My wife and I have reached that time in life when couples start thinking about whether they should depart from their single-family home in favor of a condo near a beach and a gorgeous body of water.
There are literally dozens of pros and cons with respect to each style of living, many of a legal nature which we will not address. Although I strongly favor one choice over the other, I will try to be as fair and objective as possible in introducing some of the factors to be considered in reaching a decision on this issue.
Let’s start with my favorite chore around the house, taking out the trash. Our routine is to take it from the kitchen daily to the trash carts, as they are now called, which reside on the side of the house. Not a long walk, but it helps not to have to dodge rain drops. Then, twice a week the carts have to be dragged to the street so the city can have them emptied by their disposal service. Again, not a big deal, weather permitting.
If we were residing in a condo, we would take the trash daily or every couple of days to the trash disposal area on our floor and toss it down the trash chute. Not a bad system, depending on how close your unit is to the trash disposal area. Of course, you never know who you might engage in the hallways, so some care needs to be taken not to look like a homeless individual while you undertake this task. Which is better is probably a toss-up.
The next category we’ll call “access” to certain services, including your storage unit, your auto-mobile, and your mail and package delivery. Hands down, having your storage in a garage cabinet, your car in the driveway or garage, and your mailin a mailbox affixed to the house or package deliveries from in front of the entry door is a far more attractive app-roach than what would be required in a condo development. The same can be said for the distance, whatever it is, from the garage or porte cochere to the unit. That all depends on the distance of the unit from the closest bank of elevators. Again, a home is easier to navigate for this purpose.
The final issue to explore is how management handles deliveries from Amazon and the local dry cleaners, among other retailers. Different rules will undoubtedly apply to different developments and management teams. Some will offer a valet concierge service to hand you your delivery; others will not, but be sure to inquire about the cost of the service which is sort of a hidden cost to this style of living. In the latter cases there is no question that unit owners will spend valuable time retrieving these items and securing them in the intended unit. Not a lot of fun.
How will my wife and I decide? We will discuss the above items at length, as well as the legal issues that inevitably exist, and then do whatever she wants!
