Home shoppers torn between settling into an apartment-style condo and a single-family home may want to consider meeting in the middle with a bareland condominium.
Referring to a type of home ownership, bareland condominiums often exist in the form of an attached bungalow villa or townhome, but can also include single-family properties.
High-end addresses in Elbow Valley and the original homes along the Heritage Pointe golf course, as well as parts of Rocky Ridge Ranch are among examples of bareland condo communities that, for the most part, look like single-family neighbourhoods.
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Boundaries are marked with pins in the ground, much like lots in a subdivision, and fall under the Condo Property Act. Just as an apartment-style condo entitles buyers to ownership rights of everything in the confines of their unit, property within a bareland condo’s boundaries becomes part of an individual owner’s unit factor.
The benefits of owning a bareland condominium range from staking claim to a plot of land – often a backyard or private patio – for the enjoyment of residents as they please, to not having to worry about breaking backs shovelling or toiling at lawn care. As in an apartment-style condo, monthly fees go toward maintaining common property, and may also include plowing streets in winter and landscaping in summer.
“It’s the perfect blend of single-family home ownership without the maintenance – you never have to own a lawn mower or hedge clippers,” says Gerald Rotering, a Calgary condo-specialist realtor, adding the most typical example exists in the Calgary market as attached townhomes with separate backyard spaces.
“They have smaller yards, and no sideyards to look after, are more compactly built and have a perfect usable privacy area,” says Rotering.
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In a bungalow-style bareland condominium community, owners may separately own their entire property inside and out, but they can take comfort in knowing snow removal or landscaping will be cared for when they’re away, by their condo corporation or a management company. While they own their home and yard, it is essentially “managed” land, says Rotering.
Lauretta Kaechele, vice-president of Emerald Management and vice-president of the Canadian Condominium Institute says bareland condominiums carry appeal with those coveting a little outdoor space in addition to their units. |
“It is more similar to owning a home, and while it’s really a personal preference, the biggest benefit is the lifestyle,” says Kaechele.
But to the best way to know just what is covered by condo fees, and what is the onus of individual homeowners, is to consult the bylaws of a condominium.
“In some bareland condominiums owners are responsible for the yard, but others you are not. I’ve seen projects where you are responsible for the summer landscaping, but winter, such as snow removal, is included,” says Kaechele, who advises homeowners do their homework to determine their own level of responsibility.
Evelyn Thompson, president of the Canadian Condominium Institute, urges owners or anyone considering buying into bareland condominiums have a close read of both bylaws and the developer’s condo plan. And while the land surrounding a bareland condo is technically a buyer’s own, what can be done with it often must fit within the confines of rules laid out by the developer.
“As opposed to having your own single-family home you are not free to do exactly what you want. You can’t build whatever type of fence you want or plant whatever you wish necessarily,” says Thompson.
One key distinction between bareland condos and single-family digs, says Rotering, is procrastination is often not an option when it comes to repairs, snow removal or other maintenance costs in the former – and those services come with a fee.
“You are going to pay for plowing that driveway or road, so the month-to-month costs might be higher because in a single-family home you can ignore things to the point where the place is falling down around you. You don’t have that option in a condominium.”
Adding a deck, planting a bed of begonias, or installing a hot tub may also require applying to the board of directors for approval before lifting a shovel or hammer. |
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But, along with the freedom of having a yard for owners’ use, Thompson adds that pet owners may want to consider bareland ownership for the space for Rover to roam around in, and possible fewer restrictions governing animal sizes.
For more hints and tips about buying and owning a condominium in Calgary, watch Shaw TVís Condo Living with Barb Mitchell, every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
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