Condo Living 101

Small Spaces

Always plan before heading for a grocery shopping. Remember that you live in a small space and  have limited storage room. If you are on the hunt for sale, keep in mind that there are some things that you don’t need in the condo and will be a mess eventually. Clutter makes a small room even smaller. To attain a pleasant but well-ventilated ambiance, store things in devious spaces, for instance under the bed or sofa, in the cabinet or over the fridge.  Try to divide the space also into mini rooms as well so you can have other spaces for storage.  

Apartment Living 101: Your Security Deposit

“When you rent an apartment, you will most likely be asked to pay a security deposit. In many cases, the security deposit is equivalent to one month’s worth of rent, though it might be more. Your landlord is within his or her rights to request that you pay a security deposit, but there are several things you should know about the security deposit before you sign a lease agreement and move into your apartment.

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The Top Four Questions to Consider When Choosing A Condominium Insurance Policy

Condominiums and townhouses have special insurance needs. They don’t need as much insurance as a house, but owners have more to insure than a renter. The insurance needs for a condo owner include personal property and liability coverages. Special policies for condominium owners, known as form HO-6, will provide the liability and personal property protection a condominium owner needs.

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All About Condominiums

What is a Condominium?

Under a condominium plan, residents hold legal title to their units, as if they were freestanding houses. In addition, they own a proportional share of “common elements”, like lobbies, yards, roofs, parking lots, and recreation facilities. Condominiums come in a wide range of sizes and styles, including town houses,
garden apartments, high-rise towers, and even freestanding houses sharing private
streets or courtyards.

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Condo Chores

 Similar to houses, keeping ones mess and disorder to a minimum goes a long, long way. In keeping your condo clean, try to follow the simple chores and tips for everyday cleaning: (1)Maintain the kitchen area neat and free of dirty dishes. In this way, unsightly insects will not roam around when you are sleeping. (2)If possible do the vacuum and dust frequently. (3)Be sure that furniture and other decorations don’t obstruct movement around the space. Don’t buy furniture that are too bulky. (4)Before buying, try to do the measuring first. So you’ll know how much space do you need.        

Additional Research Resources—Try your local library

Here are additional research resources, that may be available in your local library:

• The Condo/Co-op Owner’s Survival Manual, by Harry M. Matthews, Jr.
• The Condo/Co-op Owner’s Survival Manual, by Harry M. Matthews, Jr.
• The Co-op Bible—Everything You Need to Know About Co-ops and Condos, by Sylvia Shapiro
• The Complete Guide to Co-ops and Condominiums, David T. Goldstick and Carolyn Janik.
• The Complete Condominium Guide, by Bruce Cassiday
• Condominiums and Cooperatives, by David Cluran and Edna L. Hebard
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Buying and Selling a Home, by Matthew O’Brien

Source: my10101.com

Condo Living 101: What to Expect

More and more people are deciding to bypass purchasing a home in favor of buying a condo instead. Although condo living is becoming increasingly popular, many people still fail to realize the advantages of living in a condo and still do not fully understand what they can expect from condo living.

Mutual Ownership

One fact that you need to understand when you own a condo is that you will be sharing the building with other condo owners. Although you will own the actual unit in which you live, you do not own the building in which the unit is located. Rather, you and all of the other people that live in the condo are joint owners of the building.

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Desirable Condominium Attributes

What to look for: Desirable Condominium attributes

• High owner-occupancy rate (minimum of 51%)
• Stable monthly condominium fee
• Sufficient capital reserves (as evidenced in 5 year capital improvement plan)
• Strong, professional condominium management team (both on-site and parent company)
• Active, involved condominium Board of Directors
• Well maintained common areas
• Association rules regarding occupancy, parking, pets, etc.
• Independent utility meters? Pros and Cons:

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Sssshhh… Keep Quiet!

Have you realized the importance of respecting your neighbor especially if you live in a condo or an apartment? Please don’t allow your children to scream and run up and down the hallways. As cute as it may seem to you, it annoys everyone else in the building. If this is something you let your children do, you might know why nobody talks to you. There is nothing wrong with walking around your apartment, but some people don’t have a clue how nosy it is when you walk on your heals. If you have people living below you try to walk softly and on your toes.

The Lightning of Your Condo

Generally in most bedroom uses sconces or table lamps either side of the bed is sufficient for general lighting with a ceiling mounted fixture for occasional use. If the ability is there, a series of 4-6 recessed pot lights on a dimmer can replace a ceiling mounted fixture for a modern aesthetic and provide flexibility in lighting options. If further lighting is needed for wardrobe systems, purchase art lights and hang them from the top of the wardrobes for localized task lighting. If a makeup area requires lighting, install a light bar above a mirror. For lighting at a sitting area, use an adjustable floor lamp situated just behind the chair, away from the side table lamp.