What Reno’s Should I Do For My First Condo?

Congratulations! You own your first condo.

Now that you’re excited and about to move in, you will have to make a list of what renovations you want to start to make the barren condo completely your own nest.

First of all, involve the condo corporation on everything you plan on doing. They can help you go through the process of what permits and restrictions there might be.

Sometimes it’s so easy to gloss over all of the details, but be thorough when you start this process. Things such as deposits, permits, working hours, and something as simple as reserving the elevator to bring up materials may sound very mundane but are vital to everything running smoothly during renovations. It’s like playing a game of domino’s, if you don’t follow a process, everything falls down.

Condos as you know are not something you purchase every day and there are some renovations that are a definite asset to this major investment. Depending on which specialist you consult, they all have their own take on renovations that are best.

Everyone has their own personal taste. Neutral colours are the best investment with an eye on resale in the future for your condo. Just say no to deep colours, no “barney” purple.

Another consideration for most condos is storage. Consider that the most condos are not extremely expansive therefore you need to make the most of every square footage you have. Storage cabinetry is an absolute must for any condo.

Most contractors are looking to make a fast buck with condos and as a result, your cabinetry and closets are not going to have the finest materials. We often see nice closets with cheap wire shelving which in our opinion should be replaced. The wire shelving is only meant to last a few years and basically get you started.

In regards to entertainment centres, this is a great way of consolidating a lot of personal items into one space. Consider not only a large space for your flat screen TV but perhaps an electric fire place below and great shelving flanking on either side.

In this case, to the left, our clients combined both a great electric fireplace and their TV above along with some of their collectables. As you can see, asymmetry isn’t out of bounds whatsoever.

So that’s just a few things to keep in mind. We’re always looking for input so feel free to email us with your thoughts and helpful hints.