Three-bedroom madness

[Kodra24]

No time to run or participate on a board, perhaps if you're retired you can swing it

To me, the benefits of owning SFH are evident:

- No Condo Fees!
- No Condo board (don't have to participate, listen, waste time etc, free to make your own decisions)
- No noise from next-door units
- No smells (good or bad) from within hallways
- Ability to garden
- Ability to grow your own food

To each their own of course but I don't mind shoveling and cutting the grass, it's good to be outside

Condo fees is not a benefit. Condo fees pay for maintenance of the property, you still have to pay for the maintenance of the property. Whether you pay 400 bucks a month or if you pay 30k every 15 years for a roof plus 7k every 15 years for a furnace, plus... .etc etc. It's a different mindset (you must save up yourself for these costs), but to say "it's a benefit" implies you are saving money somehow, which is simply not true.

Noise and smells has much less to do with the form of home than it does the construction of the home and the nature of your neighbours. The noisiest homes I've ever lived in have been single family homes, my neighbours growing up had a pool, every summery rowdy boisterous parties, in the back there were baseball fields, later my home in Kitchener had a noisy complex next door, and old windows which didn't block out the noise. On the other hand every apartment I've lived in has been filled with seniors who were quiet as a mouse, and built with significant noise proofing.

The others are valid points to be sure, and if you prefer a SFH, that's fine, but it's important to be realistic with why. Not every decision has to be objective, preferences are valid reasons.

Yup as I said to each their own and it depends quite a bit on your experiences as noted - both have their pro's and challenges, one thing I just thought of as a pro for condo's is if you travel alot, it's much easier to lock the door and not have to worry about daily/weekly maintenance as you would in a SFH

I did have the "one-time" reserve fund top-up fees come up when I owned a condo which I didn't appreciate, along with rising condo fees but that's standard I guess across the board