No Compromise Condo Living

By Susan Boyce

One glance at the urban Metro Vancouver landscape, and it’s clear this is a city that celebrates condominium living. But if you think condo automatically equates to compact, it’s time to take a closer look at an emerging trend — condominium homes designed with two, three, and sometimes even more bedrooms, and which offer a new view on exceptional finishings.
According to Karen West, sales and marketing director at Boffo Developments, this trend for size is steadily gaining traction, and she believes it’s going to continue.
“It’s easy to forget that as recently as 15 or 20 years ago, large suites were the norm — it was simply the way apartments were built,” she says. Then affordability entered the equation and many builders began developing smaller suites they’d be able to sell for a lower, more competitive price.  Boffo wasn’t one of them. “We made a conscious decision to stick with what we do best — larger suites designed specifically with the downsizing end user in mind.”
Larger suites, she acknowledges, are still somewhat of a niche market, but it’s a niche with both influence and affluence. “Initially, the demographic who purchased larger suites were primarily downsizers — people selling the house they’ve lived in for 30 or 40 years to get the convenience of lock’n’go living and have money left over for extras like travel.”
Fast forward to 2014 and a shift in attitude is taking place. “Many young professionals are making an active decision to raise their family in a high density, urbanized environment — it’s simply becoming a lifestyle choice,” Karen explains. “These buyers value the convenience of being close to city amenities like restaurants, shops, and entertainment. When they buy their home, even if it’s their first home, they’re looking for 1,200 square feet or more with at least two bedrooms and a den because they’re probably going to stay there a while.”
In addition to space, Karen says these buyers want onsite amenities. But here too, quality is a prime driver. “This demographic expects more than an under-equipped fitness area. They want hotel-style amenities — spa, concierge, media room. And they use those amenities.  At Jewel in Burnaby, the lounge and chef’s kitchen are constantly booked for events like weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. It becomes an extension of your living space, a place that’s so comfortable, you want to spend time there. That’s why at Modello, our newest Burnaby project, we’ve taken the same approach but elevated the amenities to true five-star caliber.”
Source: 2014 Builder & Developer Annual