Colin and Justin: Tall tales

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In today’s competitive market, it can be a challenge for older condos to square up against new construction

The Sky Tower, Toronto. The Shangri La, Vancouver. The Skyla, Montreal. Condo developers, cross Canada, are punching ever higher with an arsenal of statuesque supermodels that strut a skyline catwalk, now as crowded as city highways are thick.

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For those of us in older, smaller towers (at 39 floors up, in downtown Toronto, we’re hardly vertiginous by today’s standards) the foregoing ingenues can undermine perceived desirability.

With a little planning, however, older versus newer competition can be redressed. Even ugly ducklings, under our guidance, can morph, without eye-watering investment, to become beautiful swans.

Picture the scene: when we bought our condo in 2007, its seller seemed much more interested in a quick sale, rather than value amplification via ‘lifestyle’ quotient.

Finishes were basic, with gold shag carpet, a beige kitchen and unprepossessing bathrooms. Walls were builders beige, and the prevailing mood was gloomy.

On the plus side, the rooms are bigger, the ceilings higher, and the skyline and lake views breathtaking, albeit hidden, back then, behind billowing drapery.

Today, our formerly tired unit has reawakened. We’ve installed new bathrooms and a new kitchen with hidden appliances, ceiling-high cabinetry and grey Carrara counters. Ebony flooring runs throughout, and an army of pot lights floods the space with controllable illumination.

Spray finishing window frames inky black (with consents from our condo board) and acres of white walls have transformed the high rise ‘bungalow’ into a somewhat Bauhausian space. A space that may one day provide financial return (but in the meantime generous daily return) should we ever decide to sell.

Botox for buildings

Paint. Accent walls are one thing, but buyers typically prefer neutrally attired spaces. Crisp white is our default (pared-back schematics help bounce light) but bone and whisper grey are similarly sound bets. When did you last see a model suite tricked out in library green or dining room red? If you can’t do without a colour jolt, specify a bold artwork or dramatize with textiles. But remember, less is more: let your space speak for itself.

Flooring. Many older condos grace the market with thick, trip-hazard berber. Worse still, beige bathroom carpet that would challenge the most determined gag reflex. Cheaper than hardwood, it was quick to fit, but take a tip – tear it asunder and install engineered or hardwood flooring to max out dollar yield. In the condo market, compromised as it is, buyers will offer less if faced with installing new flooring.

Optimize circulation. To stimulate interest, clear passage to windows so views can be appreciated. Swap busy curtaining for crisp blinds, and define each room with its own function, rather than allowing hybrid bedroom/office/TV rooms to confuse.

Lighting. Model suites set mood with auspiciously positioned table lamps and overhead fittings to create atmospheric pools of light and shade. Ditch those cruddy track spots and opt for slicker recessed pots, fire regs permitting.

Socket to them. And, while you’re at it, replace dowdy sockets and light switches with controllable updates that allow mood tailoring at the flick of a switch. Older plastic switches suggest that other ‘older’ things are going on out of sight, even if they aren’t.

Kitchens. You needn’t break the bank when rejigging. For a streamlined look, fancy up affordable cabinetry with integrated appliances, choose stone or quartz surfaces and swap out your bulky dishwasher for a modern drawer beauty by Fisher & Paykel. Keep clutter at bay and ‘counter scape’ with sexy coffee machines and toasters. Remember: you’re selling a lifestyle.

Home spa. Updating an old vanity will reap rewards, as will new tile, replacement faucets and a smart towel stand. Complete with a slick mirror, and a few strategically placed luxury perfumes or aftershaves, and you’ll be well on the way to creating an attractive environment for buyers.

Think of your dated condo as a classic car – whilst some older vehicles end up on the scrapheap, others drive into the future as cherished, vehicular history. So, if you’re moved to improve, polish those headlamps, oil that engine and hack your high-rise to become the concourse winning pad of which buyers have always dreamed. And watch those dollars stack up…

Watch for Colin and Justin on Citytv’s Breakfast Television and Colin and Justin’s Sub- Zero Reno on
Paramount Plus TV. Find the Colin and Justin Home Collection in stores across Canada. Visit www.colinandjustin.tv