Do you enjoy apartment living, but you don’t want to rent? Or maybe you like the idea of owning a house, but you want something that requires less chores and maintenance.
Either way, a condo might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
A condo is a property where you own the inside, but no part of the outside. Often a condo is near-indistinguishable from an apartment. Other times, they look more like a townhouse. But regardless of how they’re attached to the other condos around them, the inside is yours to do with as you see fit.
Unless you’re renting.
You Can Still Rent Condos
In the same way you can rent a townhome or a house, you can rent a condo. This means you’ll most likely be dealing with an individual owner, while you might have association rules to following regarding the surrounding environment.
But what if you want to own a condo. What are the advantages?
Advantages of Buying a Condo
If you mostly just care about managing what’s inside your home, then a condo is a great choice. There’s no lawn to mow or roof to be shingled or siding to be fixed. Your external needs are managed by an association, allowing you to enjoy the comfort of your home.
For first time homebuyers especially, condos can be great because they allow you to build out home furnishings and décor you might not currently have.
And while you’ll be paying some form of association fee, a condo is still cheaper than buying a home with equal internal space in the same area. If you’re looking to live in a high-cost area, a condo can actually save quite a bit of money.
Depending on the condo complex you’re a part of, you may get certain apartment-style amenities as well such as a pool, fitness area, or party space.
Disadvantages to Owning a Condo
Of course, a condo can have the same disadvantages of an apartment as well. For example, you’ll have neighbors in close proximity. If you’re in a high-rise, you may have neighbors below and above you.
You’re also more likely to simply encounter and interact with your neighbors. Whether this is a good or bad thing depends mostly on how much you like your neighbors and just interacting with people in general. That’s how it is with a lot of condo related items, actually.
It’s About Preference
Deciding on a house or a condo all comes down to what your needs are, and what you’re looking for. If you’re on the fence, it certainly doesn’t hurt to look at both. For those shopping or wanting to attend some open houses in San Diego and the surrounding area, the team here at Metro San Diego Realty would love to help.
Condo or traditional house, we can help you find your future home.
Posted by Jason Coriano on
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