Brownstones on the Park (Lansdowne/Davenport)
February 24, 2010 - 8:39am — vic
Although slightly outside of the neighbourhood normally covered on this website, you can use this forum for discussing the Brownstones on the Park townhouse development in the Lansdowne and Davenport area.
Notes:
- There's also a private Facebook group for this development.
- Also, a private Facebook group for Phase 4 owners.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This discussion is closed for further comment. We regret that prior to closing this discussion some posters posted comments did not accord with the spirit and intent of this site’s Code of Conduct, which led to our closing this discussion and removing the comments from the website.
are you allowed to sell ??
are you allowed to sell ??
Refer to previous posting
Refer to previous posting here. Any inidividual wanting to sell prior to registration must contact developer first. None of us own our units until registration so we cannot sell unless developer allows assignment.
phase 4
Hi there,
Trying to figure out how long it will take for the building to register? I am in the fist block and scheduled to move in Aug 1st. Has anybody in the LAST block been given an idea of a move in date? I have to sell because I have a new job outside of Toronto and I am trying to figure out if I should move in and wait for registration or, take my chances and pay rent at my apartment and mortgage at phase 4. I would not be able to do this longer than a few months. Any thoughts? what would be my best options? thanks in advance to any who reply.
I have a unit in the last
I have a unit in the last block and we have not been provided with any dates. I believe they have to give us 90 days notice so we should be hearing something by the first week of June. Even if we get an August 31 move in date, it could still take a longer time to register the complex. Good luck.
I agree. Sounds like
I agree. Sounds like assignment is the best way to go. There's too much risk carrying 2 properties at the same time with limited financial resources.
I think someone posted
I think someone posted somewhere else that the builder anticipates a Jan/Feb final closing.... if things go smoothly. As a rule of thumb it takes approx 3-8months after all the units are occupied to get a building registered. Phase 2 took approx 7 months after all the units were occupied. I believe Phase three was about 2-3 months. Phase 3 was very fast, but also a much smaller project (I believe only 2 blocks)
Are there any phase 4 blocks that have not been started yet? If yes, it will likely impact registration. In Phases 1,2 & 3 the sites were almost complete before people started moving in. Looks like this time the builder has found a way to get people in sooner while the other blocks are still getting built (assuming some of the sites are in earlier phases of construction).
A good place to start might be talking to your real estate lawyer for some advice.
One option: Contact the builder about your situation and see if they will let you do an assignment sale. If they agree, they may charge you an fee to do so. I'm assuming the values have gone up since you purchased.... plus if you hold it until final closing you'll have a bunch of land transfer tax (Ontario & Toronto) fees that you will have to pay..... So the assignment fee might be less than that. Plus if, you carry two properties that will likely get expensive also.... that's at least 6-7 months if the builder gets everything registered by Jan/Feb.
Hope this helps!
Good luck
anyone here from phase 3 or
anyone here from phase 3 or previous? I like to know what type of flooring is at the front entrance on the upper unit, carpet? tile? or hardwood?
thanks
Phase 3, upper unit, foyer
Phase 3, upper unit, foyer flooring is tile then carpet on stairs leading up to your main floor.
Phase 2 - Upper Unit Entrance Flooring
In phase 2 (Brownstones on Wallace), the flooring at the entrance of an upper unit was tile. I also believe it was tile for lower units also
Phase 4 Corner Unit for Sale
My husband and I have been relocated so will be selling our Phase 4 lower corner unit (933 sq ft) with parking. If you are interested please contact me at kim.magua@gmail.com
Rob's Email
Hello all!
I just spoke with Rob ...we can choose a date between July 2nd to August 1st.
I am moving in closer to end of July.
just wondering if anybody have Rob's email address;
need to send him my firm occupancy date and I can't seem to locate it.
Thanks!
rob@neudorfercorp.com
rob@neudorfercorp.com
July 1st Early Occupancy
Is anyone taking the July 1st early occupancy offered by the Builder?
Did you receive a letter
Did you receive a letter indicating a July 1 occupancy date? My unit is in the first block of townhouses and should be done first but I dont think I have received anything yet from Rob...though I am terrible about checking my mail :)
moving in?
Hey neighbor,
I am also in the first block (facing the park), i just got back from vacation and have not gone thru my mail. July 1st? If we don't accept this offer can you recall what the original date was? I think it was Aug 31? any idea?
I have to give 2 months notice so July wont work for me.
Yes, the original date was
Yes, the original date was August 31st, but that was just a tentative occupancy date. It really doesn't mean anything at this point. We don't have to move in July 2nd (I too am in that first block), but it's an option if you want it. The new (firm) occupancy date is set at August 1st, so essentially we start paying occupancy fees August 1st and may as well move in at that point, since we'll be paying for it.
Yes, I rec'd it on Tuesday
Yes, I rec'd it on Tuesday for July 1st occupancy.
Exciting! Are you in the
Exciting! Are you in the first block of townhouses? I guess Ill be checking my mail today.
Yes I am, facing the park on
Yes I am, facing the park on the upper end unit.
Since I am not paying for
Since I am not paying for anything right now, I prefer not to take the early occupancy since that means time to start paying for a roof over my head. If I have to end up paying more on the phantom mortgage than say, if I was renting, I'd wait for the final occupancy date though. But then if you are so excited to move in and financially, it's not going to impact you, sure, why not.
I think I'm going to accept
I think I'm going to accept the early occupancy because I'm installing a hardwood floor. I'm afraid if I do it when we were suppose to be released then the unit below me (I'm in an upper), are going to absolutely hate me with the sound of the pneumatic staple gun. One month early is a small price to pay for the commeraderie I would have sacrificed being pegged as a noisy neighbour. I'll need a couple weeks of hauling in equipment and then installing them. This is probably best done while no one else is around. Got to be a conscientious neighbour right? :-D
I am a Phase 3 owner of a
I am a Phase 3 owner of a lower unit. Upper unit installed hardwood on their second and third floors and we did not hear a thing. Most people work during the day so if you don't move in early and get the hardwood installed during the day, you won't bother anybody. I am assuming you did not opt out of the hardwood being installed on the main level. Unless your downpayment is significant, your occupancy would be over a thousand dollars. You could do so much with that to further beautify your new home instead of moving in early.
Thank you for this
Thank you for this information :) Yes, I did put a handsome down payment on my home but since you've put it that way, I just might reconsider the even earlier occupancy. Spoke to the Builder already and was given some very important information about things to consider. I was pleased to know that Rob was very forthcoming and answered my questions thoroughly. Some things to note:
- Accepting an even earlier occupancy doesn't mean you get to choose your locker or parking location. These are pre-allocated by Rob himself but said he tries to give the best location under or close to your unit as possible to avoid complaints, however, it is not a perfect process, as I would expect, and people may still find faults in the final outcome
- Avoid doing anything too major to the unit in the event there are issues with closing. If you cannot close (ie couldn't get a mortgage), then the unit needs to be refurbished back to a sellable state.
- City registration is proposed to be end of December, beginning of January, provided the city doesn't find anything major to address in order to release the registration. An earlier occupancy offer doesn't necessarily mean an even earlier registration and final closing
- As we all already know, the early occupancy fee is calculated based on remaining mortgage, condo fees, property tax. HOWEVER, if the city deems the underground parking unsafe to use, then parking will be designated and the fee for parking and locker will be omitted from the total condo fee cost
- Any credit for not installing hardwood will be already be established. You need to contact Aggie at the Sales office in order to discuss the total amount expected. This credit will be applied to the final closing.
- You need to provide at least one week if you're accepting an earlier occupancy by contacting Rob directly, pref by email. He will then arrange the legal docs and PDI associated with the early occupancy
- Early occupancy can last anywhere from a few short months to several months but is dependent on the city approving the registration. However, the process has already been started to ensure our Builder has ample time to get things addressed for an early final closing. The Builder's money wont be released to him until he's met all the city's requirements prior to their registration so he's got an invested interest to stay on track.
I hope this helps...
Thanks for this information!
Thanks for this information! Does anyone know if there is any way to increase the deposit given and pay more on occupancy in order to reduce the amount paid during the occupancy/ phantom-mortgage period? Has the builder allowed anyone to amend their contract in order to do this?
I did that throught my
I did that throught my lawyer, he send a letter to the builder informing him that at occupancy I intent to give and additional 10 percent and then I got a letter from the laywer telling me that the builder has accepted my additional deposit...
Thanks for the info! I'll see
Thanks for the info! I'll see if my lawyer will do the same for me :)
I think the only perk would
I think the only perk would be you get into your place sooner which is a big perk to some who are anxious to get into their new home. Getting in sooner will most likely will not lead to an earlier final closing once the entire site is registered with the city.....And you will be paying the occupancy fee longer... But if your currently a renter and you can get out of your current place by then it really shouldnt been an big cost differnce issue (depending on the situation of course)
If your currenly an owner of an existing home and your porting a mortgage from your old place to the new place, keep in mind you will likely have only 3 months to transfer the mortgage to your new place... And that can only be done once your new place is registered. If not done within 3 months you'll likely have $$$ penalties to break your mortgage. Depending on your existing mortgage it could become very costly.
As a purchaser of an earlier phase (Phase 2), be cautious of the dates the builder provides you..... IMO....play it safe And keep a very close eye on the occupancy notice requirements. Many of us had to scramble for a bit as dates changed constantly towards the last couple of months. But once we were finally in ..... we were happy.
Good Luck
Early Occupancy
Is anyone thinking of taking the even earlier occupancy from the builder should it be available in July rather than August? Just wondering if there's any perks to getting it early or if we should just wait until our official early occupancy date.
Unit left in Phase 4
Just wondering (because the sales office is always closed when I go there)...does anybody in Phase 4 know if there are any 3 bedroom units left? (Upper unit, either with den/family room). Does anybody have any floor plans they can share with me and price list? I live in Phase 3 now, really need a 3rd bedroom (we have 2 and then the upper loft which acts as a 3rd bedroom). The site says there are 7 units left facing the park. Thanks. (you can email me at mich_belle79@yahoo.ca).
I was there on Sunday and all
I was there on Sunday and all are sold out (I think most of the uppers were gone a while ago). We originally had a 3br but since they changed the site plan, our house was downsized to a 2br. I think there were only a 4 other 3br units that were available and they went quickly.
I bought on of the very last
I bought on of the very last upper 3 bedrooms a couple of years. I think they've been sold out for some time but see that some people are selling. You might hear back from someone looking to flip it at final closing.
just wondering..has everyone
just wondering..has everyone here got a letter to pick finishes? I just got mine but my townhouse is in the last block and nothing is happening yet. I called the decorator and she said the only thing that the builder is willing to NOT install is carpet and hardwood, everything else has to be installed including tile, so I didnt pick any thing yet because I am not sure what to do as there isnt one package that I like everything in it....has everyone had the same experience as me?
thanks
We are in the last block as
We are in the last block as well and got our letter last week. We picked our finishes on Sunday. We went with the third package. If you don't install the hardwood, the credit is around $1900 for an upper unit. We considered it as we wanted lighter floors but in the end decided to let them finish the whole thing. The floors are hardwood so can be sanded and stained a different colour.
We also asked to not have the toilet paper rolls/towel rack and soap dish installed.
thank you! I have an upper on
thank you! I have an upper on the block with the 8 units facing east. I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything will turn out well, I am thinking also about the third package but didnt like the color of the hardwood with that package and I am not crazy about the color of the tile either, I looked at the first package and the cabinets look dirty against the color of the backsplash, plus they are darn cheap, so I am wondering if its easy to change the doors once I move in...I dont know, I guess I should my appointment and make a decision, I hate that we cant mix and match...
We didn't like the first
We didn't like the first package either so went with the cabinets we liked - although the floor is too dark, we are facing west and have a corner unit so should get lots of light. If you do decide to not install the floor -you will have to put in a sub-floor. There are some good comments on this forum about doing the floors yourself and the costs involved.
I'm not sure how expensive it would be to replace the cabinets - it might depend on if they are a standard size or not. Would have been nice to mix and match but we got a bit nervous about how it would end up looking so just selected a package in the end.
Hanging on Walls
Has anyone had any issues with hanging heavier items like TV's, shelves, etc. that need to be well anchored to studs? Are the walls made up of concrete only, drywall and metal studs or drywall and wooden studs? I'd like to hang a 60" flatscreen and then hide my cables behind the drywall as I have in my current home but want to make sure these homes are equipped for this type of installation.
I have a 60 inch LCD hanging
I have a 60 inch LCD hanging in the living room, but since it's concrete there's probably no chance of hiding the cables. (I bought cable management supplies from monoprice.com to hide them as best as I could). The third floor of the upper units might be drywall if you want to hang it up there instead, though someone will have to let you know on that one...
That's unfortunate but your
That's unfortunate but your information is greatly appreciated :) Can you please confirm what to look for on the monoprice.com site to hide the cables please? There's a lot of inventory and cannot find something that relates to hiding cables. Thanks again!
Odd, the kind that I
Odd, the kind that I purchased aren't there anymore. They do have cable raceways that are similar and can be painted to merge with your wall...
http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=cable+raceway&x=0&y=0
Looking up "cable management" on amazon.ca does bring up a bunch of other options as well.
Flatwire?
Have you guys ever used/considered using this product before? Ive been doing a tonne of research to find the best way to set up my home theatre but I hate visible cables...if our walls are concrete this might be my only option but as it is a newer product I dont know how good the quality will be. I am starting to think I will just sit the TV on table top instead but that still leaves the issue of the speakers/surround.
Is it just the 3 walls attached to the other units that are concrete? And how about the ceiling between our two floors (I have a lower unit, phase 4, due October), is that concrete as well or drywall with wood/metal studs? Any possibility we might be able to feed the cables up from part of the wall facing outside if that's not concrete and fish it through the ceiling and drop it down to the two walls on the outer, either sides of the staircase? I want to wall mount my rear surrounds.
As discussed before, and confirmed at the sales office this past weekend, I really doubt I'll be able to see the inside of my place until its pretty much ready so any insight on this is much appreciated so I will know what I need to buy for the set up. Thanks,
Nabil
The floors are concrete so
The floors are concrete so that is not an option. Unless the wires are put there during the construction.
I live in an end unit. The one wall I share with my neighbour is poured concrete. The other exposed walls are metal studs with insulation and brick. Things look pretty tight in the exterior walls. I have to assume non-end units have either poured concrete or concrete blocks between the units... depending of the configuration.
I had the same dilemma when we moved in. I hate seeing wires but I love gadgets!!!!!! What I ended up doing is getting a low profile entertainment unit that I placed all of my components. All the wires and powerbars are contained within the entertainment unit except for one power cable that leads to the wall outlet. The tv sits on top of the low profile entertainment unit. I tied the tv power cable and the HDMI together so they look like one cable and go into the entertainment unit. For the rear speakers and sub-woofer, I placed the wires behind the baseboard moldings... When the builders workers we fixing some warranty "issues" They happliy put the sub-woofer and speaker wires behind the baseboard molding for me... So they are invisible except for where they go in and come out of the wall. I haven't installed the rear speakers on the wall yet.... If I do (not sure yet) I purchased some speaker wire tape which is very thin and can be painted over and is virtually invisible.
Hope this helps!!!
A question about how sound proof these units are...
With all this concrete I am assuming our places are relatively sound proof from sound leaking out during movie nights for example? It sounds like you have a set up similar to what I have in mind with a 5.1 and all, if you ever watch a movie at a semi theatrical level for that immersion and experience, have you tested to see if it leaks outside or upstairs to an uncomfortable level? Just doing a little homework to have the best set up but one that wont disturb the neighbours. Thanks,
Nabil
(your response was very helpful, by the way...)
The strangest thing was that
The strangest thing was that as a lower unit resident, I never used to hear any sounds from the upper floor when we are in our bedroom. It only started a few months ago and we have been living here since January 2011. Maybe neighbour's change of schedule? Other than some plumbing sounds, I really don't hear anything that affects our comfort. I sometimes hear the train but it's no different from turning on your fan/vent. So all in all, I feel very lucky of having good neighbours as being on the quiet side.
Phase three
I agree, only hear my neighbors once in a while (plumbing) and the odd time they have a party on a weekend but always stop the noise by midnight. Trains can be heard if you have your window open but its really just background noise. Nothing to be concerned with.
Odd, the same thing happened
Odd, the same thing happened with us... ever since around February (maybe January?) the upstairs sounds have been louder. We don't really hear the train unless the window's open (and then, it's only very short... just makes me wish there was a GO stop right here...).
Now, if we could just get our air conditioner to be quieter (the heating is fine, but the cold air/fan is super loud)...
Get the A/C adjusted. Ours
Get the A/C adjusted. Ours got adjusted in time for turning the heat back on last year and during last summer, our A/C was nice a quiet too. The good thing about being a lower unit, our main level is nice and cool being sub-ground level. The A/C's power is compromised for the second floor but I prefer to have a fan on than having to deal with a noisy HVAC system downstairs. For upper units, they need to deal with more heat as it rises from floor to floor. For that reason, I am glad I have a lower unit.
And that is interesting about the sound from upper floor. Could it be now that the floors have settled, its now nice and crunchy ..... but as I said, it's no biggie. I still get to fully enjoy the comfort of my home with all these sound transfer/travel.
What kind of adjustment was
What kind of adjustment was done to the A/C to improve its performance? I'd like to ask my HVAC technician to make the same adjustments.
The technician should know.
The technician should know. It's opening some plate and some kind of screw/control is turned and you will immediately hear the level of sound as this control is being adjusted. But again, I wish to stress that the less sound, the less heat/A/C you will get. It truly is a compromise. Noise vs. achieving the perfectly desired room temperature.
I have a lower unit at Phase
I have a lower unit at Phase 3 and my next door neighbour and I both have our TV on the same side of the wall at the main level. We do not hear his TV on when we have ours on so it works out really well. But when we have our TV off and when he has his TV on high volume, we hear a faint sound but it is not bothersome at all.
I find sound travels through
I find sound travels through floors more than the side walls. I can hear the upstairs TV/stereo a lot more than the two "rambunctious" boys and their shows on my left,,, but your right, it's not too bad except for maybe saturday nights :)
For the last two posts...
That's good news for me then, I intend to have speakers only downstairs so hopefully it wont be that bad, as you guys are suggesting it already isn't. Yay.
Nabil
The sound proofing is not as
The sound proofing is not as good as you might suspect. It is better than some wood construction townhomes I have been in... But i wouldnt call it sound proof. Anything above a moderate level will likely be heard in the other units next to you... Especially if you have heavy bass. If they don't hear it, they will feel it.
Agreed, bass travels well...
Agreed, bass travels well... heck, I can even hear loud talking from my bed at night. (If I put my ears against the wall, I can hear the above unit's conversations fairly well, actually.). Not to say it's horrible, but that "immersive experience" will be heard by neighbours (such is life in a shared space).
That's what I was thinking...
Good thing I've got an awesome set of headphones. And now you guys are giving me the reasons I've been looking for to spend more money on headphones!
I guess the movie nights will have to be reserved for decent hours only then...
Nabil
Thanks for being
Thanks for being considerate!!
Heh...
No problem :)
Nabil
Hmmm....
It sounds like I might have to go with a similar set up as yours, component stand with a cable organizing compartment in the back. I saw some really neat examples of those at crate & barrel. Might even do the trick of replacing the floating tv and speaker look I was going for. It's great that they tucked the wires behind the molding for you, I know I always prefer a 'professionaly done' look as opposed to any hack job resulting from my handy work.
I am most interested in the wire tape you speak of. It sounds exactly like what I've been looking at. Is it where you paste the wire to the wall and connect one end behind your component stand to a converter box of some sort and run wire/banana plugs to your component and have the same at the other end where it feeds your speaker? Are they a specific brand? I was looking at the www.flatwireready.com products as they claim to be the inventor of this flat wire... I would really appreciate a follow up to how the installation goes for you (if you go through with it), including speaker performance and how well the wire hides behind paint. I love gadgets but most particularly, I am a bit of an audiophile so sound quality is a must!
Thanks,
Nabil
OK.... had to do some digging
OK.... had to do some digging but found the speaker wire I purchased. It is exactly as you described. The brand is called Taperwire (Taperwire 218WT-50 18 AWG 10 Amps Flat Copper Speaker Wire) . Below is a link... but I didn't purchase it from there. It has a flat white surface which can be painted and blend into the wall. Best results would require the usage of the stuff used to hide seams in drywall (mudding and light sanding)... you will have a difficult time to see
http://www.smarthome.com/84694/Taperwire-218WT-50-18-AWG-10-Amps-Flat-Co...
I prefer the floated look also... but I hate seeing wires or evidence of wires, which is why I went the low profile entertainment console route.
Good Luck!
That's reassuring...
I'm glad to see that somebody other than me considered/used this stuff, I think I will try it out too then for the rear surrounds! I like that it comes in the different gauge/amperage in case I end up running the line quite long. Did you buy online or do they have a local distributor? Thanks for the update my friend!
Nabil
No problem. I got it from a
No problem. I got it from a local store called Hedonics on Caledonia Rd (Caledonia & Lawrence)
http://www.hedonics.com
I don't know if they still sell it there... but check them out if you are interested
Cool!
I checked their website but I couldn't find the product, but then again it isn't the best website so I'll stop down to the store when I get a chance! I appreciate the info though. Thanks,
Nabil
I would appreciate a response to this as well...
Very interested to know if anyone else has done this as I too would like to do the same (but with a 55")...
I would also want to make my cabling invisible, anybody run any piping behind their walls to conceal their power out/HDMI/toslink? Anybody running a 5.1 system with hidden speaker wiring?
Thanks in advance for your input,
Nabil
Phase 4 - Corner Unit for Sale
My husband and I have been relocated so will be selling our Phase 4 lower unit. If you are interested please contact me at kim.magua@gmail.com.
Clean Ducts
For Phase 3, has anybody done duct cleaning? If yes, any recommendation who you used? I have lived in high rise most of the time so not sure if our condo townhouses require it just like any other house.
no carpet
i know it's pricey to install hardwood on the stairs (i've got an upper unit) but i'm going to bite the bullet. i dislike carpet alltogether, and asked that it not be installed anywhere (including the stairs). personally, i think carpet stairs look a little tacky. plus they will get dirty very quickly as the stairs will get loads of traffic. i'd sooner live with concrete stairs (or even titled!) than a carpeted staircase.
I agree. I first said ok to
I agree. I first said ok to them but at the last minute contacted Rob to have them removed. I just can't stand the thought of carpeted stairs in a beautifully hardwooded home. FYI, I also asked not to install the hardwood because matching the builder's hardwood to that of the bedrooms where its originally carpeted would be damn near impossible.
After some research, I'm not finding it as expensive as I first thought. FYI, Brampton Hardwood is having 1 of its 2 major annual sales. I was budgeting for $5000 worth of hardwood and came out with $2200. Very VERY pleased! Now I can use that extra money on the stairs!
Did that cost include the
Did that cost include the instalation as well? Are you also getting the stairs done by them as well, and if so what are the cost for the stairs?
No this is for the hardwood
No this is for the hardwood itself. Installation is around $1.25-$1.75 but doesn't include additional materials like the subfloor that has to go down between the concrete and the hardwood but can't get an accurate price until I have someone on site. Before I even do that though, I'm going to paint everything first so I don't muck up my new floors. I did this in my current house and so glad I did! Saved me from many accidents and what I got left was a brand new house with impeccible floors!
On Demand Water Heaters
Has anyone upgraded their water heater to an on demand system or know if this is even possible with our Declaration?
You will need to wait until
You will need to wait until final closing and then you should be OK to upgrade your system.
Thank you. Have you done
Thank you. Have you done this in your home? I found this not only to be cost effective but I was left with so much more room in the furnace area because the small wall unit replaced the large, clunky water heater.
Stairs
For those units that didn't get the carpet installed on the stairs, can you please advise how you finished it and what recommendations you have for those who aren't installing them in Phase 4 please? Thanks!
Clean Trains!
Since this affects us all, don't forget:
Clean Train Festival
March 28, 2012 - 11:14am — Scott D
Start: Apr 28 2012 13:00
End: Apr 28 2012 16:00
Federal MP Andrew Cash and provincial MPP Jonah Schein will be hosting an afternoon community festival on Railpath centering on the Wallace entrance. There will be community tables, short speeches about the diesel train issue, and entertainment.
Phase 4 owners who opted out of carpet
To all phase 4 homeowners who have already made their selections and opted out of having the carpet installed.
Did the builder indicate they would be willing to install hardwood instead of carpet (I'm assuming not, and they just agreed to not install the carpet)?
If they are not willing to install the hardwood, did they indicate if homeowners can purchase the same hardwood as their selection finishes to install themselves?
Has anyone sourced out another contractor to do the hardwood installation?
If there were enough of us that are opting out of the carpet and are installing hardwood, it might be worth our while to see if we could get a some sort of group rate for the hardwood installation.
We have our appointment this weekend to make are selections and would like to know what has been communicated to those who have opted out of the carpet.
Thoughts?
Some Phase 3 owners either
Some Phase 3 owners either installed hardwood/laminate and everybody I talked to didn't seem to find the whole process tedious. If anything, I was told it was a painless process. Most painless of course is getting it done before you move in. Our units are relatively small although for upper units, you would have to deal wtih 2 sets of stairs. Spoke with Phase 3 with upper and they didn't mention anything about being grossly inconvenienced nor paying too much. I guess it's just a matter of being organized and knowing how to find the right companies to do the work for a reasonable price.
Do you know what people did
Do you know what people did about their stairs?
Btw, when I asked Jenna how
Btw, when I asked Jenna how many people didn't have the carpet and hardwood installed? She said only about 5-6 from the first A and B phases. There may be more coming down the pipe but if there's only a handful then there might not be a lot to approach a contractor for to get a huge discount in costs.
To Install or not to Intall
So I had my design appointment last weekend and couldn't decide whether to install the hardwood and carpet or not. I hope my experience will help those in my position:
At my current home:
- I requested not to install the carpet or hardwood on any of the floors; however, paid the builder's cost to do the oak stairs ($3000) which I later found out could've been much more expensive had I done it myself or contracted it out. It turned out beautifully and still love looking at my hardwood floors today!
For Brownstones on the Park:
- I originally requested NOT to have the hardwoord or carpet installed
- There would be a very small credit which would be the cost of the materials at the builder's cost but there is no credit for the labour associated with NOT having it installed, only material costs
- Not having the hardwood installed means there is NO subfloor since you can't request the subfloor and not the hardwood to be installed. So you would come to a house with unfinished stairs and concrete ready for your after purchase installations
- Your costs now are not only the hardwood itself and the labour installation but also the subfloor material costs and its installation
- The most ideal subfloor to install is plywood rather than OSB (chip board) which is more expensive than OSB but I can't figure out how to install a subfloor on top of concrete. I'm thinking it has to either be 1) glued to the concrete or 2) a new wooden subfloor has to be built so when the hardwood is nailed in place, the nails will go through the plywood and not hit the concrete (plywood is only 1/8" and in regualr homes, you just nail onto the existing OSB subfloor which is then nailed onto wooden joists. There are no subfloors to nail plywood to, nor joists. Just concrete.)
- I had planned to make my whole house hardwood which means plywood/subfloor for the Living/Dining rooms, all the bedrooms, hallways and top floor Den. The costs are quickly adding up but then you need to look at doing the stairs and boy do we have A LOT of them in these units!!!
- the cost of the stairs is anywhere from $75-$150+ PER STEP!!! I started to count the stairs and became more and more discouraged as I began to realize the costs involved in getting nice stairs to match the new hardwood floors
- Also, there's the matching of the rails to the stairs and hardwood of which we have a few stairs cases that have respective rails.
- Then last but not least is putting up the baseboards of the whole house. Ideally, the builder will have these installed but they will give clearance for the hardwood and subfloor. However, this is never accurate which means they will need to be pulled off, the dap taken off the walls and base boards and quater rounds reinstalled which means more $$ for labour unless you're handy and doing this extra step yourself, provided the base boards don't need to be changed in any way because of the newly installed hardwood floors.
So all in all what I thought was going to be a fairly easy and moderately priced installation like my current home, looks like it would be far more expensive than I originally thought, especially with having the stairs done and my new BOTP home is actually smaller than my existing home. I think I could live with the hardwood that I already paid for and the labour costs to install them, including the burbur carpet that isn't too bad since they do add some warmth and make going up and down the expanse of stairs a lot easier.
Perhaps down the road, once I see how the value of the community is doing, I will look into investing the extra money to getting this done. I mean there is such a thing as over renovating our homes. Although ideal to get it done at first when we get the house, especially painting is best with no flooring down to avoid any accidents, spills, etc. on the newly installed flooring, but dropping $30-$50k on top of what I already paid may seem a little extreme for a new community.
But then again, I could be speaking out loud and making myself feel better about not going through with the expensive install. LOL Just want to wish those who are actually doing it the best of luck and perhaps you would be proud enough to show it off to people like me who'd be interested in the end product?? LOL Then I'd feel more inclined to getting it done! Either way, I just can't seem to justify it right now and it makes me very disappionted :(
Is there any particular
Is there any particular reason you were planning on not having any hardwood installed? Would your costs not be reduced if you have the builders install the hardwood on the main floor, and just not have the carpet installed? That way you would only have to install the hardwood on the 2nd and 3rd level (for top units).
I am a single woman and not
I am a single woman and not very handy so there is no way I could instal hardwood but I was thinking of paying the builder to instal hardwood through out the house including stairs and top floor, has anyone asked for this? I am willing to pay the builder to do it if they are willing to do an upgrade..
I've been told that the
I've been told that the building is shying away from upgrades and additional requests outside of not installing the soap dish, towel rack and toilet paper holder. You should contact him directly if you want this but I wouldn't be confident that this could happend. Might be better to not have it installed and get a contractor to install it, even if its just in the bedrooms and the Den.
I've also received my letter
I've also received my letter now for colour selection. I have a unit in the building parallel to Foundry Ave. I haven't been by in a few weeks, but it was hard to see if the south most buildings were being worked on yet or not. Even if they haven't they are going up really quickly. There are still four options available. You can view them at www.colourselections.com password botp1234
Awesome. Thank you for
Awesome. Thank you for posting this! We probably have a few months to go before we get a letter so very cool to see this.
Brownstones on the Park Condo Board
Just curious, why does each phase have their own Condo Board? Do we have the same Property Management company too? Does each Board have different contractors, different ways to run their phase? It just seems unusual that we piecemeal the different phases and their respective contractors/work. Wouldn't it make sense to finding the best/most affordable contractors to do a larger area than smaller ones?
Brownstones on the Park Condo Board
The reason each phase has its own condo board is because each phase has its own condo corp number. Each phase is registered under its own condo corp number. Although, all the phases and condo corps might have the same contractors, they have their own financials and status certificates. The builder cannot register all the phases under 1 condo corp. Also, it is safer for residents to have their phases divided. If ever there was an issue with a certain phase, the other phases will not be affected as they are different condo corps. Hope this helps.
Digital Condos
Aha! That makes sense!
Aha! That makes sense! Thank you :)
Condo Fees
Can the previous phases advise how much they're paying in condo fees and if you've been given some indication about whether or not the fees will go up or stay the same one Phase 4 is complete? Thanks
Condo Fees
Condos Fees vary from 249.11 to 353.47. Phase 4 will be out soon. I am about to bring an upper in the market by this weekend. Come by and check it out
As a phase 3 owner of a lower
As a phase 3 owner of a lower unit, I pay $248 a month maintenance and through friends who live in the upper units, I can safely say they pay $320
Check your documents as Phase
Check your documents as Phase 4 will be different from Phase 3. Your monthly maintenance fee will be set out with formula of $? x number of square feet of your unit. The bigger your unit, the higher your fees.