Good video, though it would have been nice to touch on the dynamic where supply shortages mean the units are already going to be naturally very expensive (regardless of amenities), so why not just aim fully at the top of the market while you're at it!

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

I’m focusing on the extras presents in medium density urbanisty stuff given that’s what folks want to see built. That stuff rarely has pools and gyms. The dynamic is the same though there is a twist, once a building gets large enough your share of the pool/gym shrinks enough that it also makes sense as a value add for all the units.

The Zac Jardak song is back! That's... quite the thumbnail

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

I’m hoping people sing it to him when he enters a room

@OhTheUrbanity

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaigeMTL such a jam

Hey, so great examples in the condo space, but given the majority of housing in cities is lower density (townhouses, singles, duplexes), I feel like you are missing a ton of the code requirements. Ask your people how much they would remove from the value of a home for the following deficiencies: 1) stairs with 30" treads (vs 36) 2) winders that turn 90ndegree corners (vs the rounded offset now required) 3) living rooms with 4 sockets (instead of 8) and bedrooms with 3 sockets (instead of 4) 4) heating registers that aren't under the window but located somewhere else 5) a perimeter drain that vents to daylight near a storm drain, rather than connecting directly to the sewer 6) Trees that are on average 10 years older. 7) A yard that is only double the size of house and garage, rather than 3 times the size. Because for a new build where I live, these requirements can easily double the cost per square foot of housing, especially for smaller homes. That's where the stupid government over regulation is killing us, not condos (where these expenses are often communal and benefit from economies of scale or are diluted across many units).

I keep seeing (new) condos where the balcony is literally 20% of the floorspace of the unit. In a climate where you can only use the balcony a few months of the year! If anything was being built without that particular luxury I'd be all over it, personally.

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

There is a new co-op in Griffintown that AEdifica architects designed called L'Esperluette and the common balcony is actually the most interesting part of the building IMO. I filmed a tour of it that i'll put up on Canadian Civil when I get a chance.

@paxundpeace9970

2 жыл бұрын

Still even some of those older triplex buildings have 2 balconies in some units.

@markb6978

2 жыл бұрын

Like 90% of the people I know that have balconies will literally only use them once or twice a year. Such an insane money sink.

@jellybeansi

2 жыл бұрын

I have a studio where the balcony takes up ~70 sqft. I never use it, because the traffic noise outside is ridiculous (truck route, plus all the ordinary vehicles driving by is noisy enough), and the neighbors upstairs are constantly throwing trash from their balcony onto mine. I've had to pick up clamshells, hygiene products (yep), apple cores, and full bathroom towels. I wish that space was included in the indoor square footage instead, because it's a big waste and a headache, sometimes literally.

One example where the modern code often DOES go beyond actual demand is 1-2 garage parking spaces per unit.

@AlexCab_49

2 жыл бұрын

Yes. I think having 1 parking lot per unit makes more sense if the apartment is more than 10 miles away from downtown makes sense but if its less than 10 miles then no parking is needed

@gl4989

2 жыл бұрын

Pas a Montréal. La pluspart des projets ont environ 0.5-0.7 stationnement par unité

@benw3864

2 жыл бұрын

@@AlexCab_49 There shouldn't be any requirement. If you want parking you can just not buy the unit. Some people don't have cars and don't want to pay for built in parking in their rent.

@Xachremos

2 жыл бұрын

@@gl4989 My building has around 30 units. Theres a grand total of 3 garage spaces, and no one ever gives them up. So I got sick of waiting and just bought a motorcycle instead so at least for half the year I don't have to suffer with trying to find a place to park when I come home at midnight.

Love the quality of your videos! Honestly, it's channels like yours that really makes me want to pursue a masters in Urban Planning.

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

Consider getting into development, there are even non-profit developers. I get the sense that Urban Planning is one of those qualifications that draws people in because it is fun, but there aren't that many jobs, and what we really need is more developers with urban planning values.

@donkeydik2602

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaigeMTL what degree is that? Engineering? That’s too much work

@jaimeei6079

2 жыл бұрын

Urban planning is just endlessly pushing paper back and forth and arguing about zoning bylaws, I was looking at getting my masters in it too but my research in it showed that it's actually a verrrry tedious position.

@alexbosworth1582

Жыл бұрын

@@donkeydik2602 Masters in Real Estate Development. I have a bachelors in Urban Planning and considering getting my masters in that

People in Montréal would rather have a balcony than a garage

Let's say balconies are a must have when buy a place. At least when you can't get a garden or something like this. Still i don't see why every unit must have one.

5:40 LOL @ Nightwash :D more like Morningwash while I clean the coffee I just blew all over my desk.

I can't live in an apartment without a balcony and actually think they should be bigger on new buildings. They tend to be too small. The shared one in the back that doubles as a fire escape is a good idea though. After moving to a single-family home I really miss the low maintenance and efficiency of condo life. Nowadays I feel all my free time is used up with DIY projects around the house. I lived in a simple 4-story building with no "luxury" amenities. It did have a balcony, elevator, in-suite laundry, and underground parking for about 1/3 of the units.

@EpicSlug

2 жыл бұрын

I also moved from condo to single family and while I'm happy with the choice. When living in a condo, so much of your day-to-day upkeep is covered in the building management fee. While condo owners do curse these fees and they often are excessive it's actually a luxury that things like window cleaning, gutter clearing, landscaping, exterior painting, drainage, utility upgrades, roof tile replacement... I could go on... are all "sorted" for you. Where as in a single family home you either have to do it yourself or have the admin of hiring someone else to do.

@rh7163

Жыл бұрын

I don't believe anyone "can't live in an apartment without a balcony" as they would if there weren't any options or if the options were so bad they would develop a different line of thinking.

@stickynorth

6 ай бұрын

My last place had one and I actually used it only a handful of times. The conditions on it are terrible (either too hot, noisy or smelly from neighbours smoking or car exhaust). I'd rather have sealed windows and proper HVAC to be honest... Juliette balconies are a great affordable alternative in some respects giving you the fresh air you want without having to actually build a patio.. Again also a great way to save construction and energy costs since most balconies tend to radiate heat out of your unit driving up your heating costs in winter...

I did not see the balcony thing coming either. I often bike alongside the Lachine canal going downtown and the parks are always crowded, but I almost never see anybody on the balconies in the new condos.

@_5_675

2 жыл бұрын

A lot of balconies are a bit too narrow to be optimal...an extra foot or so of depth is transformational in terms of being able to place and comfortably use balcony furniture.

@Antoine893

2 жыл бұрын

@@_5_675 indeed a balcony that is too small must be useless... especially if you have better options. What I'm baffled with are the buildings with balconies that are literally a fence 5 cm in front of a glass door. You probably can't even step on and close the door behind you. I never understood what's the point

@FranziskaNagel445

Жыл бұрын

@@Antoine893 For me these mini balconies are big windows with a safety fence. I would guess It is not meant to bu used as a balcony. I guess the goal is to let more natural light in and provide a bigger opening for ventilation. The fence is just there because something must keep people from falling out of the window.

Nice reference on the self sealing stem bolts 🖖

@unconnected

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed, they are a fantastic means of tripling your production of reverse-ratcheting routing planers if you are in to that sort of thing

During my daily walks I never see anyone on balconies. Except of course the people below my apartment use their balcony, and with my window open I can hear everything they say. It's like they are in the room with me. It's super annoying.

Listening to your accent is wild! I'm also a Kiwi and picked you out within a few words, but some random words also sound extremely American

Love your content!!! Moving to Montreal from Ottawa next week! Maybe I'll see you around town sometime :)

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

Felicitations et bienvenue

@CalCalCal6996

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaigeMTL Merci beaucoup

Great Mac and me reference

That's interesting considering I would take laundry over an elevator (if the building is a smaller walk up and not some giant tower of course) ANY day.

I talked to a developer once about what could be cut from a development to save the most amount per unit? The answer is simple and unequivocal.. PARKING. Burnaby as of 2023 said it costs approximately $100K per parking space to build. If you scrap it entirely (as is now allowed anywhere in Edmonton) the cost of housing would plunge by 30-40% per unit... If you are within 400m of a rapid transit station you really don't need parking period. Mass Transit becomes your daily whip....

I think the balconies are SUPER important. Specifically in our struggle to convince Americans to live in dense transit-oriented neighborhoods, and stop buying mansions in suburban culdesacs. Balconies, outdoor terraces, and Rooftops with clubhouses to host parties are our first line of offense on the suburbia.

@stickynorth

6 ай бұрын

I'd settle for a rooftop party deck/common room. This set up is increasingly in vogue here in rental towers in Edmonton where the top floor is a huge private club space for residents that essentially open all the time for anyone to use like a backyard... The Hendrix Tower just west of the Ledge for example... Most balconies and condos aren't really great for having more than a handful of people over... Talking 8 people max...

Damn the balcony thing is real, although I really dont get it myself, I would much rather have that space as part of the apartment or let the apartment be cheaper. Here in Vienna we have cluster of skyscrapers a bit away from the central part of the city (where the UN is located) and they built an office skyscraper there which had an all glass facade. It was part of a development with two buildings that looked similar (both all glass facade), but they didnt build the second building because there is too much office space in Vienna and it wasnt economical. So they planned to build it as an apartment tower instead, but they redesigned the tower because they claimed they couldnt get their apartments sold if they dont have balconies and those were not possible with the old design. Initially I thought thats a stupid reason, but now with your video I have some doubts. Still makes no sense to me, what are you going to do with a balcony 150 meters up in the air when the wind blows strongly all the time, well I guess people are still paying for them so it makes sense

@Maxime_K-G

8 ай бұрын

It's very convenient to have some kind of connection to the outside in order to not feel trapped in, especially when you're high off the ground, like +4 stories. Whether it's for cleaning purposes, to store something smelly, or just as a way to take a short breeze.

Cool video dude I hope you get more views

Great video!

Balconies and washing machines are very important for me in looking for an apartment.

@WhiskyCanuck

2 жыл бұрын

In-suite laundry is also sanity-defense. Anyone who's had to use laundromats/shared laundry for a significant amount of time have horror stories about the crap other people do.

@AlexCab_49

2 жыл бұрын

@@WhiskyCanuck en suite laundry? I'm guessing that's laundry for the unit. Where I live we have shared laundry and it's not bad. I just avoid the weekends since that's when it's very busy.

@timgerk3262

2 жыл бұрын

Suggest a follow-up on subsidized/social housing. What policies and incentives keep cost of building these so high? It seems there is still pressure to include the nice-to-haves, and public money doesn't go as far as it could.

Great video. I've never thought of this.

You're getting a like for the DS9 reference.

Great video. Good to see you on CBC too.

This really makes me think that maybe private development isn’t the only way we should be building new units for buyers. Perhaps the government should be stepping in and building at least some with fewer amenities, in addition to the cooperative housing they should also be building but aren’t. A girl can dream.

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

They do. I was at a new co-op with a common balcony last week. I think it’s important to remember that shaving 50k off a 400k unit’s construction cost won’t do as much for affordability as removing the barriers to construction. If the government does anything to help medium density get built, simply allowing it through a right to build law would be the big game changer.

Thank you. I'm thinking of making a video about the housing crisis using ex-commieblocks as a comparison. They were built with ZERO amenities, zero architectural decorative features, painted concrete walls and ceiligns, and many don't even have a lobby. Most of these former commieblocks are actually now condominiums. The result? Condos that cost 150-200 thousand złotych (about $40K-$60K in Canadian money). Poland also restricts foreign property ownership with a law that has been in place since 1920.

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

Population decline/stagnation is the biggest factor, I bet prices are starting to go up now right?

@rh7163

Жыл бұрын

Many countries restrict foreign ownership of land and allow ownership of condos including Thailand, Philipines and others. For anyone who can't buy one in Poland, where the winters are brutal, there are many options for those with enough cash and nowhere to spend it.

@stickynorth

6 ай бұрын

Ironically they are most popular housing stock in Berlin after all this time. They are affordable, durable and simple. They are built for housing the masses not surrounding people with "aspirational luxury" fakeness...

8:23 was that a subtle star trek reference I detected ?

RE Fire safety - lol. Look at the actual costs of fire safety on building construction. Often the regulations are 30 years behind the technology, the sprinklers do nothing, and even make things worse. My Condo had 10+ floors of furniture destroyed due to faulty sprinklers. Regulation in almost all cases are useless if not harmful.

Regressive development fees have a lot to do with it too I'd say

Your accent can be hard to pin down sometimes but the kiwi came out strong on "garage to park your car".

The Greenfell tower neither had spinglers nor an elevator for the fire brigade and only one set of stairs.

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

Yes. And those horrifying events are a lot of why people want sprinklers.

@Antoine893

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah honestly I feel like sprinklers and elevators are totally justified. The elevator might be a bit much for a 4 stories building but then again it's often a hassle to climb up to the last floor of a triplex, so I can understand the need. I also feel that an elevator would be a huge advantage for my bike.

Interesting take Paige but I suspect reducing these 'luxuries' wouldn't actually produce more residential units. This in turn keeps the prices sky high with no 'luxuries' to show far. In Edmonton there are a ton of older condos lacking elevators etc.. and they aren't selling (or are selling at a loss) due to all the newer condos having these amenities. I feel cutting these 'luxuries' (they ain't luxuries!) would just make it very difficult to resale when you want to move/upgrade. IMO you've tackled the real issue in another video; insufficient high density projects being blocked are causing the bulk of the skyrocketing prices.

Depends on who you ask. Try asking somebody who lives under a bridge or a tarp. Hot water is a luxury to somebody who has a condo with no hot water.

Balconies should be mandated. You can dry your clothes using the sun instead of carbon fuelled dryers. You can smoke. You can put smelly drying paint craft projects out there to dry. You can put a rug out there after dog has had an accident on it. You can grow a plant to provide food for birds and bees. Balconies are essential.

@senorsoupe

2 жыл бұрын

Also, you are legally allowed to sit there and have that glass of wine mentioned in the video. Can't do that in a Canadian park. I totally agree that balconies are super important, we have one and in the summer we can sit out there, we can also use it as a small garden to grow some herbs and vegetables. I would pay extra for a balcony for sure

... And we decide what we want based on what we can afford, which is largely dictated by various questionable government programs like CMHC insurance drastically increasing what we can get for a given monthly payment.

glad that just like the government and developers i can also be groups into one stereotypical category that i need all these features. Except for laundry i couldn't give a shit for any other feature

How does subsidize housing fit in the real estate? I’m kinda curious on what you think about it?

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

If you're talking about rent subsidies, it's hard not to say "well there's pros and cons". You have the pros of allowing more choice for the renter, of letting various private and public options solve the problem. As a result some low income people get to live in really nice housing co-ops, nicer than any government run housing you would see in Canada, made possible by that flexibility. However the downside is the government is funding renting housing units, basically playing a role in bidding up rents in a supply constrained market. In times like these I wish they would stop writing cheques and start building themselves. Housing projects aren't perfect, but it's better than sleeping a car.

@Kishanth.J

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaigeMTL I was more along the lines talking about the government building it them selves. I live in a subsidized housing unit owned by Ottawa Community housing. I think this is a better option than rent control but not many people talk about it or compare the two options. Most seem to think that rent control is the only “good way” of providing subsidized housing and government built housing spawns crime. I don’t know much about how it is done in other cities but in Ottawa most low income housing are apartments or multi unit town houses located in a concentrated area.

@Kishanth.J

2 жыл бұрын

I would like to know what you think about that

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

Oh, yeah research shows rent control isn’t very effective, it’s politically popular though. I’m a fan of the government building, I don’t like what they build usually but in times like these I’d like to see all the taps turned on, we can clean up the mess when people are indoors you know?

@Kishanth.J

2 жыл бұрын

I agree it is the better option, but if not built properly they can be pretty bad. I live in the Friel Towers. It was an experimental design meant to cram more apartments in a smaller area. It is horribly space inefficient and run down. One of the biggest problem instead of a single corridor for utility going up vertical, it goes horizontally at the bottom and a main spur goes up to each floor. That means one spur serves 4 to 8 units vertically. Maintenance and repair is a nightmare. But I can’t complain since because of the rent, my family was able to afford to save extra cash overtime for my brother and I to go to university. I actually live in a Subsidized village, part of a federal and provincial subsidized housing project, where many different housing units were built with different levels of density to see which was the best. I think it was the first in Ontario but I am not to sure if that true. It in the community of Lowertown East.

I see what living in Montréal has done to you lol People aren’t as friendly in rest of Canada as they are in Montréal(maybe it’s just a by product of city design) Also go to the park and hangout? Well that’s not a thing in rest of Canada because of drinking laws and shit parks in general. I have lived in Toronto, Waterloo, Vancouver and now in Montréal.

But... Where do you put your clothes to air dry in the summer if you do not have a balcony?

When a developer… 😂

Great video. You, urbanity, and njb should do a collab

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

I mean I biked to Ottawa with Urbanity in the summer, they stole my microphone, we're fighting now.

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

Just kidding, we're not fighting, but they did steal my lav.

8:25 - Damn that reminds me, I desperately need some self-sealing stem bolts, I've got a guy that is willing to trade me seven tessipates of land for hundred of them but damned if I can find any these days. If anyone knows anyone from The Noh-Jay Consortium please tell them to contact me

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

Oh yeah, those are the guy who were trying to offload a bunch of yamok sauce. Don't worry, the great material continuum will provide.

Still we people have become lazy. In some communities it is regarded standard to face stairs even the elderly. (Yes this true for north America and london too many stations are not accessible.

Paige: "Just go to a park!" Me: *Cries in covid quarantine*

I mean tbh you get all of this stuff for free in Vienna. I'm not gonna rush to blame modern people for wanting modern things especially when it's so easy that a government can find a way to get it to the average person for free. Would it be tough? Sure. Does our current system not give us a way? Sure. But it can't be that hard if it's already happening.

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

What?

Condos often sit empty. We need more rentals.

@PaigeMTL

2 жыл бұрын

No they don’t. Condos have fees, they also generally lose value relative to new equivalents, they are an absolutely garbage investment for land banking when land exists.

@elizabethfard2182

2 жыл бұрын

Do you think investing in a condo in Montreal is a good idea while saving to eventually get a townhouse or something larger?

@paxundpeace9970

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaigeMTL how high is the occupancy rate for condos? How many are really used!