last home purchase ... house or condo??

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albireo13

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Well, we sold our house and moved into a rental apt, while still searching for our forever house/home. The youngest is still in college and will be on his own in a few years (hopefully)

Lots of nice houses out there but, with retirement approaching fast, I hesitate to sign up for the house thing again ... maintenance, lawn, upkeep, etc.
We've been looking into condos as well but, I feel I'd miss the home ownership and privacy we'd had in the past.

We go back and forth a bit on it. I think either free-standing condo or townhouse may be the bet. Still looking for the right one though.
Renting may give us the time to sort through it all and find what we like.

Looking for stories from others. Who has ditched the house life and switched to condos?? Glad you did?


Thx
 
I'm not sure how common free-standing condos or townhouses are. If they are, what's the difference between one of those with HOA fees, or buying a small house and paying someone to do the yard and maintenance?

I see some places where the only common wall is a garage, and maybe the spare bedroom. That would help with any noise issues. I'd also want some kind of partition between patio/deck space.
 
We downsized and bought into a maintenance free neighborhood. Lawn is mowed, trimmed and blown, trees are maintained, and snow is removed. We have just enough area to have a few vegetables and flowers, and maintenance of those is up to us. We love it.

We have a dog, and I want to be able to let him out the door, and not having to take him out on a leash each time.

I'd rent a condo for a bit and see if you like it. When we vacation in condos, the noise from upstairs drives me nuts, along with the traffic coming and going. I can see the advantages of condo living - it's just not my cup of tea.
 
We have a SFH and a condo. I prefer the condo, especially for the future... though we would probably get something bigger. Our community has "villas" which are two-unit buildings with a single common wall... so you have a "roof-mate". They are a little bigger than the condos, all ground level (our condo is on the second floor) and include a one or two car garage. We have some friends who own "carriage homes" that are SFH but where all the outside maintenance is done by the HOA so it is a cross between a condo and a SFH.

Some people can't stand the "limitations" of living in an association... I haven't had a problem with any of it since the limitations in our association are fairly reasonable.

The one thing that I don't like about our association is that they are cheap... they are very good at keeping up what we have in good repair but very opposed to any updates or improvements to reflect the times. Some of the younger residents have talked up things like renovating the dated clubhouse or adding a couple bocce courts and the canned response is "No... that would increase our HOA fee" which is an affordable $317/month.
 
We rented for four years and enjoyed it. Condo in a multi tenant low rise building overlooking a golf course.

We bought a bungalow in an HOA. The HOA takes care of snow removal and gardening. It is essentially lock and leave. We decided that we did not want to live in a condo building. 1400 sq feet on one floor w/ master br. HOA is excellent. Finished suite in basement for occasional guests.
 
Condos vary widely in quality. Many are built with good sound proof walls (extra insulation or even double walls), but many are not. I'd expect many vacation rental condos are built very cheaply and are not a good exemplar of better condos.

It's another case of you get what you pay for.
 
I lived in a snowbird condo 4 months out of the year, and our primary residence is a 3800 sf house on 5 wooded acres on a lake. Total opposites on the maintenance spectrum. At the house, I probably spend 30-40 hours per week on house and grounds upkeep. At the condo, the only maintenance that I did was change the smoke detector batteries.

That said, I found the condo to be confining. No workshop, only a 1 car garage, only 1 tv, no home office.

But a decision on house vs condo should be made on what you anticipate your needs to be years down the road. We sold our condo because of the above reasons. Now we are going to sell our house because of the maintenance. I want to buy a small house that has little maintenance yet gives me a little of what our current house has. Something that will fit what I believe our needs will be 10 years down the road.
 
albireo13 said:
Looking for stories from others. Who has ditched the house life and switched to condos?? Glad you did?
Click to expand...

I have never owned a condo but still wanted to weigh in. There are at least two big factors that I can think of to consider when deciding between a house or condo: exterior maintenance, and travel needs.

EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE:
RunningBum said:
I'm not sure how common free-standing condos or townhouses are. If they are, what's the difference between one of those with HOA fees, or buying a small house and paying someone to do the yard and maintenance?
Click to expand...
+1
Since I am 71 with bad knees and completely lacking in talent at home repairs, I refuse to do home maintenance and I don't do it. Yet my house is in better shape than when I bought it four years ago. Here's how:

(1) I paid for a landscaping overhaul so that the yard is very low maintenance for this climate, and only needs for the lawn to be mowed (no sprinkling or feeding of the lawn necessary in this climate).

(2) Then I hired a lawn guy to mow and edge. My role is to put out $35 for him every week, or every two weeks in the winter. Honestly that is all that I have had to do in order to have a nice looking, lush, and green yard. This averages out to $108/month.

(3) I have a handyman that I call if anything else needs to be done to the house or yard. That has cost me surprisingly little since little to nothing really needs to be done. So far, in four years, a clogged kitchen sink once, making a gateway in the fence between F's backyard and mine, and replacing deteriorated pillars on the front porch has been about all. If/when I get any hurricane damage he'll take care of fixing that for me. When averaged over the four years that I have been here, my handyman has cost me $27/month so far, although this could vary a lot..

(4) When I need a new roof I'll pay for that too.

To me, the trade-off is that you either have to put in some effort initially in order to find a good handyman for your house, or else you have to deal with condo problems like HOA and possibly shared walls. With a house you have to pay the handyman directly instead of having the payments passed along to you through monthly condo fees.

TRAVEL:

Now, if you travel a lot (I don't), then I'd think a lock 'n' leave condo would be almost a necessity. So if it was me, I'd base my decision on travel, not on maintenance requirements.
 
We've had both. If you are investigating a condo make sure your understand how the common wall(s) are constructed. It varies widely from insulated concrete ( you won't hear a thing) to stick construction where you will hear everything. Also understand what the HOA is responsible for. You also may not want things like a pool or clubhouse that you will have to pay for and maybe not use.
 
We are still in the large family home (1 acre, pool) with four children in their early 20s still in university so dropping in now and then. I can't wait to downsize. I would have said small house (HOAs are not a thing in Canada so no cost there) because I thought I would be cramped, needed a yard, pets, and hate the idea of paying a condo fee that is more than I rented for as a twenty-something (I know inflation!) but after I retired I started doing some consulting work and I would be put up in high end condos for weeks at a time - et voila I became a believer. So now I know that either will work and as usual, the ultimate decision will primarily be up to DW - hence we are still in the big house! I would agree with the advice given - try renting a condo somewhere you want to visit for a couple of months and see how it goes. Take your time!
 
albireo13 said:
Well, we sold our house and moved into a rental apt, while still searching for our forever house/home. The youngest is still in college and will be on his own in a few years (hopefully)

Lots of nice houses out there but, with retirement approaching fast, I hesitate to sign up for the house thing again ... maintenance, lawn, upkeep, etc.
We've been looking into condos as well but, I feel I'd miss the home ownership and privacy we'd had in the past.

We go back and forth a bit on it. I think either free-standing condo or townhouse may be the bet. Still looking for the right one though.
Renting may give us the time to sort through it all and find what we like.

Looking for stories from others. Who has ditched the house life and switched to condos?? Glad you did?


Thx
Click to expand...

I have owned 3 townehouses in Ohio and one in MI (which I currently live in). The ones in Ohio were all good, all newer, and I prefer them over the choices I saw in MI (in same price range).

What I liked- cheaper heating/cooling than the SFH I owned by an order of 3.
Access to pools, fitness centers and amenities within condo property in Ohio.

What I don't like- my garage in MI is not attached, and there is no pool or fitness center. My condo fees in MI are close to $400/mo (older structures) and it is near impossible to decrease these.

What you should ask-
If a tree falls on the condo, what is the way insurance works?
examples
1) homeowner pays deductible
2) everyone in unit shares the deductible
3) entire community pays deductible

Then ask about the condo fees and insurance

If you brew beer in the front yard of the condo with a couple of friends (also brewing) will nosy neighbors call the police? Granted this could happen with a SFH too. This is my most liked and commented photo ever on FB.

In one condo I lived in in Columbus, that condo also had a bar, so I could walk, drink, then walk home. I really liked that.
 
Last edited:
I did both. Bought a patio home with small yard that I maintain. Easy maintenance. Also have a coastal condo I spend roughly 30% of my time. Nice to be able to turn the water off and not worry about it when I'm gone. Someday I will sell the condo and only live in my house. I enjoy the coast but don't think I would care to live there full time. Plan on having both for several more years tho.
 
Moved from our last house to the current condo and we love it.
The only way we'll leave this place is either to a CCRC or with a toe tag attached. I did it because I had all the snow/leaf removal I wanted to deal with for a lifetime.

Would never have moved except that I happened to find this place and it seemed so perfect that it just called my name. Four years later, we still love it and still think it's perfect.

  • Standalone unit, 20 years old.
  • Same size as the prior house (3,000 sf) with attached two car garage.
  • Small development (17 units) on our own street.
  • Good neighbors -- half retired, the rest mostly professionals and business owners
  • Nicely landscaped and we have a gem of a maintenance crew that takes great care of it.
  • Quiet suburban neighborhood but less than a ten minute drive to downtown
  • Lowest crime rate in the state
 
I live in a duplex with one shared wall with my neighbor. Generally, all I ever hear is her garage door opening/closing and that only when I am in my front bedroom (over my garage.) Our duplex is part of a 36 unit HOA that only covers lawn maintenance and snow removal. All exterior maintenance of our homes is the responsibility of the home owner. For this we each pay $480 a year. I smile when I write that check because it's so cheap. There are no common facilities like a club house or swimming pool so that's another reason why our fees are so low.

I have about 1,500 square feet of living space and a two car garage. It's more than enough room for me, but it does place a limit on my weekend hobby. I can't park a cargo trailer in the driveway and the garage is 1/2 of the lower level, so not spacious. Our yards are small, but there's probably enough room for a small garden.

My first "home" was an apartment style condo. It was 1,100 square feet and well designed. I had a small utility room with space for a fullsize washer and dryer. But, I could hear my upstairs neighbors and the parking was outside. I would not go back to that type of condo unless I was living someplace with a very mild climate and the place was very well constructed. I would also need access to a gym since I wouldn't have the space for my own exercise equipment anymore.
 
We went with a side-by-side duplex.
1. We only hear our neighbors when they hammer a picture hanger into their wall.
2. Very small yard. Mowing both sides (and trimming and blowing) takes about 45 minutes.
3. No HOA, but a party-wall agreement. It worked out fine for the roof replacement due to the massive hailstorm in 2017. It also says: "no chickens". Sad.
4. Walkscore of 90. 46 restaurants within 6 blocks of our house.
 
We moved a lot during my military career and a couple of times afterwards. So, in 28 years in the Navy and 50+ years of marriage we have lived in a garden apartment once, a rental house twice (one in the US and one in Spain), in military/base housing twice, in stand-alone homes we owned five times and once in a duplex condo in a small over-55 community (currently). Each has advantages and disadvantages. Our current situation is close to ideal - a quiet neighborhood of only 14 units, pleasant people in the neighborhood (some of whom we've gotten to know well and some with whom we have only a waving acquaintance) and all the major work (mowing, landscaping, snow removal, gutter cleaning, trash removal, etc.) taken care of. The condo fees are fairly high, partly the byproduct of a private road, a private septic system, a fair amount of land and only 14 units among which to spread the expenses. But they are not so high that we've ever considered moving because of them.

Based on my living experiences over the years, my preferences would be (1) a duplex/ town-house condo such as ours (not in a high-rise building) or (2) a small stand-alone non-condo house, preferably single story, where the normal maintenance could be hired out at reasonable cost. I also don't discount the possibility that some sort of apartment living (possibly in a retirement community with increasing levels of service) might be very attractive.
 
I am a fan of the condo lifestyle.

About 5 years before retirement we opted to downsize and move closer to town. We found a condo/townhouse development that is just about perfect for our needs. Two car garage, private patio (about 20'x40'), 1500 sqft, 2BR, den, full (unfinished) basement. One common wall, but the units were built with separate walls, so there is about 7" of insulation and plywood between the units. The only time we hear anything from next door is if I am in the den, sitting right next to the common wall, and they run the garbage disposal.

We have a rec center with 2 pools (indoor and outdoor), work out room, ping pong table, outdoor pickle ball court and basket ball court, and meeting room with kitchen.

HOA fees are $225/mo. They include the rec center and all out side maintenance (mowing, snow removal, cleaning and staining the cedar siding every 5 years), and building insurance (from the studs out).
 
We have done it all. Right now SFH with 1 car garage and low maintenance. The yard is very low maintenance. When we get to old we could hire the little bit of work out.
 
We have owned and lived in several SFR’s ranging from 1,800 to 3,500 sq ft as well as 3 different condos - one in a high rise and two in mid-rise buildings. We have chosen the condo lifestyle for two reasons:
- Easier to “lock and leave” for travel. Now that we are retired, we have averaged being away 4 months per year.
- We decided living on the beach with the Pacific Ocean as our back yard was important to us. A condo is much more affordable than an SFR on the sand, and there are many more choices. Setting aside affordability, I would not feel safe in an SFR on the sand given the number of homeless people on Southern CA beaches.

We currently own a top floor corner unit so we have only two adjacent units - one next door and one below. The guy below us is a single man in his 60’s, very quiet. Our next door neighbor just sold his unit to a couple who will only be there part time. If they have grandchildren visit, it could get noisy occasionally, but we don’t think it will be an issue. Our former neighbor had his grandson visit and we rarely heard anything.

To me the major disadvantage of condo living is giving up complete control of one’s immediate environment. In an SFR, you don’t have much control over what your neighbors do, but you do control your own home and yard. You decide if and when to make changes. In a condo building, major decisions such as when to replace or repair systems or amenities are made by the HOA Board, and it’s unlikely you’ll always agree but nevertheless you must abide by it or move. You can mitigate this issue by selecting an HOA with a good reputation and sound financial position.
 
Big fan of my 3BR/3BA townhouse...end unit, only share one wall.

Stumbled upon it by accident...last one in the development, builder motivated to sell.

Most residents here are older, having downsized from a traditional SFR.

20+ years of never having to do any outside maintenance.
 
Parents just bought their last home. They moved to a same size (~1900 sf) SFH, but this time in a 55+. Here in S.Fla there are a lot of options for these communities. They initially looked at condo's, then villa/townhouses, but never found the right fit.

All exterior maintenance - painting, lawn, trees and shrubs - is HOA done. Home is only a 6 years old so likely will never even need a new roof. AC is 1 year old. Manned Gate so home is lock and leave for vacations. HOA has resort style pool and gym, tennis, etc. House is on a small lake so they have a nice view. Neighbors both sides are snow birds so gone more than half the year. Peace and quiet and low stress.

Me and DS have convinced them to hire in most inside help now too (repaint, major repairs). They have 12 foot ceilings everywhere so we told them they aren't even allowed to change a light bulb now lol (and they are all LEDs anyway). M&D are both very healthy mid-70's but very aware that a bad fall is a one way ticket to ending that.
 
Aerides said:
Parents just bought their last home. They moved to a same size (~1900 sf) SFH, but this time in a 55+. Here in S.Fla there are a lot of options for these communities. They initially looked at condo's, then villa/townhouses, but never found the right fit.
Click to expand...

Are they inland or close to the beach?
 
One of our past governors decided to get on his roof at 75 in Vegas heat despite being a millionaire and his wife begging him not to. He fell off and died. There are times you should just admit you aren’t as young as you used to be.
 
We moved from a rural log home (still own it) to an urban apartment for my husband's work. After a few years we realized we were of an age to not like the idea of being a 30 minute drive from good shopping, doctors and dentists, etc. but were tired of huge rent and pitfalls of apartment life, so we bought a 3-level condo with 2 bedrooms, 4 (!) bathrooms, office and garage. I really think the stairs have an impact on our general fitness (I'm 62, he's 68 with 2 hip replacements).

Even though we're home all day, we don't get bothered by other people around, noise, etc. Having units on both sides means our heating and cooling costs stay pretty low, and it feels "safe" (as opposed to being out of range of neighbors at the cabin, which isn't bad, but it does have a "if I scream no one would hear me" feeling). Neither of us want more than our postage stamp yard at the condo, since there's so much to take care of at the other place. I can see wanting more space, though, if this was our only residence...the thought of not having the cabin feels kind of claustrophobic.
 
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