And while appliances are changing in efficiency and appearance at all price points the trend toward higher-end condominium ownership has revamped the way consumers are looking at their kitchens, say the experts.

“The first thing we’ve seen is condos, themselves, have gone up in price, and it’s not just young professionals buying them. Older people, often retirees with more to spend are now moving into the inner city to condos priced in the $300,000 to $1 million mark — for the convenience,” says Jordan Fraser, Calgary Home Appliance Gallery sales consultant. “They want nice things and things that are going to fit.”

And with the growing number of higher-end addresses comes a tendency to float big bucks into appliances, with condo residents often spending five figures to outfit kitchens alone in things that suit their lifestyle and wish lists, says Fraser.

“People are not equating space with luxury anymore. It’s becoming more about convenience and comfort — that’s why you are seeing quieter dishwashers, even in the lower-end condos, so people can run them and also watch TV or go to bed and not be bothered by the noise.”

Smaller appliances, such as scaled-down Sub-Zero refrigerators often built in to cabinetry to minimize their appearance, are being combined with over-the-range microwaves paired with hood fans, to free up counter space.

And today’s condo developers are often also enlisting the expertise of kitchen designers to make the most of smaller square footages, resulting in a winning combo for both buyers and sellers.

But that doesn’t mean condo shoppers all face huge bills for their digs’ appliances. The good news is the healthy competition has raised the bar on what’s being offered even at the most basic level in condos, says Fraser, citing a growing trend in stainless steel, which he deems “now practically as a standard” in the current marketplace.

And just as kitchen fare is heating up, not providing laundry appliances will no longer wash with would-be condo buyers — with more and more units tumbling stacked washers and dryers into the mix.

“They come as small as 24 inches wide which is great in a small space like a condo,” says Conny Want, senior sales consultant at Trail Appliances South, adding front-loading formats are becoming an industry trend for laundry rooms, and not just for their water conservation capabilities.

“These are all front-loading now, mainly because you are in a space that’s smaller with living spaces and often bedrooms nearby, and you want something that will run quieter,” explains Want.

An added benefit of the stacked duos is freeing up room in laundry rooms — which often double up duties as storage spaces — occasionally even leaving area over for ironing or folding clothes.

Want says condo residents’ thirst for scaled-down luxury doesn’t stop at the fridge and stove or even built-in appliances. Reverse-osmosis water-filtration systems are becoming a popular addition for condominium owners who know too well the pain of hoisting blue, multi-litre water bottles over their shoulders when their coolers run dry.

“We all know water is so important, so another thing we are seeing are systems people can add to their sinks, with unobtrusive taps in either chrome or black — it saves you from lugging those big jugs that really don’t look great anyway,” says Want.

And since many condos also include balconies or patios, dollars condo shoppers are dishing out for appliances also don't end at the back door, says Want, who notes an increase in barbecues among condo owners, thanks to often-included gas lines. “It’s now an automatic with most condos, so it make sense that we’re seeing a trend toward barbecues in all sizes of condos.”   CL

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