There are two different home styles that are becoming more and more popular in city areas. Some people are finding that they like the community that is offered by living in condo apartments while others like the character that they can get in a loft in the older part of downtown Waterloo. If you're planning to live in a downtown core, then you're likely to have more than a few choices in terms of real estate when it comes to either of these options. You should know what they have in common and where they differ if you're going to make the right choice.

If you're looking at the outside of a high-rise condo and a loft, then they might look quite similar. These are both residences where you're going to own a unit inside of a larger complex. When you're looking at lofts that Toronto or other major cities have to offer, that will either mean that the building used to be a factory or warehouse that was converted into housing units or that it is a newer building that was created in this style. A high-rise condo is usually going to have been built for that purpose and that can open it up to more possibilities when it comes to what else is offered in the complex.

As the owner of a condo or loft in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, you'll need to be well aware of the need to maintain the building to a top level of care, and provide your tenants with proper snow removal and garbage services.

You might think that the definition of a loft and a condo are quite similar. But, a condo is actually not really a style of home but rather has to do with the way that you own it. With any downtown condos you're going to own the unit itself but all of the rest of the property outside of the units is going to be communally owned with all of the other residents. You are all responsible for paying for the upkeep of this land. Those looking at houses for sale in East York or those on the Lower East Side in Manhattan will see that they come with high ceilings, large windows, and sometimes exposed brick or beams. This is an open concept home.

If you like the thought of living in a home with a loft style but want to take advantage of all of the amenities that condos can offer then you will be happy to know that there are more developers that are marrying the two these days and building condos lofts. You will find in a city like Toronto, condo listings with this open plan in a more modern twist. With condos, you also have the choice of townhouses or sometimes even single-family homes if a loft or apartment is not really your style. Just remember that with a condo you always need to factor in what you will be paying each month in condo fees.