Popular Condominium Amenities: Selling Point or Deal Breaker?
In the past, condo amenities were a simple, if not extraneous consideration, like that stern-faced concierge with chronic insomnia, and maybe a room with some dusty dumbbells doubling as a fitness centre. If you had a rooftop deck and a pool (with chlorine that is), well, you might as well be living at the Ritz.
But for those of us who’ve now come to see slow Wi-Fi as reason enough NOT to rent out or purchase a unit, tastes (and our expectations) have definitely become more refined.
Here’s a list of the benefits and drawbacks to the top 5 popular amenities that are sure to attract or detract potential condo inhabitants.
Amenity #1: Gym
Benefits:
- Convenience: get your sweat on without ever stepping foot outside your building to drag yourself to GoodLife [#NoExcuses].
- Shorter Wait Times for Equipment: depending on the size of your building, machines are often less clamoured after than regular gyms, as you’re often one of only a handful of people inhabiting the space at one time.
Considerations:
- Noise Factor: if you live one floor above or below the gym, the clanging, banging and grunting noises aren’t going to be fun for anyone’s sleeping habits.
- Misuse: gyms in condos are less policed than regular gyms, and are more often subject to misuse, especially by visitors who don’t know how to follow the rules of the space (those sweat rags are there for a reason.).
Amenity #2: Rooftop Patio
Benefits:
- The View: With a city of steel and glass below, and a macrocosm of stars above with your own enclave of greenery and outdoor space, the views offered by a rooftop patio can be just short of priceless.
- One-of-a-kind spot to entertain guests: Go full Great Gatsby as you and your most glamorous group of compadres dances the night away.
Considerations:
- The View… of your neighbor’s condo: taller and taller apartment buildings seem to be popping up everywhere these days (wasn’t the term “skyscraper” supposed to be metaphoric?). Obstructed views are a hazard that’s a hard one to predict.
- [Don’t] Be Our Guest: Ever wonder where the loud party noises are coming from at this late an hour? Guess you’re not the only Fitzgerald fan.
Amenity #3: Pool
Benefits:
- Great for kids: Want a fun, fast way to tire your kids out on those long summer months when it’s too hot to go outside? An indoor pool will do just the trick.
- You have a pool… in your building: Go ahead, brag about it.
Considerations:
- Less Regulation: No on-duty lifeguard means you’ll have to act as one for your kids (AND anyone else’s).
- Unruly pool parties: No, that isn’t the new season of Jersey Shore filming in your building… it’s just your neighbor and 30 of their closest friends.
- Watch Your Step: Indoor pools can mean wet hallway floors and damp elevator carpets.
Amenity #4: Party / Rec Room
Benefits:
- Somewhere OTHER than your apartment: Going stir crazy after being in your apartment all weekend during a blizzard or heat wave? Head on down to your rec room where you can indulge in board games, billiards, table tennis… or even a golf simulator.
Considerations:
- It’s the best room in the house… and it’s never available: you’re not the only one who thinks they’ve found the condo’s best kept secret.
- Put the “rec” in recreational room: It’s easy to trash but not so easy to clean. Especially when visitors of your neighbors are given access to the space as well.
Amenity #5: Concierge
Benefits:
- A Friendly Face: Get on a first name basis with your concierge and you’ll never want for anything again. From requesting repairs for your unit to forgetting your keys at the bar you just left, you’ve got a forever friend in them.
Considerations:
- Your best friend… or your worst enemy: Make a bad impression and this 21st century gatekeeper will be reason enough to avoid asking for anything… even when your kitchen inexplicably floods at two in the morning.