As both a long-term condo dweller and real estate agent with 10 years of condo sales experience, I will offer you the pros and cons I see about each plan.
Plan 1:
- layout is not considered widely desirable by most buyers, due to the separation of kitchen from the rest of the living space (you can't see your guests while entertaining)
- wasted space due to long hallway that opens up to a dining room that will force you into using a small table for 4, since you need clearance around the table to access the kitchen and from hallway to living room
- 8 foot ceilings are "low" by today's standards where most condos are building 9 foot ceilings (builder's typically charge a $10K to $15K difference for the extra foot in ceiling height)
- half of the foyer closet seems to be inaccessible. You would need to move a lot of stuff out of the way to access the "back" of the closet.
- master bedroom cannot fit a king bed due to the heat pump/pillar location shown in the top right corner
- second bedroom's 8'1" depth is very tight once you put a bed in there. It can be useful as an infant's room with a crib, though.
Plan 2:
- I like the 9 foot ceiling height over plan 1
- bedroom easily fits a queen + 2 night stands and still allows you access to the built-in closet. A king bed would be tight, but possible, with only 1 narrow night stand on the window end.
- the U-shaped kitchen is similar to one I had in my previous condo. You don't see this design as much anymore, due to the shrinking kitchen designs. This layout allows for more surface area and is more practical for cooking and storage (if you pick this layout, make sure you get the double-jointed corner doors to easily access the cabinet space with larger items)
- living/dining area can offer both a dining table and smaller living room setup (note heat pump location where living room is shown = limited TV size). Just make sure the furniture is appropriately sized or custom-built (it can be cheaper than buying retail).
- linen closets are often not offered in new condos, so this is a nice storage feature
- den is a decent size as a home office, walk-in storage room or nursery, but there is no natural sunlight. Consider uses for this room vs lack of light.
- no wasted space in this plan
Plan 3:
- living room is a bit more spacious than Plan #2 due to heat pump location being on the bedroom side, rather than living room side
- den cannot really be efficiently enclosed as you can with Plan #2
- extra 2pc bathroom is great for guests
- kitchen appears a bit larger in scale vs Plan #2
- floor plan indicates SW facing, but really it is only facing 1 direction (only the door is on an angle)
- bedroom can fit a king bed, but I would recommend changing the swing door to a sliding door to allow use of second bedside table
- a little bit of wasted space in the open area outside of the den and laundry closet
Plan 4:
- 8 foot ceiling is a drawback
- has the largest usable living/dining room layout (a 19'6" length is quite spacious by today's standards)
- the den can have a closet added easily enough, but it would make the room quite small (you lose about 28-30" with doors installed). Alternatively, the space will feel larger if the den was opened up, which addresses the lack of light issue, but not practical for use as a nursery.
- bedroom size is decent for a queen bed setup with 2 bedside tables
- if getting the 7th floor terrace unit, keep in mind that cigarette butts being flicked off of above balconies and ending up on your terrace are a constant complaint in every condo
Not knowing specifics about the pricing, location and views you are getting for these 4 units, I cannot make a final recommendation, but given the fact you are a couple, I would recommend going with one of the larger units for comfort, especially given you are planning for children in 3-5 years. If these are pre-construction options, you are looking at as long as 5 yrs before completion (if buying at the earliest sales opportunity), so you may already have outgrown the condo or have to consider fitting in your first child when moving into the condo.
I don't want to sway you to a particular unit, because the decision should be yours. Instead, I am providing what I see as pros and cons for you to consider, in case you haven't seen all of them for yourself. I would be interested to hear what you decide to choose!
Good luck with your purchase!
Al Daimee
Real Estate Sales Representative
Co-Founder of Carbon Real Estate Group
Ranked among the TOP 50 of all REALTORS® in 2015 in Downtown Toronto*
Royal LePage Signature Realty, Brokerage
154 Bathurst Street | Toronto, ON | M5V 2R3
DIRECT: 416-737-5612
al@carbongroup.ca
Office: 416-205-0355 | Fax: 416-205-0360
* Based on either sales volume or # of transactions within MLS districts C01 & C08 as per 3rd party data provided by IMS Stats for combined activity of Carbon Real Estate Group.
