At 635 square feet, Monica’s condo may be small, but it is all hers. She is the master of her own domain, an accomplishment that is next to impossible when living at home with parents or sharing accommodation in an apartment.

At around the time her complex was being built, in 2000, Monica started looking into the kind of homes she could eventually afford, and she began saving up for the time when something came within reach. Once the four-storey complex was completed, it was still too early for Monica. Another few years would have to pass before she was ready to move in and the condo’s initial owner, a teacher, was ready to move out. When that finally transpired, it was magic.

“The minute I walked in, I loved it,” Monica says. “The price was right and it just felt right. You know how sometimes when you walk into a place and you get that sense? This place had a nice vibe.”

It was more than just a condo; for Monica, it was the future. Without seeing any other place, she knew this corner of the world was perfect for her. More importantly, even though there had been one prior owner, the place felt new, like it had always been hers.

“It was an easy sale,” says Monica, recalling the first time her real estate agent, Sherrie Bohan, showed her the condo. “I hemmed and hawed for one day, then came back for a second look.”

Everything fell into place. There is easy access to Deerfoot Trail, and Country Hills isn’t too far from the office downtown where she works in administration at a waste management firm. One bus gets her there and back every day, plus there is a parking spot out front for her ‘99 Tercel. When she’s in the mood for a stroll, there is a lovely manmade lake nearby, or she can walk to the nearby mall to shop or dine or hit the gym.

Being located on the ground floor was a main concern, but Monica overcame that obstacle by having an alarm system installed. Being on the main level is not ideal for privacy, but it is very convenient, especially when it comes to groceries, which she can drop off just outside her sliding glass doors without having to walk around through front entrance of the building. A big plus was the condo’s large utility room with her own washer and dryer.

There have been some minor sacrifices, such as sleeping on the couch when visitors stop in from out of town. There is, after all, only one bedroom. But the condo doesn’t feel small; off-white carpeting gives the impression of roominess, and the kitchen, dining and living room areas converge into one large space, so that when Monica invites several people over there’s no sense that they’re cramped into a corner.

Glass and wrought iron dining and coffee tables and a glass-topped desk are Monica’s clever way of keeping the space open; a couch the colour of brown sugar and of unique design, with a backrest that curves from low to high, provides a look of comfort and style without dominating the room.

Monica is not willing to share her hard-earned space with a lot of stuff and clutter. Only two family photographs, a computer and several books share the desk, which she uses mostly to study SAIT marketing courses on-line. Next to the desk there is a small stereo, and a CD stand featuring music by Oscar Lopez.

In place of wrought iron, Monica selected wicker furniture for the bedroom, a beautiful IKEA sleigh bed with accompanying wicker chair. On the wall over the bed hangs a curtain rod with sheer curtains that have been pulled back, and the effect serves to enlarge the room. Rather than have a chest of drawers or dressing table, a small glass shelf and a mirror mounted on the wall keep the floor space open. The bedroom has a large closet with plenty of shelf space, important for a self-confessed clothes horse like Monica.

An abstract print hangs on the far wall in the bedroom, a vivid splash of red that grabs the eye as you enter the room. It is the only presence of primary colour in a place shaded in blues and tans, and it provides some insight to a creative woman who loves salsa dancing, loves to cook butter chicken and Thai food, and, most of all, loves her independence.

Her next step? “I like the convenience of not having to shovel, with a hectic lifestyle, and all,” Monica says, “but I miss having a house and a backyard. I’ll stay for another year or two and get something bigger, at least two rooms, so when I have guests I won’t have to sleep on the couch.”

For the past two and a half years Monica has enjoyed the kind of freedom that only having your own space can provide. In that brief period of time, the value of her compact home has at least doubled. That’s a whole lot of independence for a five per cent down-payment.  CL