Housal News and Articles

How to Make the Best Out of Your Condo?

The condo is one of the best places to live; you will have a peaceful life with enough space to accommodate your loved ones. Condominiums are very convenient and easy to maintain; if you want to make the most out of it, you need to make some effort. Consider it a good investment if you are planning to buy a condo. You can make changes and improvements by doing these minor renovations that will improve your condo unit’s value.

Paint it White

Because white reflects the most light, painting a room white makes it appear brighter overall, allowing furniture and accessories to shine out while making the space feel more open and spacious. Light colors enhance the impression of natural light in a room, whereas dark colors absorb light and make a place appear more petite.

Use Full-size Furniture

Using full-size furniture in a tiny area may seem paradoxical, but small furniture can make a room appear smaller. A preferable method is to use larger pieces to cover things you don’t want to be seen, such as cables, while having less furniture of a typical size to keep the room open.

Stay Tidy

The smaller the room, the faster it becomes cluttered and the more visible mess. A smaller condo is all about making the most of the available space, and if that area is cluttered, it seems cramped and confining. Maintaining a neat environment by ensuring that everything in a room has a place will make a condo feel more open and spacious.

While buying a condo, you should keep in mind that it has more open areas to look less congested and cleaner.

Glass is Your Best Friend

Small houses typically have the same walls as larger houses but smaller spaces. If you have the luxury of removing non-structural barriers, consider replacing them with glass dividers. As needed, use drapes for privacy. However, the usage of glass doesn’t have to stop there—you may have glass doors or even utilize the material in the furniture to create a light, airy atmosphere.

Try an Open Concept Design

As previously said, walls are usually the cause of a tight appearance in your home. Choosing an open living area or open kitchen is the easiest way to incorporate open floor plans into your condo. As a result of the modification, you will accommodate many individuals.

Buying a condo is an excellent investment, so it’s important to take care of it. When purchasing a condo, there are many things that you need to consider. However, once you have purchased a new property and moved in, there are some steps that you can take to ensure your new home is properly maintained. Having a place that looks great and is comfortable to live in will make the most out of your condo.

Can’t Decide Between a Condominium and a Townhouse?

Published Date : Article Buying Property Buying Tips Community Guide Design Housing tips Investment Tips Property Recommendations Real Estate 101 Renting condominium

In real estate, the sky is truly the limit. There are so many choices to make when you’re starting to look for a new home. If you’re in the market to buy a new home, your choice of residence is probably already on your mind. Choosing a place is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. However, it can be challenging to decide between a condo and a townhouse, especially when each has advantages and disadvantages. Let’s look at some of these differences so that you can make an informed decision about which one to choose as your next home!

Ownership

When you buy a condo, you own your unit and share joint ownership of the building with the other owner-tenants. This joint ownership extends to the structure of the building and its common areas, such as the gym, pool, grounds, and airspace.

Ownership of a townhouse is more comparable to ownership of a detached single-family home. Here you own both the structure and the land on which it sits; the only difference is that it shares some walls with other townhouses.

Maintenance

Condos are the easier of the two types of housing to maintain because the HOA handles all maintenance and repairs outside the unit.

Townhouse owners must perform additional maintenance tasks, such as cleaning roof gutters or repainting the building’s facade, for which the HOA is not responsible.

Condos and townhouses require less maintenance than detached homes, making them ideal for first-time homebuyers (or busy people in general).

Amenities

Townhouse communities are typically smaller than condo communities, which can be advantageous or disadvantageous depending on how much communication you prefer to have with your neighbors. If you want a strong community feels with places to socialize like swimming pools, gyms, or bbq areas, a condo is more likely to have these amenities. Townhouses may have more private amenities, such as a front lawn, back yard, or garage, that are not shared with other residents.

Homeowners Associations

You can’t discuss the condo vs. townhouse debate without bringing up homeowners’ associations (HOAs). This is one of the most significant differences between these properties and single-family homes.

When you buy a condo or townhouse, you must pay HOA fees every month. The HOA manages the building, grounds, and common interior areas in a condo. The HOA manages common areas in a townhouse community, including general grounds and, in some cases, roofs and exteriors of the structures.

Location

High-rise condos are commonly found in urban centers because they are denser housing, and their amenities can make city living more enjoyable. Because townhouses require more space, they may be located further from the city center, reducing walkability. Townhouses are clearly intended for car owners, and many have private garages or at least personal parking spaces.

When choosing the right home for sale, consider how much money you have saved, how much space you need, how long you plan to stay in your home, and how much you are comfortable spending on repairs, maintenance, and remodeling.

Visit open houses and look through online listings to see what’s available in your price range. It is a brilliant idea to work with a real estate agent to help you narrow down your choices and conduct extensive research to go into the home buying process, knowing exactly what you want.

Retirement in the Philippines – 4 Factors To Consider When Retiring In The Philippines

Published Date : January 8, 2022 Article Buying Property Buying Tips Community Guide Property Recommendations Real Estate 101 renting house

If you want to spend your retirement in all-year warm weather surrounded by beaches and rainforests, then the Philippines is a great option. The government of the Philippines is very welcoming to expat retirees, and the tax situation is friendly. The cost of living is pretty low, making it more attractive to settle in, but there are many more things you have to be prepared for while retiring in the Philippines.

Here are the four factors you must consider while retiring in the Philippines:

Lifestyle

Determine what kind of retirement you want to have. Take into consideration that your lifestyle might remain the same when you retire; you might want to be not too far from where you are right now. Sometimes people have very unrealistic expectations about their plans that can be unhealthy. Experts say you should prepare at least 75 percent of your pre-retirement budget; that way, you can balance your expenses and lifestyle.

Medical Expenses

Setting aside a proportion of your savings for medical expenses is essential. Also, you can’t be sure if you will need it or you don’t as it is a contingency. You can’t cut on it. Ignoring your medical requirement can cause serious consequences, so be prepared beforehand.

Manage Your Current Expenses

If you are planning for retirement now, you might want to prepare yourself to face a time where there is no income in your life. You have to save a lot to pay your post-retirement expenses, which start today. If you spend less today, you are likely to hold more tomorrow. The more savings you have, the more time you get to stay at peace of mind.

Passive Income

Retirement can’t put an end to your income. If you retire, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will stop earning. You should have some source of income so that if you meet any contingency, you have some extra savings up in your sleeves. There are various ways you can earn passively without doing any regular work. So few of the options by which you can earn passive income are an investment in real estate or funds. You can also buy housing properties and rent them out. Another way is to do affiliate marketing. Earning passive income can help you pay your expenses in your financial crisis.

Decide if you want to downsize, what age you plan to retire, and how much you will need to live a comfortable life. But don’t underestimate your current expense; you will not be able to save for retirement as quickly as you would like, so be practical about it. For real estate income or investment, you can explore your options with Housal. You can buy a condo or put your house on rent. There are so many property options it offers for investment. So when retiring, plan everything carefully and practically.