best to have a condo inspected before buying it. Not only the private area but also the common grounds: hallways, staircases, exterior walls, roof, foundations, land, etc. Just like a home purchase, you can demand the right to have the condo inspected in your offer to purchase.[……]

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