It was actually the prospect of retirement that spurred her into action.

“I had just helped my mom move into a seniors’ complex,” explains Connie. “After I had to move her, it got me looking towards retirement. I didn’t want to have to pack up and move everything like I had to do with her things.”

That meant it was time for some major purging and downsizing before she moved from her two-storey townhouse into the smaller condo. “It was hard; I had attachments to things. After all, I’d lived in that home for 18 years. I also had a huge crawlspace, and when I cleaned it out, I found things I’d forgotten I had. I found two huge boxes of coffee mugs; who needs that? You don’t realize how much stuff you can fit in a closet!” And so, Connie got rid of years of clutter, donating much of the nearly new items to charities such as the Women in Need store and the SPCA.

In her new 800 square foot condo, which she took possession of in October 2004, Connie has less room for clutter, and she’s thankful for that. “I have one storeroom here that holds my washer and dryer, and my kitty’s litter box. It’s a good thing to have less space because I have to keep things in check. It forces me to deal with it.”

She also had a clear idea of what she wanted in her first owned home, and made sure that her condo met all her requirements. “I did always want to buy, and I could finally afford a place I wanted.”  She wanted something brand new because after checking out pre-owned homes, she realized it would take a lot to turn any of them into what she wanted. “I didn’t want to paint or change carpets. I just wanted to move in and relax. With my lifestyle, I just wouldn’t have had the time [for renovations].”

Connie’s comfy and relaxing condo is a corner unit in a building that houses 89 units. The location was a deciding factor in her purchase. “I picked [the corner] for the extra windows. I like that it’s really bright when I come home from work. I like the light, especially in winter. It’s nice to have the sun coming in so it feels less cold. Some of the middle units had very few windows, and if that’s all there was, I probably wouldn’t have bought here.”

The home also features an ample and covered deck space, complete with snug furniture, which this credit analyst uses to take full advantage of Calgary’s short-lived, but wonderful summer weather. “I wanted an outdoor sitting room to stretch my living area.”

She also sought more than one bedroom. “I wanted a bit of extra room for an office or if I needed a second bedroom.” Connie splurged with her upgrades, adding in the ever-essential soaker tub that every hardworking woman deserves, a full appliance package, and a different colour palate than the standard selections, giving her the countertops and carpets that she wanted to go with her white kitchen cabinets. For Connie, it was a major instance of out with the old and in with the new. Everything she chose for her condo was unlike anything she’d had before. “It was a nice change,” she affirms. “It was a new phase for me, so it called for a new style.” She even bought a brand-new bedroom suite and living room furniture to go in her freshly built home.

Her search for the home that would be just right was a fairly long one. “I looked at everything—houses, townhomes, apartments,” she recalls. “I had to start eliminating based on cost, how much I wanted to spend, and things like yard work. Living in a townhouse, I was getting tired of the yard work.” In the end, she opted for the apartment condo because she wanted to downsize and have the maintenance taken care of. “One of the main reasons I chose this condo was because of the low maintenance required. I didn’t want to shovel snow or cut grass. And because everything is brand new, it’s all covered, which also means less maintenance. Price was also a factor; I think I got a pretty good deal in terms of value for what I have and for resale. I moved with the intention of never moving again, but you never know. I wanted to have that resale option.”

Having her entire living space on one level was also important to Connie. “I was so tired of running up and down stairs in my old place. I love that everything is on the same level.” Plus, she’s pleased that she shares the building with pleasant neighbours. “I have really good neighbours. I really lucked out. Most are way younger than me, but all are very nice!

“It’s welcoming and cozy here. It’s also cat friendly [for her cat Pandora], or should I say cat-controlled since everywhere you look, there’s cat stuff!”

Connie’s condo is in the first of three buildings. Eventually, she will be overlooking “a greenspace and a cellphone tower!” she laughs. For the moment though, there is heavy construction underway as the second building is just being completed, and the third is in the works. She points out that it is an important consideration for buyers or at least for them to be aware of. “I have to deal with the construction right now. It can be kind of noisy and annoying, but you need to be prepared for that when you buy in the first building [of a complex]. It is going to go away, but not right away.”

Now that she’s just celebrated her one-year anniversary in her condo, Connie is still pleased with her home purchase. “Every building has its ups and downs, but this is a good building. I think I made a good decision, and I’m very happy with it. I’ll be even happier when the construction is all done, but then I won’t know when it’s seven a.m. on a Saturday!”