What You Need To Know When Renovating A Condo In Toronto
Renovating a condo in Toronto isn’t exactly the same as renovating a house since the process could be quite different since a condo has different ownership rights and regulations than owning a home.
Understanding Condo Rules and Regulations
The main thing to consider before getting to work on your condo is that there may be some specific rules that need to be followed which are laid down by your condo board.
For instance, you may only be allowed to renovate your living space and/or use the service elevator during certain hours and on certain days. This could hamper your time frame as it may take longer than originally planned to complete the remodeling.
If your condo board does lay down and enforce the rules then you’ll have to work around them. This means you’ll need to schedule deliveries and contractors for specific times. This also means you may have to leave work yourself to meet them since you may not be allowed to work in the evenings or on weekends. The condo board could also require work permits from you.
These types of policies are typically put in place to keep the neighbours in your building happy but there’s no doubt they can slow down the renovation process. This is why it’s very important to contact your condo board with your ideas before planning any work on your condo. You’ll need to discuss all aspects of the job and make sure you’ve come to a full understanding and agreement, which should be in writing by the way.
Creating a Renovation Plan
Once you’ve talked things over with the board you’ll know exactly what you can and can’t do. This will help you come up with a realistic time frame for the job. As for the reason you want to renovate the condo that’s up to you. It could be to add to the resale value or you may simply want to make it more comfortable or conducive to your lifestyle.
If you don’t plan on staying much longer than a year or two you may want to renovate with furnishings and accessories that can be taken with you when you move rather than those that are fixed. If you’re more concerned about the resale value or you intend to be in your condo for the long term, you may want to focus on key areas such as the doors, bathroom fixtures, kitchen cabinets, tiling, flooring, tiling, lighting and the walls.
You also need to know which elements and walls can possibly be opened or removed etc. if you’re planning on a large scale renovation. For example, bathroom fixtures can’t usually be moved very far unless you want to greatly add to the expense of your project. In fact, you may want to focus on building up instead of tearing down and moving fixtures. Some elements simply can’t be altered when living in a condo.
Stay Flexible & Realistic
It’s a good idea to stay flexible and be realistic. Condos aren’t generally that large so you may want to reconsider filling in the limited space with items such as king-size beds, large appliances and double sinks etc. Using smaller appliances could free up much-needed space for storage or other uses.
If you do have to deal with a strict condo board you may want to enlist the help of a professional condo contractor with condo experience as they can also help out with coordinating deliveries or picking all of the materials up themselves.
Depending on the scale of your Toronto condo renovation you may also need to find somewhere to eat your meals or even sleep while the work is going on. This means finding a temporary residence during some of the work as you may not be able to access the kitchen, bedroom or bathroom at certain times. In fact, your condo building may even have a guest suite you could temporarily use or rent.
Be aware that you may also need to pay for parking when hiring tradespeople since most condos have limited space. It’s a good idea to make sure you know where and when parking is available for your condo renovation.
In general you need to speak to the property manager, find a contractor who’s willing to work in a condo building, know your limitations and make sure you have a cleanup crew hired when the job has been completed. If you take care of all these details you shouldn’t have any major problems when renovating a Toronto area condo.
About Novacon Construction
Novacon Construction is a renovation company in Toronto that specializes in turning ordinary condos into amazing living spaces. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
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