When we get excited about something, we get really excited. Sometimes pushing all reason to the side and doing everything we tell our buyer and seller clients NOT to do.
The purchase of our new office space was no different in this case. Our new office is a condo. Meaning it is a unit inside of a building that is maintained by a condo corporation and condo board. With this comes rules. The purpose of condo corporations and boards is to ensure conformity and fairness for all residents. There are rules and regulations that come in to effect when it comes to owning a condo. Things such as changing the exterior of the unit and in some cases even the interior. Everything must be approved by the board before proceeding and in a lot of cases, things can be restricted all together.
A way to be aware of these things prior to purchasing a condo is to review and be OK with the condominium declarations and documents that detail anything and everything regarding what you can and cannot do. And then of course, not to do anything to your unit without first getting approval from the condo board.
Because our excitement got the best of us in the purchase of the condo and the dream of what was ahead, we put reason to the wind and did a few things that went against our professional knowledge and judgement.
First came the exterior sign. The bucket sign above the entry door is something that drew us to the building. It’s boutique style and truly The Agency. In its original state it obviously had someone else’s name on it and was old. What we did do was reach out to the same company who created the original and asked them to replace it with a new, brighter Agency sign. What we didn’t do was ask the condo corporation first. On the day of installation we got a “friendly” reminder that everything to do with changing out unit must first be approved by the board. Thankfully, the condo corporation didn’t make us take it down! That would have been an expensive mistake. The condo corporation was OK with it but warned us not to move forward on anything without asking first.
Second – the lamps. Those gorgeous lamp posts in our front terrace. When we moved in one was smashed. When we asked the condo board when we could expect it to be fixed they had said they were planning on just removing them altogether. Our hearts hit the floor. Those lamp posts were one of the top reasons we purchased the condo. They couldn’t leave, because if they did they would take some of our vision with them. This is something that condo corporations can and sometimes do. What is on the outside is in fact their property. We pleaded for the approval of the condo board to get them fixed. We even offered to fix them ourselves at our own cost. There were no promises. Apparently they were faulty and in line to be removed anyway. Gulp…we pleaded and explained to the condo corporation how important these were to us. No promises were made… a lot of maybes and then nothing. Until one glorious day we came by the unit and there they were. Fixed. And beautiful. We were so grateful.
Before long we had compiled quite a list of run ins with the condo board. Us doing things without thinking, or in fact thinking to far into things. Needless to say we are speaking with the condo corporation and board directors daily, if not more. And don’t even get us started on the fire alarm (coming up in a future post)
Morale of the story? When purchasing a condo, know what you are getting in to. Know the rules, and the restrictions. Once owning a condo, ask for permission. Yes, you own the property. But as a part of a collective whole. Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.
The best part of this story? When organizing further signage and landscaping outside on of the condo residents stopped us to tell us how much they appreciated what we were doing to improve the interior and exterior of the unit. Everybody loves a happy neighbour…great days ahead!
