tips to look for in a condo before buying

[istan]

di ko rin kaya maisip kung pano 3 BR sa 40sqm...
Loft pa..so 20sqm sa baba, 20sqm sa taas?

[_Qwerty_]

yup.. ayos naman sya.. pero don't expect big rooms.. 2 pa nga ang toilet/bathroom dyan..

[oliver1013]

uy ok yan ah, 1.3M 3BR. Ano po ang name ng condo, sir?

Sa Cityland yan chief...bigyan kita flexible payment scheme...

[_Qwerty_]

25 sa baba.. then stairs.. then 15 sa taas.. so yung dalawang room sa taas mga 7sqm each.. tapos high ceiling yung living room.. so parang 1 1/2 floor sya..

di ko rin kaya maisip kung pano 3 BR sa 40sqm...
Loft pa..so 20sqm sa baba, 20sqm sa taas?

[mrpink]

don't get stuck up with the number of bedrooms .. go for square footage pa rin ..

[compact]

kaya ko naisipang tignan yung sa cambridge village kasi mura sya at kasama na yung parking space. meron daw parking area for tenants. although i still need to check the area kasi mukhang hindi maganda ang feedback ng mga tsikoteers sa location ng cambridge vill. pero its worth checking kasi mura sya. kelangan pa ring i-reasearch yung developer

back out ako sa cambridge after inspection re:
1. not so convenient location, cainta na nga ang address mo.
2. squatters around the site, pag nag rambulan damay ka pag nagkataon na nasa vicinity ka, nangyari na sa akin to dyan sa lugar na yan, biglang nagbatuhan.
3. ang layo ng parking area sa building, mga +100 meters, may monthly rental of 1k/month or an option to buy the slot for 300k, open parking pa sya.
4. mukha lang mura, pero pag pinacompute mo lalabas na napakamahal, pero pwede naman daw pa restructure kung nagkapera ka na.
5. pag nakumpleto lahat ng building at ma occupy parang crowded na yung lugar, daming building na planong itayo.

ang maganda lang dito ay no downpayment tsaka mura yung payment for the next 3 years, 4 to 15th year mahal na, parang pinapa dama ka muna tapos pag pasok ka na, hirap na magbayad at mag backout, that is if you avail of the 15 year financing scheme.

tingin tingin muna ako sa iba, ill take my time, mahirap na. tambay muna ako dito sa tsikot para sa mga expert na advice.

[oldblue]

if you're really keen on investing condos, try the Mahattan gardens in Cubao. actually Eastwood's Megaworld ata ang magtatayo duon in partnership sa Araneta

now why do I say ok duon,

1. first MRT and LRT2 connected na sa Araneta Center (talo pa nito Trinoma with only MRT). kahit san ka madestino, Sa ortigas, sa Makati, sa manila, sa pasay, very accessbile ang trains.

2. very near the palengke or Farmer's market. murang food for cooking. and of course supermarkets in the major malls nearby. yan ang hirap sa mga Rockwell, eastwood type of condo community, pasosyal, sosyal din ang pagkain mo kahit ordinary meal lang hehehe

I will be investing there in the near future. like they say location location, syempre ok yun lapit sa mga public transports and markets. and it's a big plus for you kung ikaw ang mag-stay or papa-rent mo kasi factor sa kanila yun to keep the cost of living down

[Lucius]

Hehehe pareho pala tayo pre, pero ako baka pa-rent lang. Ung tipong pang-worker. Ok sana kunwari pang students, kaso konti lang malapit na school. Ok to sa mga naguuwian sa nearby provinces. Lapit pa sa mga bus stations. Tska ok na din naman ang Gateway, medyo sosyal na din may Rustan's pa nga hehehe. Pag pasosyal kasi na condo like you said, sosyal din ang price.

[Helios]

I discourage you from buying a loft type over a multilevel or flat. Indeed it's aesthetically striking with those large glass windows enabling ambient lighting throughout the unit and a good view of outside from any floors, but the humidity and heat tend to accumulate on the upper floor while a/c units must work harder to cool down the large open area which means higher consumption of electricity. It'll be worst during peak of summer. Large space is wasted so rooms upstairs are smaller. And the higher the ceiling the more space is required for the built-in stairs to fit. Even a slight noise tends to bounce around open spaces so there's less privacy if you know what i mean.
Don't forget to look for a condo which includes a proper laundry/wash room that'l fit you and your w.machine. A better one even includes a small room for a maid convertible to a storage facility. Although buying it furnished is convenient and seems practical, beware of condos which are semi-detailed to create some kind of distinction from the other units. It will definitely reflect on the price so go for bare minimum and do the aesthetic touches yourself later on. The building admin usually carries a single internet/phone/cable provider so check it out first before giving up your existing preferences for some often times erratic slowdowns of these services. Check out other amenities like garbage shoot, gym, pool, conference room/party area, and kiddie areas if you have children.

Also remember that when you invest in your condo, you're also investing indirectly in the units of others and in the common areas as well believing that collectively, all unit owners will help run and maintain your building. Unfortunately this philosophy doesn't work all the time. There's a possibility that you will encounter undesirable neighbourly traits (beyond the usual loud parties around midnight) like rubbish disposal practice which often leads to bugs or rodent infestation. Another might be security issues like some stranger knocking on your door in the middle of the night looking for another stranger, or a couple of times your door being forced open by some idiot who failed to notice your huge unit number by the door. The owners association can deal with these issues if you actively join in.

So far in general, condo living is swell. It is indeed living just a few steps away from almost everything.

[BlueBimmer]

indeed living in a condo is very convenient, i lived in our unit for almost 10yrs and i can say medyo stress free sa amin coz wala namang maiingay o magugulong neighbors, although minsan nakakairita may maiingay na children noises coming from upper/lower floors.

i also recommend that you get the highest floor possible, in my experience mas tahimik sa upper floors kesa sa lower floors. particulary floors that are near the parking lots like 4th, 5th or 6th..grabe ingay.

our 2 unit condo in binondo comes with 99yr limit to ownership.