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Never Buy These Condos in Vancouver

LIVING IN VANCOUVER BC

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Never Buy These Condos in Vancouver

Thinking of buying a condo in Vancouver? Well, you'll want to watch this video to make sure you don't make one of the biggest mistakes of your life.

Some condos look great on paper, or appear to be AMAZING value…but if you don't know any better buying these condos could cost you an absolute fortune. Not to mention all of the unnecessary stress and aggravation!

This is hard-earned advice that I give my own clients…based on nearly 20 years selling homes in Vancouver…and not only am I going to tell you what not to buy, but you'll have to watch this video all the way to the end for my bonus tip on what you SHOULD buy.

This one bonus tip could make (or break) your next condo purchase...so don't miss it!

If you are moving to Vancouver (or already living in Vancouver) and looking to buy a condo this is a video you don't want to miss!

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TimeStamp
Avoid These Vancouver Condos 00:00
Condo Type 1 01:25
Condo Type 2 04:17
Condo Type 3 07:42
Condo Type 4 09:33
Condo Type 5 12:03
Condo Type 6 14:06
Condo Type 7 16:12
Condo Type 8 18:37
Condo Type 9 20:44
Condo Type 10 21:50
More Advice 23:28
Bonus Tip 24:51
Vancouver Condos to Avoid 26:35

20 Comments

@LivingInVancouver-BC Creator 1 year ago Pinned

Do you think that I missed any Vancouver condo that you should avoid?

Call/Text Direct - 604-831-4837
email: sebastian@albrechtgroup.ca
Book a call: http://www.calendly.com/albrechtgroup

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@CoachCarolVancouver 3 months ago

Such a great and valuable video for anyone navigating the Vancouver market 🙏 As someone who's been training clients in Downtown Vancouver for 20+ years, I've watched so many people go through the stress of buying the wrong place — especially the outdoor space point. It genuinely affects how people live, how they move, and how they feel day to day.
Thank you for putting this together so clearly 🙌 Vancouver locals need to see this before they buy.

@freyaday1989 1 year ago

Thank you, this is all really great advice! The only critique I’d add is that, from my experience living in a 36-floor high-rise with three elevators, that number of elevators is absolutely not enough. For a building that size, you really need at least four. During busy times, it could take 10 to 15 minutes just to get out of the building. It was a nightmare and I ended up moving to a different building with an adequate number of elevators.

@freezerlunik 1 year ago

1) leasehold, esp. non-strata
2) non-rain-screened/leaky condo not remediated
3) properties with weird geometries/over-maximized development
4) condos with zero outdoor space, not even a tiny balcony
5) plus-sized/unusual square footage vs. bedroom count
6) low maintenance fees
7) on busy streets/intersections
8) not enough elevators
9) underground parking painful access
10) unpermitted renovations

@NobodiesDoormat 1 year ago

The condos built between 1950 and 1975 were built out of Cement and that is why they are not rotting and leaking like the stick and carboard crap they began building from 1975 to the current day.

@andrewmuccillo 1 year ago

Great points. Ive realized highrise buildings werent really for me, waiting for elevators to come up 20+ floors, parking 3 stories below ground, it took forever just to get out of the area. Now im in a lowrise and love the ability the hustle down a few stairs and be outside instantly.

@MisterBlaine102 1 year ago

While living in Kitsilano, I would regularly visit a local café/deli for a Saturday morning espresso. One morning I happened to overhear a local developer, chatting with an architect, about his latest project. It was all about value per square foot. Nothing about livability. Nothing about aesthetic worth to the surrounding community. All about dollars, and gaining the most by providing the least. Appalling and hideous.

@rcbrascan 1 year ago

One of the main reasons for wanting outdoor space is because in most buildings, the windows are like walls and they don't have openings to let fresh air in or air out your unit from something like a gas leak or cooking smells. The ones that do function as a window, they are just small openings that are not very useful.

@cm8989 1 year ago

Now I fully understand why I will never, ever by a condo - whether in Vancouver or elsewhere. No thank you !
Excellent information here.

@ivorytelecaster 1 year ago

What’s more troubling regarding rain screen is that I’ve seen buildings around vancouver constructed with rain screen that have required full envelope replacement. I’m talking about buildings built in the 2000-2005. Scary

@To411u 6 months ago (edited)

@7:46, "Condo's with weird angles", & then @7:56, "Designed to look pretty from the outside." "Shows the Vancouver House building/ condo @7:59." 😂👍🏿
Overall great video & very comprehensive overall! I'm adding this to my favorites, for future reference! 👍🏿

@OrdinaryFilmmaker 1 year ago

Thanks for the insight. I remember hearing about the leaky condos in the 90s, but there's so much more about condos I was not aware. Very much appreciated. I love these videos that help me understand Vancouver's unique market.

@TheRainbow-us9wx 1 year ago

I have strata fees that come in at 79 cents per square foot. We're an older building (1975, low rise) and have historically had low fees until we passed a motion at the last AGM to bump it up by a good amount because our fees were too low and we're not paying for it in special levies - $8,000 to be exact this year for an emergency roof repair and 7 years ago $12,000 to get the windows replaced. The thing is that when I joined this strata we were paying 58 cents per square foot, so not even that low and we're still forking out special levies semi-frequently. Can't stress what paying more in strata means because getting special levies approved requires 75% buy in and no everyone wants or can afford this. Best to split up the payments, have good money management and then have the contingency. Meanwhile cosmetic upgrades like the common areas which are a disgrace, the carpet looks like it could sprout legs, is not getting done because it would also require a special levy to pay for.

@Meg-not-Megan-Canada 1 year ago

I viewed a “one bedroom with den” and the “bedroom was a solarium and the “den” was a storage closet.
This seems to be getting more common.

@sharonla8071 1 year ago

During the construction of the athletes village, a plumber who worked on the project told me to never buy there. He said that they were so pressed for time that short cuts were happening. He specifically mentioned that pipes were not being wrapped. I know nothing about such things but he thought it was a serious problem.

@BaharG-p7z 10 months ago

I live in Olympic Village. I think for my area, it would be to avoid commercial businesses below your condo. Our strata is constantly having to deal with the owners not caring about their garbage, the oil that they spill, their piping , their maintenance , their cleanliness etc.

@eyesuckle 1 year ago (edited)

When I heard your tip about the noise risk of living higher up in a condo, I knew you were the real deal. I learned this from experience when I moved from the 2nd to the 17th floor of a rental building in West Vancouver on a very busy street. To my surprise, it was much noisier on the 17th floor for precisely the reason you point out: On the 17th floor, I had line-of-sight to far more places, including busy streets several blocks away. And the extra 150 feet of elevation did almost nothing to diminish the noise levels from those sources (mainly cars, trucks and motorcycles starting from a standing stop at traffic lights). When I lived on the second floor, surrounding trees and buildings had absorbed or reflected most of this noise.

Also, while this higher-up apartment had an enormous concrete deck almost all the way around it, that noise from below would bounce off the bottom of the deck right above mine and straight into my apartment when the windows or sliding doors were open. During rush hour, you could hardly hear yourself think in there.

Anyway, great tip!

@8bit_paul 1 year ago

Houses should be for living in, not making money from. Once we're required to live in the home we buy, prices will become reasonable again.

@Nataliaabroad 1 year ago (edited)

Loved all the things to avoid! I would add the south east position. I rented a unit in a 19th floor of a 2018 building with glass windows and the heat was unbearable 37 degrees inside in may. It was a too good to be true, after my 1 year lease ended I couldn’t wait to leave. Putting up with that level of heat 5am to 8 pm in the summer with kids was unbearable 😭 unobstructed view but also unobstructed sun 🔥