2514 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

I had a similar window at my last place. 178-units worth of move-ins, and everybody wants to do it within the same 2-3 day window.

[electriclemmon]

What are people looking for when shopping for their condo insurance? Any recommendations?

[LJ]

Wow! I had like unlimited time on my day really surprised me pretty much nobody has moved in over the last two weeks, now everyone is trying to move in at once.
I think a total of 4 units have been moved into so far.

How's the noise level from the neighbours?

[Birdhouse24]

it's hard with so many moving in at once.  the idea is you only use it for big stuff (furniture).   boxes you huff up the stairs.

 

you will likely find the elevator pretty free after 10pm or 11pm.  they will not have booked spots that late.

I'm trying to plan for a move with the moving company in the last few days of March, on a weekday not on a weekend, a month after the closing date - Seems a bit weird to me to have such a small window.  

 

For context, when I moved into 1488 Cook when it was a brand new rental building which had 2 elevators and 14 (?) floors, I was given 4 hours.  It's the only realistic comparison I have, as every other building I have previously lived in was not brand new, but 1488 Cook was. 

 

During our walk-through, the developer was estimating we would have 4-hour windows to book elevators but it is clear they couldn't speak for the strata management company and were making an educated guess at the time.  

[kitty surprise]

What are people looking for when shopping for their condo insurance? Any recommendations?

 

Sent you a PM

[RustyNail]

Sent you a PM

PM me too. :-)

[ollivier1]

We are ordering some custom blinds for our place in the south building. We've asked for current pictures of the windows ( from the inside) to visualize the layout (living room) but was told the developer won't allow pictures taken and sent to the owners. Anyone run into before?

Edited by ollivier1, 27 February 2021 - 05:15 PM.

[kitty surprise]

We are ordering some custom blinds for our place in the south building. We've asked for current pictures of the windows ( from the inside) to visualize the layout (living room) but was told the developer won't allow pictures taken and sent to the owners. Anyone run into before?

Yep, same thing here with the blinds.

[laconic]

Many stratas insist that the blinds cannot be changed, at least on the outside. They want a standard look from the exterior of the building.

In the case of Promontory we weren't allowed to look at the unit until closing, very firm rule. That was only a couple of days until move in. In the mean time, they would happily show unsold units.

[Victoria Watcher]

yes be careful you do not run afoul of the rules for the look of the blinds.

[sebberry]

Rules that are basically in place to stop people hanging hippie tie-die sheets or terrorist flags in the window have a way of becoming 'your selected shade of beige contains 5% too much yellow for our liking'.  

[ollivier1]

no.. the issue isn't the blinds..we are putting in blinds that meet the requirements / colors etc.. just that they couldn't show us a picture of the window configuration to help us visualize what we'd be getting.. anyway..if anyone has any pictures from their suite with the standard blinds that would be helpful to see. The decorator also said the window handles stick out a bit but we didn't know how that would affect the look.

[CitoyenduMonde]

no.. the issue isn't the blinds..we are putting in blinds that meet the requirements / colors etc.. just that they couldn't show us a picture of the window configuration to help us visualize what we'd be getting.. anyway..if anyone has any pictures from their suite with the standard blinds that would be helpful to see. The decorator also said the window handles stick out a bit but we didn't know how that would affect the look.

 

I visited one of the two-bedroom suites in the North building and the standard roller shades provided are rather laughable. In the bedrooms they are about the simplest blackout shades that you can get. The valence at the top is nice and inconspicuous, but the shades are very cheap looking and not something of beauty. In the living spaces, the shades are perforated and more appealing and are light permeable. However since the developer did not spec fold-away window cranks, the handle is completely in the way of the shade. You need two hands to be able to lower the shade and when down the shade does not hang flush as the handle causes it to bulge in the middle, making it look chintzy. The fact that it does not lay flush also will cause substantial light seepage around the edges. The developer had offered buyers the option to have Ruffell and Brown use a credit towards upgraded cellular shades that still corresponded to the strata design limitations. I would suggest it is worth doing. Just get a realtor to take you to visit one of the units for sale (ideally one of the units owned by the developer and advertised in teh window at the entrance to the South building) in the north building to get an idea of what you can expect. BTW, getting fold-away window handles would likely remedy some of the issues.

Edited by CitoyenduMonde, 28 February 2021 - 06:27 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

how much do Realtors normally charge to do fake showings? is it per unit or per hour?

[CitoyenduMonde]

how much do Realtors normally charge to do fake showings? is it per unit or per hour?

 

In the case of my realtor, he has already been well-compensated and will shortly get even better compensated. The most successful realtors all create long-term relationships with their clients and knowing what is in the market is always beneficial, so such visits are part of the job.

[Victoria Watcher]

I am sort of just saying it is against their ethics or policies to do what you are asking. they could be disciplined for it.

[Banksy]

In the case of my realtor, he has already been well-compensated and will shortly get even better compensated. The most successful realtors all create long-term relationships with their clients and knowing what is in the market is always beneficial, so such visits are part of the job.

Sounds to me like you’ve got it all figured out and should be a realtor, then you can violate the code any time you like as you build your career.

[Banksy]

Rules that are basically in place to stop people hanging hippie tie-die sheets or terrorist flags in the window have a way of becoming 'your selected shade of beige contains 5% too much yellow for our liking'.

I was on a strata once and we had to take this approach because 5% in one window becomes 10% in another window becomes 25% a year later in another window and then it becomes a nightmare to manage.

[ollivier1]

Thanks.. We will be going with the cellular and the woman we are working with told us about the window cranks. She also said the cranks could be swapped out for butterfly knobs which should (hopefully) fix the spacing problem.  Weird eh?  you'd think that would be something that was easily fixed during the time it took to build the damn thing.  Thanks for the detailed answer.

[Barrrister]

Butterfly cranks cost a little more but when you multiply this by all the windows in the building that is a little more profit lost by the developer. Most buyers either dont notice or dont care, It is the same for soundproofing, how many buyers ask or even think about that, particularly first time buyers. Cannot imagine that anyone even asks about the brand of elevators and warranty for the building. Quality of the windows or even the quality of the floors are rarely an issue for most buyers.