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Sunday, June 26, 2011

A Little Secret...

Last summer, Kevin and I bought a condo :-) 

Phew, I've wanted to write that for a while now.

The construction started this spring and the anticipated occupancy date is slated for some time next summer. They gave us an exact date, but we all know these things are never finished on time… Toronto is so expensive, so we never thought we'd be able to get something in the city. Turns out, if you buy early enough, prices aren't too bad! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure we could buy a huge house outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with the price we're paying to live in Toronto, but then we'd have to get cars and communicating time would increase and I'm total wuss about driving on the highway in the snow/rain/dark, etc. 

At our last condo meeting, we were told that we should start researching what kind of finishes we'd in interested in for our units. EEEEEEEK!!! I feel like I’ve been preparing my whole life for this lol!! It makes me sound like a super dork, but I'm excited to pick out finishes!! Every time I see big box store flyers I can't wait to open them and look flooring, counter, sinks, lighting, appliances, etc. When I was in Home Depot with my dad on Father’s Day, I lollygagged through the cabinets, sinks, and appliances. It’s insane how wide the spectrum is for finishes…

I don't love this sink, but it looks pretty cool. Although I don't do any dishes, I think double sinks are a lot more practical. But this sink can hold a full sized cookie sheet, which is pretty awesome. 

I know someone probably loves this sink, but that someone just ain't me. It looks like a trough. I just don't understand what it would be used for. Hand-washing, and that's about it... Even then I'm sure I'd get water all over the counter.  

On my way home from work on Thursday, I ran into a fellow condo buyer. He said this isn't his first condo and he's excited, but dreading picking out finishes because it's hard to visualize how everything's going to look... and it's expensive. He said it sure does help you prioritize what's important when you get dinged at least $500 per upgrade. He asked me what my must-haves were. I listed off some things, such as under mounted sinks, wood cabinets, granite counter tops, and at least engineered hardwood floors...I've mentally and financially prepared myself for several thousand dollars in upgrades, but whether or not I'll be able to part with that money is another story. I also want to make sure I'm not investing in upgrades that are trendy. I'm such a sucker for advertisements and marketing. If enough people told me that trough sink was the $h!t, I'd probably...who am I kidding?.. I would want it. I'm a sucker for good marketing!

4 comments:

  1. OMG do NOT get that stupid trough sink :-) I see that at HD all the time and always think 'who the heck would buy that?!'

    I'm not sure how that whole picking stuff works, but I bet it is overwhelming. Maybe get some pictures of kitchens and colour schemes you like so that you go in with a bit of a plan?

    (nice meeting you in person, btw :-)

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  2. Ooo... I love the contrast between dark cabinets and light counters. So sleek and sexy! Pull down faucets are a life saver when it comes to heavy duty cleaning, assuming the water pressure is good. Back when I worked as a butcher, our industrial pull-down faucet made cleanup a breeze. The only thing you had to watch out for was splash-back when rinsing out chickens. :-/

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  3. It was so nice meeting you on Saturday, Emily-Jane! You are adorable. Picking condo finishes is exciting. Your upgrade list sounds great, but I'm with Janice (Life Begins At Thirty), don't get that sink - I've heard the water pools in the corners and you can never get a 'dry' sink. Oh and don't upgrade your faucets either... Delta will give them to you if you ask. Seriously. You're a blogger now ;)

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