RT2020
New Member
Those older condos from the early 2000's (or late 90's), in addition to u-shaped kitchens and lots of (often dark) floor space, also had carpet or vinyl floors, 8' stippled ceilings, punched windows with high sills, raised panel kitchen cupboard doors, bathtubs with metal skirts, and a resale value of about $400 psf vs $650 psf for the trendy 'soft lofts' that the anti-concrete people here seem to despise.
With the exception of punched windows all of these elements can be upgraded easily. You can get much more premium finishes if you upgrade an existing condo, and you will not have to pay the outrageous prices that builders charge for pre-construction upgrades. I have de-stippled and smoothed ceilings on several condos, and I have even completely replaced a couple of condo bathrooms.
I have not seen any condos from the 90's or early 2000's with 'high' window sills. Most condos built over the last 20 years have large windows. From a reliability and thermal efficiency standpoint, punched windows are more appropriate in Toronto's cold icy winters and hot summers. While floor to ceiling windows (window-wall system) does look stunning, I worry what will happen as these start to fail (think maintenance fees).
As for exposed concrete - I think polished concrete floors are nice, but concrete walls and ceilings make a unit look like parking garage. In my opinion it is a fad, and will not age well.
Maybe I'll buy one of these units and renovate it when one when the 'tendy' pre-construction buyer who got ripped-off at 650 psft eventually re-sells his unit for less because it's no longer 'trendy' enough. LOL
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