The Customizable Condo

By: Brian Enright

Have you ever had the desire to design your own kitchen? Have a real decision in what floors you have in your home, the cupboards that decorate your walls? There is an emerging trend in the condo market of what are known as "designer ready" units. These units give you unprecedented choice in the final appearance of your home. The way these units work is the condos themselves are sold during pre-construction. This is a great time to purchase condos as there are some fantastic deals available if you buy early on. This also gives you a great selection of units to choose from as buying pre-construction "gets you in on the ground floor" so to speak. The average condo appreciates rapidly once the construction is complete so buying early is also a great investment.



It is a good idea to contact a interior designer early on in the process to get your work order in so that the interior workings of your condo can begin as soon as possible after the construction is finished. Typically there will be two different kinds of designer ready condo, the white and gray box units. White box units are units that have had some finishing work done. The drywall is up, the moldings are up and the doors and baseboards have been installed. Gray box units are those that literally have nothing installed and are open for your imagination to shape. It is at this point where you can start putting your ideas together and deciding upon what you are going to do with your new space.

Usually the builders will recommend a design firm that will already have numerous packages pre-designed to show to buyers in a particular building. Buyers have the opportunity to look through several renderings and computer illustrations of how the finished product may look once everything has been completed. Once you have chosen what is going to go into your new home then the design firm will work with the general contractors to complete the unit to your specifications. This really is your chance to design your perfect living area and get a great deal on a home at the same time.

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