1. Condo fees cover everything.

In many high-rise type condominiums, where heat, water and electricity are shared, this is often true, but because there are so many different faces of condominiums—townhomes, villas, apartment-style and detached homes—it varies nearly as much as the appearance of condos does. Our townhome condominium was among Calgary’s first ever built, so we have our own water meter, furnace and hot water heater, so we do get bills for those things over and above our condo fees.

At the very least fees need to cover a reserve—like a rainy-day fund in case major spending needs to happen for repairs, etc.—plus maintenance of common areas or rooms, betterment of the property and often also paying a management company.

Landscaping, snow and waste removal and any “perks” like swimming pools or fitness rooms are all covered under the condo fees as well, and the amount owners pay is determined by their “unit factor” in the corporation—usually calculated by the square footage of their unit divided into the overall condominium. If not unit factor, boards have to provide an explanation for how condo fees are assigned.

The down side of condo fees is they can be raised but the up side is not having to fork out a large sum of money if, for example the building needs a new roof.

2. I can’t do any major renovations.

When you purchase a condo generally everything from wall to wall and floor to ceiling are yours to do with as you wish. Of course, when undertaking any major renos it’s best to A. get help from the experts (unless you are an expert) and B. let your condo board know you will be gutting the joint (and they may have rules about levels of noise and how to dispose of building materials), as well as possibly your insurance company, just to make sure there are no special rules in place that may affect your insurance. Which brings up condo insurance (and myth #3).

3. My condominium’s insurance covers me.

True, a condo corporation must have insurance for the building structure and common areas, but if you subscribe to this myth, you may be out in the cold—literally, if anything happens, such as a fire, break-in or any other unforeseen circumstances. The condominium’s policy doesn’t cover personal property—such as furniture, clothing, jewelry, and other valuables—nor will it cover damage to any upgrades made to your unit and perhaps not even all of the original unit construction.

What is even worse is, as a unit owner, in the event of special assessments for damage to common elements or lawsuits against the corporation, if you don’t have your own condo insurance you would have to pay these assessments out of pocket. For a couple hundred dollars a year condo owners’ insurance is money well spent.

4. I will have nosy neighbours and a lack of privacy.

My husband and I often joke about how it always seems, for the number of units in my townhome community (141 to be exact), there is never anyone around. The truth is, unless you live in a huge skyscraper with a single elevator it’s easy to maintain privacy, especially if it’s a situation where every unit has its own door. Fact is, with the single-family lots getting smaller, we are not that much closer to the people who live beside us than we would be if we had our own yard. And unlike those who do, we don’t have to worry about maintaining it.

5. Condos are all high-rises.

So not true. A condo can be as few as four units, be a single storey (in the case of a bungalow villa with condominium-type ownership), up to hundreds or even thousands of units. In Calgary, townhomes are among the most common types of condominiums.

6. Condos don’t allow kids.

While there are some age-restricted condominiums, such as 40-plus or 60-plus, most condos don’t have age limits or prerequisites and therefore don’t disallow children. While a 300-square-foot studio condo may not be the best place to raise a family of six, chances are there is nothing saying you can’t do so. In fact, condos currently on the market in new and resale markets offer choices of at least two bedrooms, many now also with multiple baths as well, and attention is also being paid to details like extra phone jacks and soundproofing. What’s more, especially in the case of multi-family projects in new communities, location close to parks, schools and recreation centres is becoming more common. And townhomes, especially with developed or developable basement space, are a much more feasible buying option for families who have been priced out of the single-family market.

7. Condos are not pet-friendly.

Some have rules or bylaws disallowing pets, or limiting number, type and sizes of animals, but it’s likely quite surprising how many condominium owners have four-legged or beaked roommates. Often it’s a matter of applying to the condo board for permission, and signing something agreeing not to let Rover rove the halls, and promising to tend to his business on the lawn and ensure he’s on the leash in common areas. It is always a good rule of—er, paw, to find out before buying into a condominium what the specific rules governing pets have been laid out in the bylaws.

8. Condos are heavy on rules.

Yes it’s true condos have “bylaws,” or a legal contract between owners and the corporation, but they are generally drawn up to ensure everyone enjoys the property—and often even inked with maintaining property value in mind—rather than random rules designed to boss owners around. Most bylaws, and boards for that matter, are reasonable and are in place to keep the exterior looking its best, without menacing garbage bags lurking in hallways or on doorsteps, flags flapping in windows, or an arsenal of unsightly satellite dishes. The fact is upscale single-family neighbourhoods also have restrictions about exterior doors, fencing, or even siding or stucco colours.

9. Condos are the same as apartments.
Actually there are many types of structures under the heading of condominium, since condo refers to the type of ownership. Condominiums are corporations jointly owned by those who buy a home in that structure or structures. True, many condominiums, especially new- construction offerings are apartment-style, but these can range from studio or bachelor apartment-style to massive three-bedroom selections with multiple bathrooms. Townhomes are another popular type of condominium widely available to buyers, while some condo communities are made up of detached homes within a condominium corporation.

10. Condos are for seniors.
With the rising cost of single-family homes (the average is expected to hit $550,000 for new homes in Calgary this year), for some condos are the best if not the only option for home ownership. True, the condo lifestyle appeals to many empty-nesters looking to downsize and make lawn care and shovelling a thing of the past after careers and the kids are no longer a consideration, but there are every bit as many young buyers also drawn to the condo lifestyle.