There’s a lot of hype about a condominium’s location, especially if you’re looking for one in the city. Ask just about any real estate agent and they’ll tell you it is the first thing that most people consider when buying a home. Indeed, many developers boast that their property is strategically located and is near everything that matters to a homeowner (modern conveniences, institutions, entertainment, etc.).
But sometimes having your home smack dab in the city center backfires and causes problems. These may include putting up with the sound of cars honking day and night because you’re near a main road or frequently being stuck in traffic because you’re located near a school zone or a shopping mall.
Here are four reasons living in the heart of everything isn’t always the answer:
1. Vehicles whizzing past the street at three a.m. in the morning is definitely not music to your ears.
Being in proximity to everything is a top priority for many home buyers, particularly for urban settlers. They look for the ease of travel to and from work as well as access to other conveniences including restaurants, malls, etc. However, part of living in the city center is being exposed to extreme hustle and bustle – or being bombarded with 24-hour exterior noise regardless of whether you are outdoors or inside the comfort of your home.
Imagine if your house is literally beside the MRT/LRT station, railroad, hospital, fire station, or an airport such as Manhattan Parkway Residences in Cubao and Paragon Plaza in Mandaluyong, which are both located fronting the busy street of EDSA and are near everything. And what if, heaven forbid, because you’re so central that you have all the above as your neighbors? Don’t be surprised to hear that blaring cacophony of sounds since today’s urban setting never sleeps.
Even those who live in the highest floors don’t go away unscathed. A resident of Soho Central in Mandaluyong, who has a unit in the 38th floor, can still hear the blaring of motorcycle horns and sirens of passing ambulance. So unless you have a sound-proof home, forget about having your complete eight-hour beauty rest, quiet dinners with loved ones, and your personal reflection time.
2. Enjoy the view of the next-door building’s wall.
There’s also the case of having a view of a wall instead of the surrounding area or the city skyline. Because many people are clamoring to be in the center of everything, developers are cramming their lot space with more than one building. It’s common to see twin towers or more rising in the same area. The result is having to face a blank wall or seeing how your neighbor lives in real time. An example of this is the Serenity Suites and Antel Spa Hotel Suites found in Makati, which rises next to each other.
3. That five-minute drive may fast become a thirty-minute horror traffic situation.
Many Filipinos love to shop. This is evident from the ever-present, hyper-sized shopping malls that continue to rise not just in the metropolis, but also in provinces. Even property developers are incorporating it in their projects. Century City, home to Gramercy Residences and Knightsbridge Residences to name a few, boasts a high-end shopping mall that features several luxury retail stores.
Indeed, the popularity of building malls around the vicinity or within the compound of a condominium development is prevalent. Ayala Land’s Serendra Complex, composed of One Serendra and Two Serendra, is flanked by no less than three shopping centers – Bonifacio High Street, Market! Market!, and SM Aura. Think of the traffic woes that residents living beside it may experience especially during the holidays.
Similarly, those who own a home in condominiums next to universities and school zones also faces this kind of challenge. You’ll have to put up with the long queue of students’ cars parked along the street. For commuters, you’ll encounter jeepneys or FXs hindering your way since they stop frequently to let students alight.
4. You don’t want to own a low value property in the city.
Buying a property involved in cases or has unsavory background may lower the property’s value. This defeats the purpose of owning a condominium in the city that you also want to use as an investment.
Who isn’t familiar with the photo bombing controversy that rocked the real estate industry last year? Touted as the “Pambansang Photobomber,” the planned 49-storey Torre De Manila faced tremendous criticism from the public for allegedly destroying the vista of one of Metro Manila’s landmarks, the Luneta Park. It gained a lot of detractors and was even one of the most searched condominiums in the Philippines in 2014.
Does your condominium suffer from any of these problems? Share your review about your home here.
