So you moved to a condo. Regrets? (55, moving, state)
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I am trying to talk ourselves into selling the house and moving to a condo. Main reasons: near constant need for attention to repairs, yard work, problems with animals getting into basement for shelter, roof, gutter cleaning, wash siding. even buying services does not solve all things. i want to stop paying attention to these details and focus more on our health,happiness, and peace.
I worry we will regret giving up the space we have - beautiful sun room and deck, pretty yard, an office for each of us to work on the PC, pay bills, plan, sew, whatever; extra beds and space when kids visit with grands. i love the last but lately i also find it stressful and exhausting. i need a vacation after they all leave.
I am afraid i will feel boxed in. my husband insists on 3 bedrooms which will put us over the price we want to pay. but 2 bed and a flexible use space might work.
i am thinking if we move to a condo we can rent a vacation house for 2 weeks and all stay there when kids visit.
I like the town we live in but i am now willing to look at other towns. i find most condos are not built in the prettiest pieces of property but those that don't offer great views. that is one thing i do want if we move.
so here is a poll. sorry if i have not thought of everything. please add them in your comments.
Consider your age and your health. Many condos are two story. That can be a drawback. Lots of stairs. In a house you may have a main level bedroom or a room that could be used as a bedroom if you're injured, ill or need knee/ hip surgery, etc. Also consider where the laundry room is. Don't buy one with the laundry room in the basement. I'd look for a condo with a main level bedroom & guest bedrooms upstairs if you can find such a thing.
I can't vote since I still live in my SFR with the same problems you mention. As hard as I try to buy a full time condo, I can't pull the trigger.
Basically most I have seen have what I consider outrageous monthly fees for which I don't think I am getting much value. Also I now have a large puppy so that has to be considered.
but I like your thinking and wish you well. I rent a cabin for large family visits anyway. It works nicely.
I moved to a condo 15 years ago from a large house (in the same city) and have been very happy here. The location is beautiful, not like so many other condo complexes, and is surrounded by higher end homes. I had the time to really scout out the city and got lucky. As my neighbors say this is the best secret in town for the price. It is an older condo (built in 1986 but is just like a little house inside ... 3 bedrooms/2 baths with eat in kitchen and separate dining room, attached garage). I do live on the second floor of a 4-unit building but with a lot of green space and trees next to the woods. I only have a balcony but I view it as a plus ... i can look over the green space and trees and it feels like my own backyard without the work. My HOA fees have gone from 65.00/mo to currently 118.00/mo. They will probably go up in the near future to 143.00 since the units are getting older with needed repairs. But since my home is paid off I'm fine with that.
I do worry about when I get older as I have back issues and need to take the stairs to get to my unit. So far I'm managing, but if I had to do it over I would go with a one-level duplex and/or where the homes are attached side by side, with a small patio or yard in back if that is what you would like. I would really check out the neighborhood different times of the day too and ask your realtor about the type of neighbors if it's a less expensive home.
My neighborhood consists of retired or young couples. No rentals allowed. It's been very quiet here.
Last edited by smpliving; 10-14-2015 at 08:56 AM..
I moved to a condo 15 years ago from a large house (in the same city) and have been very happy here. The location is beautiful, not like so many other condo complexes, and is surrounded by higher end homes. I had the time to really scout out the city and got lucky. As my neighbors say this is the best secret in town for the price. It is an older condo (built in 1986 but is just like a little house inside ... 3 bedrooms/2 baths with eat in kitchen and separate dining room, attached garage). I do live on the second floor of a 4-unit building but with a lot of green space and trees next to the woods. I only have a balcony but I view it as a plus ... i can look over the green space and trees and it feels like my own backyard without the work. My HOA fees have gone from 65.00/mo to currently 118.00/mo. They will probably go up in the near future to 143.00 since the units are getting older with needed repairs. But since my home is paid off I'm fine with that.
I do worry about when I get older as I have back issues and need to take the stairs to get to my unit. So far I'm managing, but if I had to do it over I would go with a one-level duplex and/or where the homes are attached side by side, with a small patio or yard in back if that is what you would like. I would really check out the neighborhood different times of the day too and ask your realtor about the type of neighbors if it's a less expensive home.
My neighborhood consists of retired or young couples. No rentals allowed. It's been very quiet here.
I'm originally from southern California. When my relatives come to visit they are shocked at what I have for a fraction of the price of their homes ... but in the winter they like to stick it to me It's quite a nice small city but does have a gritty feel in some parts. I like the variety compared to the extensively concrete and manicured suburbs back home in CA.
I own a single family home I bought 6 years ago and poured $200K+ into remodeling. I intend that to be my retirement home. All the remodeling had retirement in mind. Everything I did was intended to last 30+ years so my ownership costs will be low when my income drops. It's a single level home so I don't have stairs to contend with and should be able to retire in place.
I've owned a townhouse condo at a ski resort for 22 years. The condo fee has increased far faster than the inflation rate. I don't see that changing. It's fine as condos go but I'm subject to the rules and regulations of the condo association. I'm also subject to state law. For example, I'm required by law to have my gas boiler serviced every year. That might make sense for an oil boiler but it's nuts for a gas boiler. By law, only a licensed electrician can touch the wiring including trivial things like swapping out outlets and switches. If I have a lean financial year, I still have to pay a fairly stiff condo fee. With my own house, I can defer expenses if I need to.
I have thought about a "Garden" home, A detached home where all the maintenance is taken care of, also there is a Single Family Homes that in the area I'm looking that does it HOA style where you own the house, insides, but everything outside is taken care of. (You can do 3-4 feet from the house if you want to, but that is optional, they will do "Something if you don't).
HOA's vary. A lot! For whatever reason you want no upkeep bother, condo's fill the need. However, I have seen HOA's that acted totally stupid (a history of "kingpins" are what you look out for; association fees that increased substantially for no good reason) and others that have one way or another, kept the HOA fee the same, like, for 20+ years. That's the "litmus test." And that's what you investigate before you buy a condo. Sometimes it isn't easy to get the info, but you must!
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It's quite a nice small city but does have a gritty feel in some parts. I like the variety compared to the extensively concrete and manicured suburbs back home in CA.
